Culture in the Classroom

Interdisciplinary Arts Integration

Presented by Andrea Schipke and Casey Watts

Nora Davis Magnet School

Why use Arts Integration?

  1. Arts integration allows for multiple perspectives.
  2. Arts integration helps create a safe atmosphere for taking risks.
  3. Arts integration demonstrates that learning can be a pleasurable experience.
  4. The arts and regular classroom curriculum naturally complement each other.

Integrate the arts into lessons in

order to…

  1. introduce and create enthusiasm for a new unit of study.
  2. reinforce concepts already learned.
  3. enrich content and add another layer of meaning.

Check out new lessons through out next school year at

Any questions? Contact us at

Arts Integration Lesson

Title:

African Masks

Grade:

Third Grade (could be adapted for grades 2-4)

Description:

During a unit on Africa, students learned that many West Africa tribes use ornamental masks and jewelry as a part of many rituals and traditions. The students created an African mask of their own to represent this cultural tradition. Students incorporated similar and congruent shapes as well as the use of symmetry in their creations.

Objectives:

Math

  • 3 - describe, compare, and contrast two-dimensional shapes and their relationships.

Visual Arts

  • 1c - develop increased manipulative skills while cutting, gluing, and folding.
  • 1d - increase understanding and use of unique properties and potential of media, materials, and technologies while producing works of art.
  • 1e - understand the importance of cleaning tools and work area.
  • 1f - know the importance of recycling, conserving, and sharing art materials.
  • 2f - create symmetrically balanced compositions.
  • 3a - demonstrate ability to choose techniques, media, and processes to achieve intended effect.
  • 7b/c - identify symbols and forms in works of art and design found in selected cultures, times, and places.
  • 12b - know that math shares concepts with the visual arts.

Materials:

  • long white construction paper
  • multi-colored construction paper
  • glue
  • paper plates
  • scissors

Preparation:

Have all materials ready for use.

Procedures:

  • TW show students a variety of African masks using the internet, and will review how masks are used in the African culture.
  • TW explain that students will create their own mask to represent this tradition.
  • TW review similar and congruent shapes as well as how to create symmetrical shapes.
  • SW fold the paper in half (hotdog style).
  • SW cut the top and bottom corners of the unfolded side to make the round shape of the mask. TW remind students that by folding the shape they make sure that the two sides of the mask are symmetrical.
  • SW choose a color of construction paper for the eyes of their mask. SW fold the paper and cut congruent shapes for their eyes. SW repeat this step to create different sizes of congruent shapes and will layer these shapes to create the eyes of the mask.
  • SW use black construction paper to create similar shapes for the eyebrows and eyelashes.
  • SW choose a color of construction paper for the nose of their mask. SW fold the paper to create a line of symmetry, and will cut the paper in the shape they choose.
  • SW choose a color of construction paper for the hair of their mask. SW cut slits into the paper without going all the way through the make the hair.
  • SW choose a color of construction paper for the mouth of their mask. SW cut the paper in a rectangular shape. SW fold the shape in half (hotdog style). SW cut on the line of symmetry in zigzag or wavy pattern to create the inside of the mouth. SW glue down the four corners of the mouth to make it stand up to show a third dimension.
  • SW cut a variety of congruent and similar shapes and will use these to accent other parts of the mask.
  • TW assist student in hotgluing a paper plate to the back of the mask for a handle. The plate should be folded in half and two small flaps should be glued down so that the plate pops up.

Arts Integration Lesson

Title:

Chinese Panel Art Perspectives

Grade:

Third Grade (could be adapted for grades 2-6)

Description:

After reading Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Tale from China by Ed Young the students will create a watercolor painting that is reminiscent of ancient Chinese panel art using the principle of art, proportion.

Objectives:

Language Arts

  • 2b-The student will analyze texts in order to identify, understand, infer, or synthesize information.
  • 2b11-The student will identify important themes from texts and examine from more than one point-of-view.
  • 2c1-The student will retell a story orally including characters, setting, problem, important events, and resolution.
  • 2d2-The student will make connections between self and characters, events, and information in text or among texts.

Visual Arts

  • 1-The student will apply with increasing skills a variety of media, processes, and images to produce works of art that communicate ideas.
  • 2d-The student will demonstrate thoughtful, selective use of elements and principles of art to achieve a purpose.
  • 2g-The student will know how to use combinations of figures/objects to express ideas, experiences, stories, or feelings.
  • 3b-The student will recognize various subjects, media, and techniques chosen by the artist in a specific work of art.
  • 4a-The student will discuss artwork using art vocabulary, including names of artists, and styles of artwork.
  • 4b-The student will discuss artwork in relation to design principles: balance, repetition, unity, contrast, proportion, and emphasis.
  • 7c-The student will identify forms of art and design found in selected cultures, times, and places.
  • 12b-The student will know that language arts shares concepts with the visual arts (perspective and proportion).

