Beastly art and music.

Art education is not only important in the well-rounded development of every child, it can be very beneficial when it relates to other subject matter that the child is studying. When second graders at Evers Park Elementary in Denton, Texas were studying dinosaurs, the art and music teachers combined their efforts to expand the science lesson into a program of creative expression.

The students began by drawing their favorite dinosaurs in art class. An excited and energetic group of second graders drew and painted a mural with Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops in a volcanic scene. Before the lesson was finished, the students were able to name all of the different types of dinosaurs. While the music teacher was teaching the second graders songs about dinosaurs, the fifth and sixth grade art students were making slides by using transparency plastic, non-permanent markers and scrap poster board. Many students depicted volcanic scenes to portray the atmosphere of the dinosaur era. One student illustrated a dinosaur hatching front an egg to represent the origin of the dinosaur. One student depicted a Brontosaurus larger than a bus to illustrate size because the same comparison was made in one of the songs. Another student portrayed a dinosaur in fossil form because it was explained in the dialogue preceding a song about fossils, that a dinosaur's body had turned to stone. These examples are just a few of the imaginative creations the students devised.

We were ready for a multi-media presentation based on dinosaurs. As the second graders performed on the stage, singing songs and reciting dialogue about dinosaurs, the slides were projected to colorfully illustrate the information. Our mural was hung in the back of the stage for scenery.

The second graders' self-esteem increased--they were proud of their artwork and performance. They were elated also that the fifth and sixth graders contributed to the importance of their science program by sharing their artwork. The fifth and sixth graders were proud that they had the opportunity to show their artwork to an appreciative audience.

Social growth was evident as the students worked together to present a program of creative expression about a scientific subject. When children enjoy what they are doing and feel good about themselves, an excellent learning environment has been established. The children grow intellectually as they gain information about the past and make decisions about organizing their ideas using the elements and principles of art to create their own works of art.

SLIDE MAKING METHOD

Twenty 1 3/4" squares will fit on one page. By placing the master in the copy machine, several transparencies can be made at one time. The students used transparency markers to draw and color on the plastic and then cut the slide on the solid line.

Students glued four strips of 5/16" x 2" poster board to the front and back of the transparency to make the mount.

Berniece Patterson teacher art at Evers Park Elementary School, Denton, Texas.