Mini Art Historians

Beauty is a universal quality that can be appreciated by those of any age, as well as inspire and give hope to even the youngest of children. As a kindergarten teacher in the Roseland neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, I have seen clearly the bleakness of my children's surroundings outside of the classroom. Undeniably, these traumatic life events experienced, in some instances daily, by my five- and six-year-olds carry over into the classroom; therefore, it is my desire and responsibility to provide an environment for them that is not only safe and infinitely loving, but also that exposes them to the beauty and richness that does exist in the world. In order fully to accomplish this, I intend to implement a Mini Art Historians program in my classroom. Through acquiring prints and posters from great artists, including Michelangelo, Lawrence, van Gogh, Rivera, Picasso, and da Vinci, I hope to broaden the minds and, in the end, expectations of my students for their own success. Along with the posters and prints, I would like to obtain children's art books, art games, and supplies for my kindergarteners. In this way, all of my students will be able to learn about great works of art as well as respond to them through discussion, play, and their own personal creations. These materials will be incorporated frequently as they are utilized across multiple subject areas, including Reading, Language Arts, and Social Studies. Consequently, interdisciplinary links more easily will be established and realized by my students, encouraging and reinforcing higher order thinking skills. The children's art literature will enable us as a class to discuss elements of great art while exploring and practicing comprehension and decoding skills. The posters and prints will spark wonderful and exciting journal topics in Language Arts, with the art itself providing a magnificent segue for discussing culture and ethnicity in Social Studies. Essentially, through this program and these resources, my students simultaneously will be able to grow in their academics and overall cultural awareness. It truly is my hope that by exposing my children to art prints, books, and games, that the beauty reflected in these works will create a passion in all my students to realize that same level of excellence in their own individual pursuits and dreams.