60 ways to celebrate the arts.Every Thursday at Central Park East School II in East Harlem, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , the whole school gathers for a community meeting. At the heart is a performance where you'll find sixth graders helping kindergarteners with dance steps, and third and fourth graders drumming a welcoming beat. The weekly celebration of song and dance looks as if it's taken months to rehearse. This is just one impressive example of how teachers are integrating the arts (yes, despite loss of funding and mandates to focus on the basics.) You've told us you believe in the arts--and the research agrees. Kids do better in all subjects when they're involved in the arts. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] That's why we've gathered the best arts activities and ideas from across the country. We hope you're inspired by what's inside. 5 Ways to spark creativity 1 ASK QUESTIONS: Creativity means thinking differently. "When a child says, 'We could do it this way, or that way, and maybe bring in people from over there'--that's creativity," says Elizabeth Mowrer-Reynolds, an associate professor of education in Idaho. Get kids thinking outside the box by posing open-ended questions like "How many ways can we solve this?" 2 MAKE THE TIME: Include one new creative activity a week. It will pay off when you see better understanding, says Jon Baer, author of Creative Teachers, Creative Students (Allyn-Bacon, 1996). Teach longitude and latitude by having students imagine an island at certain coordinates, Baer suggests. 3 RETHINK BAD BEHAVIOR: The class clown's inner Picasso may be going unnoticed. Baer explains that artistic kids often question authority--a disruptive trait in a classroom. "Not every troublemaker is creative," says Baer. "But some of them are." If you have a child like this, try to work with his or her creative spirit, not against it. 4 ENCOURAGE PERSEVERANCE: "One of the biggest problems kids are having is that if something isn't entertaining enough, they drop it," says Debbie Wilburn, county extension agent for the University of Georgia Organization The President of the University of Georgia (as of 2007, Michael F. Adams) is the head administrator and is appointed and overseen by the Georgia Board of Regents. . Teach students to break a project up and encourage them to complete each step. 5 CUT LOOSE: Like in Harry Chapin's song "Flowers are Red," about a boy whose teacher insists he color all flowers one color, excessive control can destroy the creative impulse in kids. So be accepting of their ideas. Let them color the flowers however they want. --JOY LANZENDORFER 4 Easy Puppet Theater Ideas TABLETOP Drape drape v. To cover, dress, or hang with or as if with cloth in loose folds. n. A cloth arranged over a patient's body during an examination or treatment or during surgery, designed to provide a sterile field around the area. a blanket over a table. Children can crouch behind it and use the surface as a stage. (Props can go beneath.) APPLIANCE BOX Cut off the back of a large appliance box (often available free at appliance stores), then cut a hole in the front. Let children decorate with paints or markers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DOOR FRAME Hang a simple curtain on a tension rod (Engin.) an iron rod used as a tension member to strengthen timber or metal framework, roofs, or the like. See also: Tension halfway up your classroom door frame. Performers stand in the hall; the audience sits in your room. CEREAL BOX Cut the bottom and top off a cereal box. Put any puppet on your hand and stick it up through the box. When children need to quiet down, bring down your hand to hide the puppet in the box as if the puppet is scared by noise. When they are quiet, stick the puppet back up! --DR JEAN FELDMAN, FROM BEST OF DR JEAN: PUPPETS & STORYTIME (SCHOLASTIC, 2005) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3 Steps Closer to Black History 1 In Africa, textile makers have long used symbols to tell a story in their fabrics. Read aloud one of the many terrific picture books on this topic, such as The Talking Cloth, by Rhonda Mitchell (Scholastic, 1997). 2 Have kids check out traditional textile symbols at www.welltempered.net/adinkra and pick four or five they want to include in their African textile-inspired project. Invite children to also design one or two of their own symbols: a sun for Grandma's house in Florida, for example. 3 Give each student six square pieces of sturdy paper. First have them paint each square with a bright, solid background. Then have children paint one of their symbols on each square in a contrasting color. Finally, glue, tape, or loosely stitch the squares together. