Marisa A. Ferrarese
Incorporating visual arts into an inquiry based science curriculum is an effective way to promote and ensure learning. According to the State of Connecticut's Arts Curriculum every child's artistic ability should be cultivated
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. Through this unit students will have the opportunity to both create their own art work and study the work of others. According to the State Board of Education, it has been shown that, "Arts study develops habits of sensory awareness and sharpens perception, their by enhancing students' capacity for learning".
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So not only are students going to be learning about the five senses in this unit, but also learning how to enhance them.
Teaching science through art also encourages a higher level of questioning and thinking. Educators strive to have students reach levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Students can memorize and apply information, but observing and creating art allows students to participate in more challenging thinking. According to Resnick and Klopfer, art provides students with the opportunity to compare art work, debate issues, defend ideas, make judgments, and evaluate their own and others work.
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These higher level thinking strategies will transcend into science based themes providing a more enriching experience.
Making curriculum choices based on student interests is also a common and effective strategy used by educators. The students who attend the magnet school I teach at do so because of their interest in the arts. According to Elliot W. Eisner, a teacher should make decisions based on the particular students. In this case, because of the students' strong interests in the arts, drawing, creating, and constructing can be used to foster learning.
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Two fifth grade classes from Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School will be participating in this unit, however it could be easily modified to accommodate other grade levels. Like the 550 students who attend Betsy Ross my classes are diverse. While accommodating students from various parts of the state, over half of the students are originally from the New Have Public School System. One of the participating classes will consist of students who test above the fifth grade level in mathematics and the other participating class is of average and below average mathematics abilities, according to STAR Math and Connecticut Mastery Test results. On account of their differences in ability, their mathematics curriculums differ, but their science curriculums are the same. Some modifications will be made in both classes for students with additional needs. Both classes are instructed based on the New Haven Public School Fifth Grade Science Curriculum. At Betsy Ross out mission is to fuse both the arts and academics together to build a richer and more meaningful education. This unit aligns with the goals of Betsy Ross by blending science and visual art together to encourage discovery and learning.
