All teachers at Carl H. Kumpf Middle School used visual and performing arts in their lessons to enhance learning the fall. Eighth grade language arts teachers had their students design covers for their independent reading books which had to include symbolism and various aspects of the stories. Graphic design concepts were used to help the students design covers that were simple, clear, and interesting. Sixth grade math teachers used grids and fractions for designing the layout of farm fields. Social Studies teachers had their students analyze and illustrate political cartoons as well as drawing and coloring images related to the ten plagues.
Sixth grade science teacher, Joe Rodriguez, had his students create nursery rhymes about the characteristics of Life and Cell Theory. He stated, “I’ve taken the students out of their normal comfort zones and helped them to learn what is typically dry material and gave it some life.”
Danielle Bihuniak, seventh grade science teacher, is currently teaching chemical reactions at the atomic level. Her students used stop motion animation with Legos to demonstrate how atoms interact during a chemical reaction. Bihuniak stated, “It has given students a very concrete, visual understanding of the abstract idea of the Law of Conservation of Matter.”
Cristina Romao-Carrano taught character development in storytelling to her sixth grade language arts classes using performing arts. She remarked, “Incorporating the arts in the lesson gave it a multi-sensory approach to teaching direct and indirect characterization.” These are just a few examples of the many arts integration lessons taught at Kumpf School that day.
These lessons are part of Kumpf’s initiative to integrate arts throughout the curriculum. A goal of incorporating the arts is to help the students learn non-arts subject material in a variety of ways that will increase student interest. Another goal is to help the teachers become more comfortable with using visual and performing arts in their lessons. Principal Richard Delmonaco states, “We are hoping that the arts become a part of the daily routines of teachers in various subject areas, not for something that is special, but something that is meaningful.”
Arts Integration helps students to use critical and creative thinking to gain a better understanding of the content being taught. According to EducationCloset.com, “Arts Integration is a research-based approach to teaching and learning that has proven results for the past 30 years. For schools that commit to using arts integration with integrity, the results are astounding. Schools that intentionally use arts integration find student achievement rises by 10% OR MORE across the board.”
(above) Carl H. Kumpf Middle School students using visual and performing arts in their lessons to enhance learning.
