This article from Edutopia has three very good ideas for promoting creativity that I will implement into my own classroom. These include open-ended projects, giving time to let students explore something they are passionate about or team-building exercises.

Link to article:

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/creativity-in-the-classroom-nicholas-provenzano

Since I have an interest in art therapy, I did research to see how it is beneficial, especially in the special education classroom setting. This presentation explains what art therapy is, the pros and cons of it, and ideas for how teachers can use it in a classroom.

This integrated science and art lesson for kindergarten starts with a reading of “A House For a Hermit Crab” by Eric Carle. Then, there will be a discussion about the story and what hermit crabs need to survive. The students will then collaborate in groups of 3 to design, draw and present a home for a hermit crab.

This is an integrated science and art second grade lesson. First, students choose an animal that they are interested in researching. Next, students work in pairs to research these animals and their habitats. They then create dioramas of habitats for their animals to live in. Finally, students share their dioramas with their peers.

This is an integrated science and art first grade lesson. In this lesson, students use their "scientist eyes" to observe and draw different colors of leaves in the sun versus the shade.

I based this lesson off of a lesson from the California Academy of Sciences website, which includes other great lessons to check out as well.

https://www.calacademy.org/educators/lesson-plans/what-color-is-your-leaf

This first lesson of two is part of a larger unit that focuses on the life cycle of frogs, including their habitats, eating habits, and growth cycle. In this particular set of lessons, students will learn about the growth cycle of the frog, and will extend that knowledge to understand that the growth cycle of frogs is different from many other animals. Students will engage in several different activities to support their learning and they will have several different opportunities throughout the two days to share their new knowledge.

Since I loved Mo Willlems' books as a child, I was interested in researching him and his work for a midterm project for my Early Literature class. In this presentation, I analyze Willems' writing, illustrations and how I can use his work in my own classroom.

Mo Willems on the Lost Art of Being Silly

This article Interviews author Mo Willems about the importance of letting children be creative and silly in the classroom setting, which is highly important for their development.

Link: https://www.edutopia.org/article/mo-willems-lost-art-being-silly