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Think back to your time in elementary or middle school - Do you remember your art(s) classes? Did you have a music class and a separate visual arts class? Was it nice to enjoy the creative freedom that come with visually creating projects or did you like a music class with more structure and a right / wrong way to do things? The arts hold a very important role in the structure of curriculum and allow a creative outlet for students to express themselves
Learning Targets
By the end of this lesson you can expect to-
Identify the different kinds of arts exposed to students
Describe two benefits of having an art class in pre-K - 5 education
Why do the arts matter?
Some of the most wonderous creations in the world started with art, whether it have been a single music note being "discovered" to creating your favorite song, or a design sketch of the Eiffel tower creating one out of the best landmarks of the world, it all goes back to the arts. The arts are importantly used as a fundamental outlet for students to express and showcase themselves.
Girl drawing paints on paper and hands Rogkov, October 8th 2016
Benefits of arts incorporation
Allowing children access to the arts from a very early age provides the students a carefree but relaxed way to express themselves and even allow for vulnerability with their feelings and emotions. The incorporation of the arts have also been proven to help students develop more compassion for others. Another benefit, is providing opportunities to develop a passion that applies to more than art. Finally, the arts also showed
Vulnerability and emotional expression - By allowing the student to showcase how they feel and use their emotions in the work, whether involving calm or chaos, can provide a therapeutic outlet for their self expression. Art provides a judgement free environment with no right or wrong structure for the student to feel tied down to.
Compassion for others - In hand with developing vulnerability, the arts have showed that children with more exposure to the arts develop more compassion for other people by using the arts as a communication tool between empathizing with other students or their adults in their life. ( Examples : get well soon and thank you cards )
Not just "Art" -
If you are worried the student will never find a career focused in the arts, don't worry, STEM can be a perfect place for them. By designing prototypes and projects it can provide opportunities with engineers and open even wider doors in terms of structural designing. ( Examples : designing prosthetics in biomedical technology, working with architects to design buildings or structures )
Childs painting - rainbow in blue sky under green earth, Vvoe Vale, June 07, 2013
Conclusion
With the removal of arts being discussed at every school board meeting, children are starting to have to fight for their right to practice self expression in school settings and be able to use what voice they have at ages five to eighteen. The arts provide literal future forming careers by being exposed to children at a young age allowing them to grow with it as they grow in age. The schoolboard wouldn't remove psychology or sociology from high schoolers because it provides a look into a future career for students, why should the arts be any different ?
A multi-ethnic group of young school children are indoors in their classroom. Their teacher is watching them playing instruments together. The instruments include drums, maracas, and a guitar. Fatcamera, March 08, 2019
Resources
FatCamera. (n.d.). A multi-ethnic group of young school children are indoors in their... iStock. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/playing-instruments-gm1134333168-301391651
Kisida, B., & Bowen, D. H. (2022, March 9). New evidence of the benefits of Arts Education. Brookings. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2019/02/12/new-evidence-of-the-benefits-of-arts-education/
Rogkov. (n.d.). Girl drawing paints on paper and hands. iStock. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/drawing-by-paints-gm606218654-103960377
Smith, F. (2009, January 28). Why Arts Education is crucial, and who's doing it best. Edutopia. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/arts-music-curriculum-child-development
Thurrott, S., The life-changing benefits of K-12 Art Education. Azusa Pacific University. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.apu.edu/articles/the-life-changing-benefits-of-k-12-art-education/#:~:text=Ultimately%2C%20the%20study%20found%20that,art%20to%20empathize%20with%20others.
VvoeVale. (n.d.). Childs painting - rainbow in blue sky under Green Earth. iStock. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/childs-paiting-rainbow-under-green-earth-gm170441189-24867217
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