Verified Document

Learning Across The Curriculum In Art Education Term Paper

Teaching Across the Curriculum The textbook explains many ways art can be worked into the larger curriculum. Such integration of art into the larger curriculum would do more than validate art as a field of study. It would greatly enrich the broader curriculum as well. It is hard to imagine talking about early humans but not about cave drawings, or about Egypt but not Egyptian art. One reason we know as much as we do about ancient Egypt is that the Egyptians told stories by painting images on walls. Even Egyptian writing was based on drawings -- pictographs that stood for words.

This approach, of working art into the rest of the school's curriculum, could be greatly enhanced by making use of Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1995). For instance, students in a history class might learn about ancient Egypt. In geography they could study the effects of water on environment. In science they could explore how a delta is formed. In language arts, they could make up a story that might have occurred in ancient Egypt based on what they learned in history, geography and science. Then they might use artistic skills to create a mural that tells the story. For a written expression task they might make up a way to tell the story using pictographs they create.

Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences could be incorporated in a variety of ways. The students might make displays that demonstrate what they've learned about Egyptian history, architecture, or culture (visual-spatial). They could work in teams (interpersonal) or individually (intrapersonal) to give a report on what they've learned. Art could be used to enhance these reports.

In his book Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, Thomas Armstrong (2000) talks about crystallizing experiences vs. paralyzing experiences. Crystallizing experiences awaken hidden skills. Thomas used several examples including Einstein, who discovered science after...

Parts of this document are hidden

View Full Document
svg-one

Those were crystallizing events for those young men.
He also points out that some children are more likely to experience those crystallizing moments because they have certain advantages other children may not have: parents who act to expose them to a variety of experiences, or mentors who take them under their wings and make sure they are exposed to new experiences. He also points out that some home environments lend themselves to certain experiences more than others. The experiences of a child who grows up on a farm will be very different than the experiences of children who grow up in the city.

Both children -- the farm child and the city child -- will have rich experiences, but their experiences will be different. If a child who would make a great naturalist grows up in a congested city and no one makes the effort to expose him or her to more natural environments, that child may never have the crystallizing experience of seeing fish jump and swim in a natural stream, or of discovering that if you turn over a rock, a micro-environment exists underneath that may be teeming with life. Likewise, the child who grows up on the farm may not get to an art museum or concerts. All of this is supported by Van Tassel-Baska's (1998) view that education should always be looking for opportunities to develop talent in children (2).

So, while it is important for schools to cross-pollinate the curriculum, it may not be enough. Math can be worked into art and music. History and geography are tightly related. Language arts can be connected to virtually any other discipline. But if we restrict ourselves to making these connections using only linguistic intelligence, we may miss the chance to create a crystallizing moment for those children whose greatest strengths are not linguistic. Art can play…

Sources used in this document:
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Armstrong, Thomas. Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. Alexandrai, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2000.

Gardner, Howard. 1995. "Reflections on multiple intelligences: myths and messages." Phi Delta Kappan, November.

Van Tassel-Baska, Joyce. 1998. "The development of academic talent: a mandate for educational best practice." Phi Delta Kappan, June.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Arts Education in California Public Schools Have
Words: 1109 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Arts Education in California public schools have become a permanent feature in advancing their extra curriculum. It seems to benefit majority of the students, as such a subject is helpful in exercising a kids' mind while concentrating on other area. Though the governor of California needs to allocate monies for such programs so that in the upcoming years more students can benefit by participating in these areas. Education- Curriculum Arts education is

Art Education Field
Words: 2369 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

A number of modifications have occurred within the area of arts instruction, leading to a redesigning of the whole curriculum. A few transformations involve modern trends like literacy training via art, worldwide popular culture, 21st-century abilities, social justice, art evaluation, cultural diversity, and interdisciplinary approaches. Teaching Literacy through Art According to Moody-Zoet, art-teaching offers distinctive and useful intellectual behaviors and skill sets which aid in the learning of other academic disciplines. The

Art Education in America
Words: 3423 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Bauhaus After World War I, the nation state of Germany under the direction of architect Walter Gropius created a "consulting art center for industry and the trades" (Bayer 12). Called Bauhaus, "house for building," the school combined the role of artisans and craftspeople and included everything from architecture to theater to typography. When the school was forced to close during the Nazi regime in 1932, many of its artists moved to

Community Art Education
Words: 881 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Community Art Education The objective of this study is to answer the question of what are the conservative, liberal, and progressive philosophies undergirding the current (1990-present) debates in community arts education? Specifically, this study will address whom is and whom is not advocating for Arts education and why. Timeline of Arts Education in the United States The progressive era was a time involving political reform and social activism during the period between 1890

Understanding the Impact of Diversity in Adult Arts Education
Words: 2758 Length: 9 Document Type: Literature Review

Learning Objectives for Adult Education Managing and Exploiting the Impact of Classroom Diversity in Adult Arts Education As the American population becomes increasingly diverse, so goes classroom diversity (Cooper, 2012). By the end of the current decade, a White majority will no longer exist among the 18 and under age group. This rapid progression towards a plurality has already impacted primary schools, but the trend toward increasing diversity is beginning to affect

Liberal Arts Education Should College Students Be
Words: 1047 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Liberal Arts Education Should College Students be required to take Courses Outside of Their Major Field of Study? An education that lacks of a world view may be more harmful than meets the eye. One could reasonably argue that the question of whether diversified educational background has value is highly dependent on what you value. There are a multitude of monetary reasons for an incoming freshman to concentrate on a specific field

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now