INTEGRATING THE ARTS
Students most remember the lessons that involve more than books, paper, and pencils. Frequently, it is our projects that create the most memorable moments in an American Section Lower School education. Student work includes many forms of creative expression, such as paper bag book reports, creating book characters out of bottles, dressing up as a favorite planet and reporting on it, or integrating gestures and songs to enhance lessons. Adding a creative element to an assignement is a valuable way to enhance learning and make it more fun (see related article on page 11). We have a fantastic art program in which students learn about line, shape, and color. They build observation skills and produce amazing work. But art in education involves much more than creating art. It is an integrated element of our curriculum, with students from first through fifth grade benefitting. True and deep integration of the
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C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E
arts with academic learning is a powerful way to enhance student enthusiasm and improve information retention. The crux of it all is that the ‘arts’ skill is studied equally to that of the targeted academic skill. Instead of just drawing a picture, students master the skill required to make that drawing. The depiction is then representative of academic learning. Imagine studying the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Then think of the powerful difference between gluing pasta to a paper plate versus dramatizing that learning through movement and dance. Both teach the various stages of a butterfly’s life, but one is vastly more engaging, imparting a long-lasting impact on learning. Extending our level of integration, we can study the science of metamorphosis and better understand the movements and gestures that
