The Harlem Renaissance Births a Black Culture
Sandra Friday
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In five years of teaching English to at-risk high school students of color at the Wilbur Cross Annex, whose reading, critical thinking, speaking and writing skills are desperately wanting, I have found that hands-on art activities greatly reduce stress, boredom, and the typical student resistance to practicing these important skills. Art activities are also effective memory holders for concepts and content in a curriculum. Art activities provide the opportunity for teamwork and collaboration, and give students an alternative way of demonstrating what they have learned. And I have found that the inclusion of art activities in the curriculum makes the students more willing to practice the type of activities found in the Language Arts section of the CAPT. It all seems to feel less like work to the students. Finally, there is the added bonus that many students ultimately take great pride in their artwork, and, mounted on the wall, it becomes a manifestation of them. I have watched the spark of an art project leap from student to student at a table. I now incorporate art into as many English units as I possibly can; thinking of ways to do this has become second nature for me when designing units.