Materials:

  • copy of Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Tale from China by Ed Young
  • white copy paper
  • colored construction paper
  • watercolor
  • paintbrushes
  • example of Chinese paneled art printed off internet
  • butcher paper

Preparation:

Have all materials ready for use, and be familiar with the story as well as the illustrations in the story.

Procedures:

  • Before reading the book, ask the students how many of them have heard of the story Little Red Riding Hood. Have the students briefly recount the tale, discussing the narrative elements of the story.
  • Read Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Tale from China. Discuss that this story is a tale from China. Discuss how the author used the Chinese culture in the story, such as the idiom all the chickens are in the coop, which is a well known saying in China but not in the U.S.
  • After reading the book, draw a large Venn Diagram on the board and aid the students in comparing and contrasting the narrative elements from the original Little Red Riding Hood with Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Tale from China.
  • Show the illustrations to the students again. Ask the students to guess what media the artist used to create the pictures. Tell the students the artist used watercolor. Guide the students in looking at the paintings to see how the watercolor was used to create shadows and other effects. Ask the students to look at how the author, Ed Young, illustrated the wolf. Show the students how he painted the wolf very small in order to show that he was low on the ground while the girls in the story were high up in a tree. Look for similar examples in the illustrations and share them with the students.
  • Review point-of-view, or perspective, with the students. Tell the students “Just like a writer writes from different points-of-view, or perspectives, illustrators have to show things from different perspectives. In art this principle is known as proportion, the smallness or largeness of an object. Think about when you see something that is far away. How does is look? Is it large or small? Of course, the object looks smaller than it really is. If artists want to show an object far away, they must draw the object very small, and likewise, if the artist wants to show an object from a really close up perspective, they must draw it larger.
  • Show the students some examples of ancient Chinese panel art. Tell the students that many Chinese artists painting scenes of objects, usually flowers or women, to represent their culture. Tell the students that they are going to create their own example of Chinese panel art.
  • Have each student choose a simple object to use in their painting. Have the students brainstorm different perspectives, or the proportion, that the object can be seen in.
  • The students will paint the object using two perspectives, up close and far away. The students will use watercolor to paint the object.
  • When the students have created their painting, have them lay their work on butcher paper to dry.
  • After the paintings have dried, have the students cut their painting into three equal panels to represent Chinese panel art.
  • The students will choose a complementary colored piece of construction paper to glue the panels on.
  • Display the artwork under the heading “Chinese Panel Perspectives”.

Arts Integration Lesson

Title: Batik Art

Grade level: 3rd (This lesson can be adapted for grades 2nd- 6th)

Description: The students create a Batik painting of an object of their choice. The students create a poem using descriptive words about their object.

Objectives:

Language Arts

2-The student will analyze texts in order to identify, understand, infer, or synthesize information.

2d1-The student will interpret text through moving, drawing, speaking, acting, or singing.

2d3-The student will compose visual images based upon text.

3-The student will express, communicate, or evaluate ideas effectively.

Visual Arts

1-The student will apply with increasing skills a variety of media, processes, and images to produce works of art that communicate ideas.

3b-The student will recognize various subjects, media, and techniques chosen by the artist in a specific work of art.

4a-The student will discuss artwork using art vocabulary, including names of artists, and styles of art.

12b-The student will know that language arts shares concepts with the visual arts (creating mental images.)

Materials:

cotton fabric waxsmall paint brushes

foam paint brushescupsDylon dye (found in the craft section)

crock pot for waxironwax paper

white papertapepermanent marker

butcher papermarkersconstruction paper

copy of “Coyote Places the Stars” retold by Harriet Taylor Peck

Preparations: The cotton fabric will need to be cut into squares. 10” by 9” works well for students that are working individually. The wax will need to be melted in the crock pot. The crock pot will only be able to be used for this purpose. Cups of dye will also need to be prepared. Write the color on the cup and on the paint brush.

