The Dada and Surrealist movements are known for producing work that challenges reader-viewers' perceptions of reality. These movements also prompted creators to experiment with unexpected mediums and materials, and this can be seen through the intersection of visual art and writing. This essay emphasizes the importance of an interdisciplinary…

According to the American Library Association, book censorship is on the rise. While many censored books are adolescent novels, some titles for younger children are challenged as well. Books dealing with difficult social issues have been targets for censors historically, but recent attacks have focused on books portraying members of the lesbian,…

A small but growing cadre of schools and districts across the nation are turning to interventions rooted in brain science to complement or replace core curricula. Such programs target a related set of cognitive processes, known as executive function (EF), that are key to learning. Executive function skills are essential for planning, executing,…

Engagement with the arts is a fundamental element of a liberal education, especially in the first year of college. Liberal education seeks to form critical, creative citizens who can participate actively in "the various conversations that constitute a culture." The intellectual growth sparked by the arts serves many of the essential…

We evaluated changes in positive and negative affect of grieving children in response to art making compared to another noncreative, non-expressive, but engaging visuospatial task and assessed whether art making was equally or differentially effective in individual versus collaborative settings. We randomly assigned grieving children to one of…

Each year Ethel R. Jones Elementary School in Portage, Indiana picks a theme for the year. This past year the theme was Indiana Jones, so the author decided to fill her classroom with projects based upon ancient civilizations and archaeology. In this article, she describes how her students made Viking-style coins. (Contains 1 online resource.)

This article describes how the author teaches a fourth- and fifth-grade unit on architecture called the Art and Science of Planning Buildings. Rockville, Indiana has fine examples of architecture ranging from log cabins, classic Greek columns, Victorian houses, a mission-style theater, and Frank Lloyd Wright prairie-style homes. After reading…

Toilet-paper food sculpture is an integral part of the art curriculum at Silver Creek Middle School in Sellersburg, Indiana. The author describes techniques on how to create realistic food sculptures using toilet paper, water, and tempera paint. Students of all ages and skill levels enjoy this project because everyone relates to food and a sense…

What happens when teams from 57 cities building afterschool systems gather to discuss two key system responsibilities--improving afterschool programs and using data for informed decision-making? Lots of rich discussion. This report covers a national afterschool conference held in February 2013. It details what mayors, program providers, system…

This booklet presents selected activities from elementary, middle, junior high, and senior high schools In Indiana, intended to encourage students to read. It offers ideas for 11 community activities (including guest readers, nursing home reading, and a young author celebration), 14 continuous activities (such as the great book graffiti wall and…

Academic standards listed in this guide are based upon national standards as well as a discipline-based art education approach. They are presented and articulated for each grade level from kindergarten through grade 8. They are presented by course or art medium in grades 9-12 to represent the organization of most high school art courses. The guide…

This report examines arts participation in the ten largest metropolitan areas in the United States using data from the 2002 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts. These data indicate that, in general, these metropolitan regions tend to be more alike than different with respect to arts participation patterns. Analysis reveals that while…

Describes a Michigan City, Indiana initiative called "Kaleidoscope," a multilayered school improvement plan encompassing four goals: (1) to infuse arts into language arts and math curricula; (2) to foster collaborations between classroom teachers, arts specialists, and the community; (3) to build greater multicultural connections and…

The Carver Community Center in Evansville, Indiana, uses an academic enrichment program to support neighborhood students. The curriculum involves children in learning about African-American literary traditions and folk art. The Center's work is based on the premise that African-American children need to encounter the reality of history as in…

The purpose of the SPARK Outreach Project was to address the needs of an increasingly culturally diverse population by providing a model for teachers of young children with disabilities with (1) a story-based creative arts curriculum derived from a variety of cultural and ethnic traditions; (2) a developmentally and individually appropriate…