This article demonstrates how Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) art discussions and subsequent, inspired artmaking can help reach the goals of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, & Technical Subjects (CCSS-ELA). The authors describe how this was achieved in a remedial…

To foster learner focus and deepen engagement while embracing contemporary standards for teaching art and other subjects, teachers must help students more fully understand art images, objects, and events, present and past, so that they can understand the relevance and significance of art in their lives. Using a balanced approach that attends…

To address arts education disparities in middle level schools, this paper explores evidence that infusing the visual and performing arts into language arts, math, science, and history/social studies courses is a pedagogical approach that meets the developmental needs of early adolescents and fosters a relevant, challenging, integrative, and…

The authors in this volume share exemplary arts-integration practices across the K-8 curriculum. Rather than providing formulas or scripts to be followed, they carefully describe how the arts provide an entry point for gaining insight into why and how students learn. The book includes rich and lively examples of public school teachers integrating…

Today's teachers need to prepare students for a world that places increasingly higher literacy demands on its citizens. In this timely book, the authors explore content-area literacy and instruction in English, music, science, mathematics, social studies, visual arts, technology, and theatre. Each of the chapters has been written by teacher…

Describes arts-based, anchored instruction at Fair Arts IMPACT Elementary School (Columbus, Ohio), a five-week program centered around "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" (Georges Seurat). Addresses unit objectives such as understanding social climate with respect to race/gender discrimination and examining why people…

Presents classroom lessons based on four self-portraits found in the Art Institute of Chicago. Provides background information, discussion questions, and activities for each portrait. Includes full-page color reproductions of the paintings. (CFR)

Argues that student creative writing is stimulated by painting and other visual art. Describes a seven-step process in which students view painting and other visual arts and then write poetry. Includes suggested artworks and excerpts of poetry written by students. (CFR)

Describes a visual arts project that integrated science and art for first-grade students. Explains that the students created an ocean life batik on a cloth banner, describing the process in detail. States that the assignment used a cooperative approach. (CMK)

Describes a school-wide, cross-curricular project called, "Empty Bowls", at Hall High School (West Hartford, Connecticut). Explains that students created ceramic bowls and made soup to fill the bowls to raise money to fight hunger. Provides a description of how the school became involved and raised the money. (CMK)

Presents an activity combining music and art in which students create a picture expressing a particular style of music. Develops skills in painting and drawing from observation. The paintings include a realistic drawing of one or more instruments and convey the feelings of the instrument's musical style. (CMK)

Provides a strategy from the book "Strategies for Teaching High School Chorus." Students identify and compare three features of Japanese visual art and music: (1) the principle of understatement; (2) the attention to form and formalism; and (3) the emphasis on nature themes. Lists materials, procedures, and follow-up ideas. (CMK)

Describes an art project that aimed to bring more attention to an art program. Explains that the students created themed murals on the windows of the art classroom, such as a "Jungle,""Ocean,""Masterpiece Paintings," and "Rainforest Tree Frogs." Discusses how the murals were created. (CMK)

Presents an interdisciplinary lesson that combines art and language arts. Explains that third and fourth grade students explored the meanings of different idioms and created a picture showing the literal meaning of an idiom. Includes a list of art materials. (CMK)

Describes an art activity for third-grade students in which they learned about African animals in one class period and spent time in another class period creating a picture of a giraffe. Explains that the students learned about watercolor wash and the wet-on-wet technique. (CMK)