What is Arts Integration?
The Kennedy Center defines Arts Integration as “an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form.” Our students engage in a creative process which connects an art form and another subject area while meeting evolving objectives in both. As such, Arts Integration works to create a more meaningful and deeper understanding of content within the classroom. Arts Integration provides students with opportunities to experience new art media and use it to explore new concepts.
Arts Integration & Brockport Summer Learning
Arts Integration was a new concept that was introduced to Brockport Summer Learning in 2018. We hired Arts Integration Director who majored in Arts for Children at SUNY Brockport and currently teaches at Renaissance Academy Chart Arts School, a local Arts Integration school, whose student population is primarily from the City of Rochester. This teacher became our Arts Integration Director and provided professional developments for teachers who were not well-versed with Arts Integration. We continuously include Arts Integration in our learning curriculum each summer and is based on teacher and student choice.
Example of Arts Integration
2019
In 2019, grade levels designed and created different types of games based off beloved texts, interests, existing board games, and students’ imaginations. Students were able to choose the format of the board game and rules. The students used what they had learned from the classroom and Arts Integration to create original board games that were played on our final exhibition day by peers, families, staff, and community members. View our Game Changers slideshow for a look at our students’ games!
- Kindergarteners created “Kinderopoly” a life size game modeled after Monopoly. Once the class was finished creating their life size pieces they scaled their drawings down and created a tabletop game. In the tabletop version each student created a unique game piece using a picture of themselves.
- The combined kindergarten and first grade class made Crayon Land based on Candy Land and their favorite text, The Day the Crayons Quit. Students created different scenario cards and challenged players to decipher the zone of regulation depicted in the card.
- First graders adapted their classroom book Charlotte’s Web to a fun trivia board game that combined elements from the text and socio-emotional competencies.
- Second graders used twister and the zones of regulation to create their twister mat and spinner. Their game allowed players to think about different emotions individuals have and their impact.
- Third graders created a Scrabble Jr. Board and LIFE based off their summer book, Wonder. They used vocabulary, text structure features and events from their beloved classroom book.
- Fourth grade fell in love with the I Survived series and created a thrilling and adventurous scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunts were based off of different natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes.
- Fifth grade took their love of Harry Potter to the next level by creating a scavenger hunt and costumes to match the characters in the books.
- Sixth graders created a scavenger hunt, but with a different audience in mind. Their scavenger hunt was Candy Land themed and geared for our younger students in the program.
2018
In 2018, each grade level analyzed the character traits of superheroes and what makes them “super.” They applied their findings and understandings to create their own original superheroes. Then the students decided what art media they wanted to portray their original superhero. The students decided to portray their superheroes across three different mediums.
- Kindergarten, first, and second graders portrayed their superheroes in an original movie. They wrote the script, created costumes, and made the props and scenes that would be used for their movie
- Third graders made comic books that portrayed their superhero in action
- Fourth and fifth graders created action figures to display their superheroes