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3 teachers' secrets for cleaning up after the fun * FOR GRADES K-2: I have the children form a line and we march around the room to fun music. When I see a piece of trash, the child in front picks it up and goes to the end of the line and the next child has a turn. They love this!--Charlene Griffith, Bainbridge, NY * FOR GRADES 3-5: I wander the room and make a note of three pieces of trash. Next the kids have one minute to clean. I reward the finders of my "secret scraps" with a small something from my treasure box Treasure Box (1996) is a novel written by Orson Scott Card. It takes place in modern day America, and is a mix of fantasy and horror fiction. Plot introduction The plot details a middle-aged man, Quentin Fears (pronounced "fierce"), who marries a woman who turns out to be .--Diane McCoy, Rohnert Park Rohn·ert Park A city of west-central California, a residential suburb of Santa Rosa. Population: 42,300. , CA * FOR GRADES 6-8: I like to make clean-up as easy as possible, so before we start a messy project, I cover the tables with plastic table cloths or old shower-curtain liners. After everything is put away, the paper can be thrown out or plastic sponged clean.--Vanessa Rodriguez, New York, NY [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 4 Lessons for Valentine's Day Valentine's Day: see Saint Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day Lovers' holiday celebrated on February 14, the feast day of St. Valentine, one of two 3rd-century Roman martyrs of the same name. St. (No Sugar Highs Involved) * SING the catchy "Love Feels" to the tune of "Row Row Row Your Boat," then do the fun estimation activity in the song. You can find the free lyrics at www.songs4teachers.com. * CUT out the heart-y snowflake in the "How To" section of www.allseasonssnowflakes.com and discuss the symmetry in this whimsical decoration. * COLLAGE a colorful Valentine using old magazines. Encourage children to stick with colors from one section of the color wheel. Then post them on a bulletin board to create a giant rainbow spectrum. * WRITE and illustrate a creative class caper caper, common name for members of the Capparidaceae, a family of tropical plants found chiefly in the Old World and closely related to the family Cruciferae (mustard family). called "The Case of the Missing Valentines." Stage a dramatic reading of your story for your students' fans: the office and custodial staffs. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3 Cool Books About Artists * I AM MARC CHAGALL, by Bimba Landmann (Eerdmans, 2006). Wondering why Chagall painted flying goats and fish? The answer is in this delightfully illustrated biography, which uncovers the artist's fanciful inspiration. * BEETHOVEN'S WIG This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. , by Richard Perlmutter (Rounder, 2005). Stage a laugh-in: Share these funny new lyrics to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony while you listen to the accompanying CD. * VINCENT'S COLORS, by Vincent van Gogh (Chronicle, 2005). Wait--van Gogh wrote a book for kids? Actually, the artist didn't anticipate the celeb ce·leb n. Informal A celebrity. picture book craze. This book uses excerpts from letters to his brother to tell a sweet, simple story about his work. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3 Chinese New Year Chinese New Year (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: Chūnjié), or Spring Festival Activities * Year of the Dog Calendars In China, the New Year (this year on January 29) is a time for families to get together. Those who cannot make it to see everyone in person send New Year's cards. A fun twist to this tradition: Invite students to create a "Year of the Dog" calendar to send to friends and family. * Good Luck Scrolls In preparation for Chinese New Year, Chinese people The following is a '''list of famous Chinese-speaking/writing people. Note in Chinese names, the family name is typically placed first (for example, the family name of "Xu Feng" is "Xu"). hang scrolls called chun lian in their homes. These scrolls contain good wishes for the coming year. To make your own: Have each child think about what they wish for the new year and then write it on a long red piece of paper with a black marker. * New Year's Dragons Create your own Chinese dragon
