My students need many different art supplies such as paint, clay, glue, tape, and balloons to create a variety of hands-on projects for science, social studies, and health.
I teach social studies, science, and health and include art activities in all three areas, so I am empowering students through art. I am a strong believer that children learn best by doing, so I include as many hands-on projects as possible and most include an art component.
My students are from very small, rural communities and many are from low income households.
I want students to learn that art should be a fun option of entertainment and that it does not take much to include types of art into their everyday lives. Many studies show that artists have better memory and observation skills than those that do not use art regularly. Art uses a great deal of brain function and creates new connectivity in the brain, allowing both hemispheres to work together. Also, studies have shown a strong relationship with stress reduction and improved self-esteem for those that participate in art activities regularly. Strong memory, observation skills, and the ability to use multiple areas of the brain to problem solve and think creatively are all important skills for the science curriculum. This is why it is so important to have the ability to provide my students with the opportunity to include multiple art activities into my classroom lessons.
My Project
Due to our small size, there are no art classes offered, so we have to get creative to find ways to include art in the curriculum. I have included activities on the solar system, body systems, ancient Greece and Egypt, volcanoes, and biomes, among others. Students create a solar system model from balloons, paper-mache and paint and in another activity they create a mural in a crayon resist project. Body systems are divided into each organ system and created in a life-size drawing in correct placement in the body. While learning about ancient Egypt, students made play dough, created their own hieroglyphics and sketched the symbols into the dough. Students also made mummy casings by tracing their own bodies and decorating with the known symbols and colors of the times. In the biome unit, students create a visual aid to share information about their chosen environment. Students are encouraged to use many types of media to present the types of animals, plants, and terrain of the area.
I want my students to let their creative juices flow on every art activity.
I don’t want to have to crush their vision by explaining that we do not have that specific art product and we are unable to get it. The ability to provide my students with the amount and variety of art supplies they need would improve my curriculum and my students’ experiences. It would also communicate the importance of experiencing all the different styles and methods of learning to be well-rounded, life-long learners.
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