What the IB PYP says about the Arts:

"Arts are integral to the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP).  They are a powerful mode of communication through which students explore and construct a sense of self and develop and understanding of the world around them.  Arts provide students with a wide range of opportunities and means to respond to their experiences and engage with historical, social and cultural perspectives.  The students are stimulated to think and to articulate their thoughts in new ways, and through a variety of media and technologies." --Primary Years Programme Scope and Sequence, 2009 

I believe that students learn best by doing and by having a vested interest in what they are doing.  Instead of teaching students how to complete a specific project (that may have no meaning for them), they will learn different skills and techniques and how to apply them to their own art-making, with the overall goal being for them to be able to use the Arts as a way to communicate and respond to the world around them.   

A typical day in the Art Room will look something like this:

5-10 minute Demo

• This is a quick mini-lesson based on the needs of the students.  It could be a certain skill, and introduction to new materials,         viewing and discussing a particular piece of artwork, etc.   

25-35 minute Work Time

• K-1st grade students work on projects that are teacher-guided, but still have varying levels of student choice (they may choose the subject, the media used, or both, depending on the lesson)

• 2nd-5th grade students work in various studios that are introduced throughout the year.  They learn to generate their own ideas for their art, choose the appropriate medium, engage and persist in their work, stretch and explore, and work both individually and collaboratively.  

5-10 minute Reflection and Share Time 

• Students reflect on their own work and share their work with others.