The Chinese dragon is a Chinese mythical creature, depicted as a long, scaled, snake-like creature with four claws. out of papier-mache and paints. Once it is complete, your class can parade it through the school. --TARA BARDEEN (FOR MORE IDEAS, VISIT HER WEB SITE AT WWW.RICEPAPERKITE.COM) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 10 Huge Benefits of Arts Education (Tell Your School Board) * Captivation cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. * Pleasure * Better ability to empathize em·pa·thize v. To feel empathy in relation to another person. * Cognitive growth * Creation of social bonds * Expression of meaning * Improved test scores * Improved self-efficacy, learning skills, and health * Development of social capital * Economic growth SOURCE: RAND CORPORATION Rand Corporation, research institution in Santa Monica, Calif.; founded 1948 and supported by federal, state, and local governments, as well as by foundations and corporations. Its principal fields of research are national security and public welfare. , 2005 3 topics you'll cover by building a pinhole camera A pinhole camera is a camera without a conventional glass lens. An extremely small hole in a very thin material can focus light by confining all rays from a scene through a single point. * ART HISTORY Pinhole cameras are similar to the first cameras ever made. You don't even need film--instead the camera projects an image upside down on a screen. * MYSTERIES OF SCIENCE Pinhole cameras are a hands-on way to teach refraction refraction, in physics, deflection of a wave on passing obliquely from one transparent medium into a second medium in which its speed is different, as the passage of a light ray from air into glass. . Here's how they work: The pinhole acts as a lens. It focuses the light coming through to create the image seen. * INVENTIONS What else can your kids use to make a camera? Challenge them to make their own using a cereal box, a milk carton, or even a piece of fruit. For instructions on how to make the version shown, go to www.exploratorium.edu. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bring characters to life with 3 drama games 1 town square Turn your classroom into Hogsmeade! Invite students to imagine they are walking through the "town square" or main meeting place in a book they're reading. Have students stand in the four corners of the room. Direct two at a time to walk to the middle. When they meet, you can give them a scenario from the book or script to act out, or simply allow them to improvise a conversation between two characters. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2 talk show What would Judy Blume's Fudge say to Oprah? In this game, one student acts as the host of a talk show and asks other students questions, which they must answer completely as their characters. This means kids have to know their characters' likes, dislikes, and other details that might come up in the course of a conversation! Pretend that the book has ended and that the characters have gathered to discuss their experiences, or that the action is paused at a crucial moment while you hear from characters about how they feel about the situation and what they are planning to do next. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3 book celebrity In the simplest version of this game, one student gets up in front of the class to "be" a character, such as the White Witch For other uses, see White Witch (disambiguation). White witch, or good witch, are qualifying terms in English used to distinguish those helpful witches who do not use magic to harm others from normal witches. from The Lion, The Lion, The, English name for Leo, a constellation. Witch, and The Wardrobe, and everyone else has to guess who the character is using yes or no questions. The student giving the responses should do so "as" that character and think about his or her perspective and point of view. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] --USA FISCHLER, DIRECTOR OF THE ELEMENTARY DRAMA PROGRAM AT THE CHURCHILL SCHOOL IN NEW YORK CITY New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. 5 Best-Ever Kid CDs * WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS (Shel Silverstein Noun 1. Shel Silverstein - United States poet and cartoonist remembered for his stories and poems for children (1932-1999) Shelby Silverstein, Silverstein , Sony) Just the best: Silverstein is hilarious! * THE BABYSITTERS (Alan Arkin and Lee Hays) Roots kid's music from the late '50s and early '60s. * WHA'D'YA WANNA wan·na Informal 1. Contraction of want to: You wanna go now? 2. Contraction of want a: You wanna slice of pie? DO (Peter Alsop) Peter did kid's music when it wasn't fashionable, and he's never been afraid to be honest. * WONDERFULNESS (Bill Cosby William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr., Ed.D. (born July 12 1937) is an American actor, comedian, television producer, and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a vanguard role in the 1960s action show I Spy. , Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) ) Not a "kid's" album per se, but certainly enjoyed by kids--my two boys wet their pants listening to it. * AIR GUITAR (Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, High Windy Audio) These two brought kids musicianship to a whole new level. --BILL HARLEY, CHILDREN'S SINGER AND STORYTELLER, WHOSE LATEST ALBUM IS ONE MORE TIME (TRACK STAR MEDIA) 3 Classics to Keep ... * Kid self-portraits * Perspective drawing * Dioramas and 3 to Kiss Goodbye ... * The hand turkey * God's eyes * Coloring book pages! 3 Imaginative Teachers You Should Meet 1. KATHLEEN THOMPSON When Kathleen Thompson wanted to combine character education with her art classes, she helped pull in a four-year, $1.7 million federal grant. The program, Character through the Arts, is in nine pilot schools in Georgia This is a list of all schools in the state of Georgia. Appling County
