"I don't have the time. Or the materials. I am not an artist!"



I hear you. But it's important for you to begin taking small steps to allow your students the opportunity to express their learning in new ways when your content naturally provides for it. There are ways to be creative about materials and arts integration does not always equal a long-term, hands-on project. Arts integration is more about connecting big ideas amongst subject matter than about having cool projects to hang in the hallway.

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Any arts study, performance, critical thinking or creative group work could fall into the category of "arts integration." Remember- arts integration includes all 4 art forms: dance, drama, music, and visual arts.

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Adding arts content/processes into your classroom will help to invigorate your lesson and your students. Who knows, after a few integrated lessons, you might just find yourself enjoying the products and the process.



To make things easier, here are a few tips that can help your integrated lesson go more smoothly:



1) Set a theme (overarching idea) for your unit/lesson. ​This is the most important step in guiding your integrated lesson planning. Figure out the main concepts that will become your over-arching objectives. These ideas can be presented to students in the form of a question and will help to guide their learning. These themes will also aid you in seeking out real-world examples to talk about during your lesson to make learning personal to students.

See some sample "Big Ideas" in art.



2) Define a clear definition of integration for yourself and figure out the goals of the discipline that you want to connect. Integration of arts content is not simply using art materials as an accent or end product to your unit. The hardest part of integration for teachers outside of the arts is understanding the goals of each art form.

Thematic connections, not simply artistic process, are the root of integrated lessons. For example, moving from studying what people do (art forms) to why or how they do it. Prepare a set of questions that you will ask students during the lesson to help guide their thinking/response. This will set students up to make deep connections for why they create or perform an art form a certain way. It's about looking and responding to art as much as it is about the creation of art.



3) Make sure you treat both subjects equally. It is really easy to teach more thoroughly about your own subject matter because you have mastered the content. However, students will only make meaningful connections between subject matter if they are presented, emphasized, and assessed equally. Similar to tip #2, this requires that you research the objectives of the arts content that you are integrating so you can be sure that students are learning about the art as well as in and through the art form. Letting students know the objectives and expectations for both subject matters up front will help them to see their connections early on in the lesson. Please know that I am here anytime for collaboration for your lessons!



4) Come prepared with examples. Create or find quality examples and/or use artist information, background history of a period, or other arts resources to strengthen your lesson. Seeing an artist who uses a particular media, subject matter, or arts process will help students to aspire higher when creating their product. Learning about how or why something was created helps to bring new meaning to the assignment and encourages students to create products that are personally significant to them. Overall when asking students to respond in a visual format, having something for them to look at is always a good basis for them to start with! Visuals/research set the tone of expectation for learning.



​5) Create or use a generic rubric for grading finished products/performances. Students need to see that you have set high expectations for the project before they begin. Rubrics also let students know what they should be learning/showing you about their understanding from the lesson. An "A for Effort" is not always the best way to go. Grading based on completion is discouraging to students who invest time and effort into their project, only to receive the same grade as students who scribbled down thoughtless products. Use rubrics that grade their understanding of both your subject content and the arts content.

 



 

​6) Set aside enough time for projects to be completed. Nothing is more frustrating for a student than to get engrossed within a work only to be rushed by time constraints. Not allowing enough time to create a proficient product will result in rushed and sloppy work. However, you need to set a reasonable deadline and stick to it (so the over-achievers know to finish their projects at home).

Try to make a sample product yourself to use as a quality example. This will also help you to measure an appropriate amount of time to allow for the project (based on how long it took you). You may also want to plan extension activities for early finishers.

Don't have the time for a project/performance? Art criticism (looking and talking about artforms) is a quick and easy way to link content and further student connections.



7) Consider your materials. Even though arts integration isn't all about art making, when projects are included in a lesson, it is important to plan for appropriate materials for students to use to complete the projects. 

Art materials can be expensive, but binding together with other teachers to buy a nice set of markers to share can really help with the quality of student work. If a student sets out to create a masterpiece only to be hindered by dried out markers in too few colors, their effort and interest level could plummet resulting in work that you will cringe to hang up in the hallways. I say that 99% of failures in art making result from using the wrong materials or using them in the wrong way. Cheap, limited or faulty materials will only set up your students for failure. 

Also, if money is an issue, get creative about the materials you provide for students to use. Recycled/found materials can create really interesting works and they are free! Many contemporary artists work in recycled media, which is just another real world connection that you can address!



​8) Teach students to respect the art materials. One way to keep your materials (investment) in good shape is to teach students the proper way to use and take care of the media. Replacing marker caps, cleaning out brushes, and only using a reasonable amount of paint for a project are all lessons that students need to learn before a project begins. Post or write these rules somewhere that students can see them. Assigning a clean-up monitor to ensure that students follow through with clean-up procedures is also a good idea.