Write about a time that you felt a strong emotion.

Children are waiting to be inspired, engaged, and encouraged to write using a variety of techniques. Why then, do we as educators beginning separating art out of the classroom immediately when children enter into kindergarten?

Exposure to the arts helps “build the brain’s circuits for music, art, language, math, and emotion” (Cornett, 1998). Art strengthens “communication, intellectual, social capacities, and personal/emotional capacities” (Cornett, 2007). Art creates its own levels of knowledge and understanding using higher level thinking skills. Incorporating art is engaging for students and it incorporates Gardner’s multiple intelligences (MI) theory.

When an art lesson is incorporated into the classroom curriculum, the children use their higher level thinking skills to process the information, and then make productions of their own. Students have a sense of pride and justification as teachers allow them to choose ways to incorporate art into their own individual responses. Art does not create divides or feeling of inferiority (Cornett, 2007).

1.Getting the team on board 2.Finding time to model the expectations for the students 3.The first time was not a charm! 4.Allowing the students to take control of the lesson (things did not go according to plan)!

§ English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 2 (b) Knowledge and skills. (1) Listening/speaking/purposes. The student listens attentively and engages actively in a variety of oral language experiences. The student is expected to: (D) listen critically to interpret and evaluate (K-3); (E) listen responsively to stories and other texts read aloud, including selections from classic and contemporary works (K-3); (2) Listening/speaking/culture. The student listens and speaks to gain knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements of cultures. The student is expected to: (A) connect experiences and ideas with those of others through speaking and listening (K-3) (3) Listening/speaking/audiences/oral grammar. The student speaks appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and occasions. The student is expected to: (B) use verbal and nonverbal communication in effective ways such as making announcements, giving directions, or making introductions (K-3); (C) ask and answer relevant questions and make contributions in small or large group discussions (K-3); (D) present dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems, or plays (K-3)

(8) Reading/vocabulary development. The student develops an extensive vocabulary. The student is expected to: (A) discuss meanings of words and develop vocabulary through meaningful/concrete experiences (K-2); (B) develop vocabulary by listening to and discussing both familiar and conceptually challenging selections read aloud (K-3); (C) develop vocabulary through reading (2-3) (8) Reading/vocabulary development. The student develops an extensive vocabulary. The student is expected to: (A) discuss meanings of words and develop vocabulary through meaningful/concrete experiences (K-2); (B) develop vocabulary by listening to and discussing both familiar and conceptually challenging selections read aloud (K-3); (C) develop vocabulary through reading (2-3)

§ Art, Grade 2. (2) Creative expression/performance. The student expresses ideas through original artworks, using a variety of media with appropriate skill. The student is expected to: (A) express ideas and feelings in artworks, using a variety of colors, forms, and lines; (B) create effective compositions, using design elements and principles; and (C) identify and practice skills necessary for producing drawings, paintings, prints, constructions, and modeled forms, using a variety of art materials.

***Study the body movements***

Using the supplies, create an original piece of artwork that exhibits your emotion.

Write about a time that you felt your emotion.

All students feel the pressure to write. How can this help older students?