2. KATHY DOUGLAS Kathy Douglas (born 23 May 1942) is an American model. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its October 1960 issue. See also
3. ANNE YOUNG Teacher Anne Young believes art is crucial to understanding stories--especially for struggling readers and writers. That's why she has her students at the Number Six School in Woodmere, New York Woodmere is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Nassau County, New York, United States. United States. The population was 16,447 at the 2000 census. Woodmere is one of the Long Island community known as the Five Towns, which is usually said to be comprised of the , learn about and make triptychs (three-paneled paintings that tell a story). Young, who's received a grant for her lessons combining art and literacy, also has her students look at Aboriginal dot paintings and talk about what messages they contain. Young says she sees her program working when students come into class eager to share tales passed down through their own families, generation to generation. --MADELINE FARBMAN 3 Web Sites That'll Help You Pay for Fingerpaints * WWW.NASSA-ARTS.ORG The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies lists a number of great classroom grants. Click on "Arts Over America" to get started. * WWW.AEP-ARTS.ORG Find a grant that's right for you on the Arts Education Partnership's page of more than 100 arts-funding links. * WWW.ED.GOV/PROGRAMS/ARTSEDMODEL The U.S Department of Education's arts-integration grant for elementary and middle schools. --JESSICA ROSEVEAR 4 Out-of-the-Box Projects Proven to Draw Kids In 1. CARTOONING Middle schoolers at Prospect Hill Academy Prospect Hill Academy is a Charter school in Somerville, Massachusetts and Cambridge, Massachusetts, teaching children in grades K to 12. It was founded by a group of parents in 1996 as the Somerville Charter School. in Cambridge, Massachusetts, put together a quarterly cartooning magazine. They work on cartooning every week for two periods, perfecting their skills such as drawing hand poses and more. The school also offers electives on knitting and hip-hop culture. "It's unconventional," says teacher Doug Anderson. "But it's a low-pressure way to build children's confidence." 2. DEGAS Degas To release and vent gases. New building materials often give off gases and odors and the air should be well circulated to remove them. Mentioned in: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity DAY Every year, young ballerinas dance around Susan Costello's Winchester, Massachusetts, classroom to the Nutcracker Suite, while other students capture their movements on paper. Costello herself records the dancers, other students, and drawings in a video she calls a "chalkumentary." The Lincoln Elementary School Lincoln Elementary School is the name of numerous schools, with most of them in the U.S. named after President Abraham Lincoln, including:
3. PUEBLO POTTERY At the rural John Poole Middle School John Poole Middle School is a public middle school located in Poolesville, Maryland. It is the only middle school that feeds to Poolesville High School. The school receives students from Poolesville Elementary School, in Poolesville, and Monocacy Elementary School, in Dickerson, MD. in Poolesville, Maryland, students don't just make pueblo pottery, they build the pit in which the clay is fired. Students study pueblos, then teacher Nori Thorne helps them dig the hole, lining it with bricks and dried manure. Before firing the pots, they perform a traditional ceremony, tossing corn to the four winds. 4. A NIGHT IN JAPAN To culminate her study of Japan, every year Ann Kynion hosts a special evening of Japanese skills and crafts for her students and their families at Willard South Elementary School in Willard, Missouri. The children sing Japanese songs, try calligraphy calligraphy (kəlĭg`rəfē) [Gr.,=beautiful writing], skilled penmanship practiced as a fine art. See also inscription; paleography. European Calligraphy In Europe two sorts of handwriting came into being very early. , stencil stencil, cutout device of oiled or shellacked tough and resistant paper, thin metal, or other material used in applying paint, dye, or ink to reproduce its design or lettering upon a surface. hoppi coats, and make fish prints with rubber fish. --MADELINE FARBMAN And finally ... 4 awesome arts libraries you can win (See page 59) for your classroom from Instructor Magazine. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion