1. How to Bring Literacy and Art together in the Classroom! +

2. Did you know? For thousands of years, early societies passed on knowledge through dance, movement, drama, music, and the visual arts! Even today, tribal dances and sand-painting ceremonies, besides their dramatic symbolism, exist as reminders of generations past. Only in recent history, with formalized education employing letter and number symbols, has the use of the arts to pass on knowledge begun to disappear.

3. Multiple Intelligences Educators must employ strategies that promote growth and development in our students and use methodologies that take into consideration various ways of learning. Combining intelligences in a lesson means better learning overall! (not just one of the eight intelligences Gardner defines) How do you make art beyond a motivator or a response to reading?

4. 5 Basic Principles of Teaching Through the Arts 1. TARGETED OUTCOMES MUST BE CLEAR. THEY CANNOT CHANGE BECAUSE THE TEACHING OR ASSESSMENT IS NONTRADITIONAL. 2. ALL POSSIBLE ARTS (AND INTELLIGENCES) MUST BE INCLUDED, AS LONG AS THIS INCLUSION DOES NOT SEEM CONTRIVED 3. THE LEARNING MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE ARTS, SUPPORTED BY TEACHING THROUGH THE ARTS

5. 5 Basic Principles of Teaching Through the Arts 5. ALL INTELLIGENCES SHOULD BE FOSTERED WHILE STUDENTS CONTINUE TO USE READING, WRITING, AND MATH SKILLS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ARTS 6. THE ASSESSMENT MUST FIT THE MODE OF PRESENTATION

6. Putting it all together… It's not teaching everything at once, but blending the unit of study to include areas of the arts. Not every intelligence or art can be included into a lesson, but the more there are the more effective the lesson! Use your own judgment to decide whether the art you’ve chosen suits the class or not. (Don’t want to make things too complex for a class that has little art experience!)

7. Example Lesson: High School English LORD OF THE FLIES By William Golding

8. Example: High School English Novel: Lord of the Flies by William Golding Summary: Boys are stranded on an island alone with no adults. As the novel progresses, they become more primitive eventually destroying each other and the island showing the true nature of humanity. Arts: Dramatic Arts, Visual Arts, Spatial Arts, and Music Intelligences: Linguistic, Visual, Spatial, Musical Throughout the novel, each of these are used in conjunction to events that parallel each art/intelligence!

9. Example: High School English Assessments: 1. Dramatic Arts – Act out scenes from the novel (small groups, predetermined scenes) 2. Visual Arts – Drawing the setting and answering questions about it. (what kind of island is it?) 3. Spatial Arts – Make a map of the island and note places where important events take place. (progressive map of the island)

10. Example: High School English Assessments: 4. Music – Bringing in a replica “conch” the boys used both literally and symbolically during the novel. (Makes a distinct sound, may require audio recording)

11. How to Bring Literacy and Art together in the Classroom! Works Cited Witherell, N. L.. Educational Horizons v. 78 no. 4 (Summer 2000) p. 179-83 BACK TO THE BEGINNING…