*image courtesy RTR Yearbook; RTR 3D Art Class
I've been thinking a lot lately about how the arts impact our lives. Today I'm going to ramble about art the class, as opposed to the performing arts like music, theatre, and dance. So art. I'm an English teacher, so what does it have to do with me? Well.. you wouldn't think that it would come up very often in class; English is "supposed to be" about reading, writing, listening, and speaking. But isn't the study of language arts really about the overall theme of how literature/writing reflect life? I think so. So often in reading allusions, references to other sources/ideas, appear. For instance, if you watched Guardians of the Galaxy or Avengers at all (my students and I LOVE these films), did you hear the Jackson Pollock reference? Or the many literature references? Those inside jokes/allusions are what make the films funny--they add a new dimension of understanding to the story. Students sometimes ask me why, when we read a text in class, I take time to explain the historical context of the story, or the art work mentioned in the story, or a particular musical piece which is referenced. Well, let me walk you through an example or two. In Thornton Wilder's Our Town: A Play in Three Acts, each act of the play symbolizes a period in the main character's life and relates back to a soliloquy from the start of the play: the growing up, the living, and the dying. Throughout the play, Wilder refers to specific hymns being played in the background, for instance Blessed Be The Ties That Bind. If you know the hymn, each verse relates to how members of the congregation show love to one another. Ta da! Bigger connection. BTW, I will usually perform this piece for my students when we read the play, they enjoy that. When we read A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, I walk the class not only through a scientific experiment about drying raising and the results, but also through the poem A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes. An understanding of one leads to a more full understanding of the other. It's the same with art. I vividly remember sitting in my 9th grade art class with Mr. Lauden, watching a video on Italian art. I wasn't really paying attention, just filling in the notes I needed for the class. Then, a painting appears on the screen which made me stop everything else I was doing and focus more clearly. I remember turning to my teacher and telling him that the painting looked exactly like a description of a barn I had just read in an Ernest Hemingway novel the week before. I remembered the description because it was so incredibly vivid. Mr. Lauden just smiled and nodded and pointed back to the screen, where the narrator was explaining a connection to the book I had just read! So, what is the connection back to art class in high school? I think students desperately need art. For many, painting, sculpting, drawing, or otherwise making a product is a fulfilling way to express themselves which they may not get access to in other classes. There is a freedom of expression available through art which simply doesn't exist in quite the same way in other fields of study. But I also feel that art provides a tangible connection to understanding the world. The abstract ideas we often present through literature, sciences, and maths can be expressed in a different way in the art classroom. Want to study the Pythagorean Theorem? You could do a bunch of work sheets in maths, or you could design something in art. Want to understand anger better? Read a chapter from the psychology book or study painting. Teachers, I encourage you to make connections to the arts when possible in designing your curriculum. Not a teacher? Consider ways you can assist your high school art teacher. Almost all of the supplies for his or her class are consumables, meaning that they use up all of their supplies each year. I've worked in districts where the art teacher has NO budget for supplies and districts where the art department may have a few thousand dollars for supplies, but in both situations, the teachers are always willing to accept reasonable donations. For instance, purchase a new carpet? That tube from the middle will make a great 3D art project. Your kid has too many tiny crayon bits in their bin? Many art teachers melt these down and teach student to create their own, or else use the wax for other innovative projects. Left over paint or plaster after remodeling? RTR's art teacher will take those donations and use them in student wall murals or on repainting the city benches in new designs. Tissue paper? Newspaper? Packing supplies? They make great 3D art projects. Got some new tools but don't know what to do with the extra pliers, hammers, screwdrivers, or drill bits? Consider donating them for use in the art room. Your household loves yogurt and is looking for a way to recycle the containers? They make great buckets for paintbrushes. Buying new towels? Donate the old ones to the art room for quick cleanup of their many, many "messy" projects. See more ideas here: https://www.theartofed.com/2015/08/05/a-complete-list-of-supplies-for-your-new-art-room/ Contact your local art teacher to see what they need in their room; I think you'll be surprised. |
Why?Sometimes I run into inspiring television shows, documentaries, books, billboards, recipes, etc which make me think wouldn't that make a neat lesson adaptation? ArchivesCategories
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