Alisha Mernick wants her students to develop critical consciousness through creating art. In each unit, she teaches she sets two objectives: "an artistic technique or concept, and an essential question related to equity, liberation, and justice." For her final project, she starts by having students create identity maps. She has them break their lives into 5 categories: school, family, friends, personal, and society. Then they list the roles they play within each context and add qualities under each one. On the second day, students look at artists who explore their identities in their work. Next, they create a proposal for their project. The only criteria is that the art must make a statement or question about identity. 

In my future classroom, I too hope to develop my students' critical consciousness. I really love the idea of an identity map. My plan is to have my students create identity maps however they want as long as it's creative. They can use poster boards or any form of online media as long as it explores their identities in each of the 5 sections. After they finish their artwork I will ask them to write a few paragraphs where they reflect on their map. How does your identity change in each context? In which contexts do you hold privilege? Where do you not? What characteristics of yourself are most important to you? What characteristics do you disagree with and why? After they submit their writing I will reference this activity throughout the year to remind students to analyze how characters identify in each part of their life.

Scott Nunes gives his students creative options. Instead of asking students to write essays all the time he offers them art, tech, and physical alternatives. He does not eliminate writing. For example,  when reading "How to Kill a Mockingbird", he would ask students to create an art piece that displays the symbols within the novel and then have the student either verbally or on paper explain how their art connects to the novel. This type of format allows Nunes to give his students  real-time feedback resulting in excellent formative assessments. In addition, students have to create proposals before starting their artwork so Nunes can make sure they are on the right track. 

In my classroom, I would apply this strategy by only implementing one or two essays throughout the year instead of doing essays for each unit. Specifically, I will have my students create an art piece either digitally or on paper that reflects the theme of the book. Then in their explanation, either written or spoken, I would have them describe how their art piece demonstrates the theme and how the theme can be applied to our society. I will also have them reflect on their work. Why did they choose to create the thing they did? What elements or symbols do they use throughout their piece?  And how do they work? I want to give my future students the freedom to be creative. Essay or art- all that matters is that I can see that they are understanding the material and concepts.

A theater teacher designed a unit all about poetry.  He picked out poems that have accessible language, vivid imagery, and relatability.  Then he had students choose from the poems he had selected. Next, he showed his students videos of other teenagers reciting poetry to give them some ideas. Afterward, he had students practice and find what was most comfortable for them. He asked all his students what their poems meant to them and how did they connect to them? He also created a checklist of skills that the students must keep in mind including tone changes, emphasizing keywords and varying pace. In the end, students performed the poems for an audience.

I am aware that many students strongly dislike poetry. Most don't understand the poems and others feel like they can't relate to them. I believe by using this strategy students will be more open to a poetry unit. I would implement this in my own classroom by first, selecting poems that question or make statements about our society. Then I would have them identify literary devices that contribute to the theme and ask them to reflect on how they can use these devices within their own poems. After they read and analyze the poems I selected they will be asked to write their own poems that include literary devices and reflect on our society's constructs. We then will have a poetry slam day where students will perform their poems to the class.

This website explains different ways educators can use the arts to help English Language Learners overcome their communication challenges. One strategy is a drawing show and tell to create a supportive classroom community. Students are asked to draw three things: their home, a talent they have, and a significant person in their lives. They then will share their pictures in small groups and ask each other questions. The next strategy displays how teachers can include the arts when reviewing for tests or quizzes. Kids will put together a skit/play that goes over one of the lessons learned in class. They then will have time to practice and then perform their plays, while the audience takes notes on three things that were reviewed in each play. Strategy three utilizes pictures to help ELL better understand words. Learners will be given a word, asked to produce a visual representation, and then share it with the class in a museum activity

In my future classroom, I want to create a supportive and nurturing community. I also suspect that I will have at least one or more ELL students in my classes. I think the drawing activity would be a good icebreaker for my students. However, instead of asking them to draw their homes and other things, I would want them to draw how they see themselves, how they believe society sees them, and how their family or peers view them.  Additionally, to teach my students vocabulary I would use the third strategy to better understand the vocab in the context of the readings we are doing. I would ask them to provide me with a visual representation of how they think the word is used in the novel. Then I would hang up the visuals around my room, have the kids walk around, and ask questions. The subject of English literature is complex, especially for ELL. I aspire to make them feel open and comfortable with learning and making mistakes.