Procedures:

  • After reading the story, discuss how the text is related to the illustrations. Have the students notice that the artwork that the author used is beautiful, but is also different from most illustrations in books. Discuss how the color bleeds into other colors, and how each picture is outlined in white.
  • Explain that this process is called Batik and the artist uses several different types of media to create this unusual look.
  • Have the students analyze the illustrations to help gain meaning of the story. Have the students view the page that has the animals looking up at the sky. Discuss with the students that the author didn’t use text on this page and ask why she may have chosen to do this.
  • Tell the students that they are going to make their own batik painting. The students will brainstorm a list of objects, and the teacher will write all the objects on the board. The teacher will need to remind the students that these objects will be painted as an outline later, so they shouldn’t be too difficult to draw.
  • The students will pick one of the objects from the board to write a descriptive poem. An object can only be chosen once.
  • The students will create a poem describing their object. The students shouldn’t use their object’s name in their poem, and they do not need to title the poem.
  • After the poem is written, the students will create a batik painting to illustrate their objects.
  • The students will draw their object on a white piece of paper. The students shouldn’t draw any details. The objects will need to be drawn large and traced in a permanent marker. It will be a guide as they apply the wax.
  • The teacher will take each student’s drawing and place it on wax paper. The teacher will then lay the cotton fabric on top of the drawing. It is a good idea to tape the fabric down on the wax paper where it is more stable.
  • The students will need to understand that where wax is applied the fabric will remain white. The students will use the small paint brushes and wax and trace their object on the fabric.
  • When the students are finish applying a heavy outline of wax to their fabric, the teacher will throw away the white paper. Then tape the fabric back to the wax paper.
  • The students then use the dye to paint their fabric. The students should use a variety of color and the entire fabric should be painted. The dye will not penetrate the wax; therefore, the dye will be contained inside the lines of the wax.
  • The teacher will place the fabric on butcher paper to dry over night.
  • After the paintings are dry, place them between two pieces of butcher paper and iron them. The wax will melt onto the paper and the fabric will become more flexible.
  • The poems can be rewritten on white paper by using markers and then backed on construction paper for display. Each of the students’ poems can be hung with their batik painting.
  • Once the work is displayed, the students can read their peers’ descriptive poems and view their batik paintings to see the mental images that they created.

Arts Integration Lesson

Title: Japanese Sumi-E

Grade level: 3rd - This lesson can be adapted for grades 2nd- 4th.

Description: The students create Japanese ink paintings called Sumi-E based off of a multiplication riddle.

Objectives:

Math:

  • 1f- model multiplication using arrays
  • 2b- determine the value of missing quantities

Visual Art:

  • apply with increasing skills a variety of media, processes, and images to produce works of art that communicate
  • 2c- know how to select line quality to match purpose or feeling
  • 7- know common subject matter, forms, and symbols, found in works of art and design from other cultures, times, and places.

Materials:

construction paper

black paint

examples of ink paintings (can be found on the internet)

multiplication riddles

Preparations: The teacher will need to write riddles based from the Japanese culture. These riddles will need to have a multiplication problem written within the story.

Procedures:

  • Have the students view Japanese Ink paintings and discuss Sumi-E. Japanese people of long ago used black ink on brightly colored or patterned fabric or painted cloth to illustrate the various unique plants found in Asia.
  • Discuss the fluidity of the strokes and the simplexes of the work. Have the students practice making fluid strokes by painting the “sky or air”.
  • Divide the students into pairs and have them read their story with their partner. Have them draw a sketch of their story’s multiplication problem to demonstrate their knowledge of the answer.
  • After the teacher has checked the sketch, the students may begin their Japanese painting based from their riddle.
  • Once the work is displayed, the students can read the other Japanese riddles and view the art that demonstrates the math problem that was written.

Arts Integration Lesson

Title:

Afro-Cuban Atmosphere

Grade:

Third Grade (could be adapted for grades 2-6)

Description:

In this lesson the students will learn about Afro-Cuban art to go along with a social studies lesson about Cuba. The students will also connect this art with their learning of the layers of the atmosphere as they create the layers in the Afro-Cuban art style.

Objectives:

Science

  • 4 - The student will develop and understanding of the properties of Earth materials, objects in the sky, and changes in the Earth and sky.

Visual Arts

  • 1-The student will apply with increasing skills a variety of media, processes, and images to produce works of art that communicate ideas.
  • 2g-The student will know how to use combinations of figures/objects to express ideas, experiences, stories, or feelings.
  • 3b-The student will recognize various subjects, media, and techniques chosen by the artist in a specific work of art.
  • 4a-The student will discuss artwork using art vocabulary, including names of artists, and styles of artwork.
  • 4b-The student will discuss artwork in relation to design principles.
  • 7c-The student will identify forms of art and design found in selected cultures, times, and places.

Materials: