How to Keep Art in Schools

Make art the focal point of your school.

Art is universal. After food, clothing and shelter, art creeps into our hierarchy of needs. Yet, according to Keep Art in Schools, 90 percent of elementary schools are remiss about art study across the disciplines. Rather than seeing art as a specialized high-brow activity, educators, parents and students have to look at art in a broader context and integrate it into every aspect of the curriculum, rather than leaving it isolated as a class that happens twice a week, after the extra math assignments are finished.

Things You'll Need

• Wood
• Basic carpentry tools
• Poster paper

Instructions

1. Turn the entrance and the hallways into an art gallery. With a bit of wood and a little carpentry knowledge, you can make inexpensive frames to display students' art projects. Frames elevate the art work from bulletin-board ordinary to exhibit rating spectacular. Rotate the pieces regularly so all students have their work displayed.

2. Sketch the characters of the novels and stories in English class into notebooks. As well as taking notes about the literature you are teaching, have the students record what the characters looked like and the setting of the novel.

3. Make posters about scientific discoveries. Design display-sized images of Benjamin Franklin with his kite and key going out in a storm to attract lightening, Thomas Morgan Hunt putting genetics on the map or NASA exploration images.

4. Study dance steps in physical education class. Rather than the usual sports, jazz up your physical education classes by teaching the samba or the waltz. Some of the dances students are currently doing also count as art as they require highly stylized moves.

5. Sing songs in social studies classes. Rather than sticking to facts and dates, spice up your classes by teaching the students to sing "My Name is Johnny Appleseed" or "Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor" and make history come alive.

6. Join a lobby group. Speak up about art. Lobby politicians about promoting art in school in a holistic way and making it a curriculum focus. Let interested parents know about ways they can get involved in the group.

7. Invite the public to an annual school art show. Approach the local press about doing a feature on the art show to let everyone know that art is important in your school.

References

• Keep Art in Schools: Resources
• New York Times: Book Tackles Old Debate: Role of Art in School
• Wire Side Chat: Keeping Art Alive Under NCLB

Resources

• Americans for the Arts: Homepage
• Songs for Teaching: Using Music to Teach Social Studies
• MSNBC: Eight Great American Discoveries in Science by John Roach