This teacher's guide gives practical suggestions for engaging intermediate level students in a study of portraits, based on the assumption that through the image both the sitter and artist reveal something about themselves and the intended purpose of the portrait. Organized in four chapters, Chapter 1, "Talking to the Wall," looks at the…

These curriculum pieces, developed by teachers involved in the New York and the World Program, vary from single lessons to full units and indicate new approaches that all teachers can use in determining what to teach and how to teach it. The first section provides an overview of an interdisciplinary model along with steps in the process. The next…

This interdisciplinary curriculum provides students with the opportunity to learn about the connection between natural resources and buildings while practicing skills in language arts, math, science, social studies, and visual arts. The learning activities are divided by topic into 15 Building Blocks (units). These units cover such topics as…

Cited as a model project for the state of Vermont, this process model helps administrators, teachers, and community members integrate the arts into the elementary school curriculum. Arranged into 10 sections, the introduction in part 1 outlines the development of the program. Three major project goals are stated in section 2 and section 3 is an…

Teacher-developed units which integrate art with other subject areas in the elementary grades are described. The program creates an integrated wholeness by having students study units focusing on a central theme, which can be explored through different subject areas, including art. Reasons for art education are listed; for example, art develops…

Developmental and development-oriented learning with digital media are discussed in relation to the concepts border crossings and multimodal composition. The first concept refers to a transveral of disciplines and recombinations of elements from them. Local-global relations in knowledge building are covered. The second refers to the collaborative…

Presented here are ideas for multidisciplinary environmental education. The suggestions are examples of ways in which environmentally beneficial learnings can be incorporated into the existing curriculum, and are intended to assist in the development of learning packages. Among the five overall objectives listed are: 1) to develop personal…

An art/historic preservation program involving elementary and junior high school students working with college students is described. Each year the students interpret and document a local architectural landmark. Students are involved in a number of activities, including research, oral history interviews, title searches, role playing, and…

The influence of discipline-based art education has been transformed into new avenues for teaching and learning that require an array of bridges to traverse creating new approaches and settings for art teaching and learning. The concept of interdisciplinary learning is one that should be scrutinized closely and research and practical applications…

In this activity, first grade students learn their addresses and their places in space. Each student pretends they are a student in Ms. Frizzle's class and are to help the class figure out how to get home. The students create their own intergalactic address book, so that on their next trip into the universe they will have a map to guide them back…

Reports a research project that uses photography in media education at the elementary school level. Outlines why photography is an appropriate medium and describes projects and games the children used to explore the meaning of photographs, particularly those in the family album. (KM)

Describes a three-week interdisciplinary summer workshop in visual arts, drama, and creative writing for talented middle school students. Regular faculty and community artists taught poetry, theater arts, batiking methods, watercolor painting, and ceramics. An evening showcase presentation for parents and friends concluded the program. (LS)

Summarizes the conclusions reached by art educators who discussed the kinds of computer knowledge and skills required by preservice teachers. Identifies two categories: fine arts (visual expression, graphic design, and aesthetics) and art education (knowledge about hardware and software, applications, management, and interdisciplinary…

Presents an interdisciplinary approach combining geography and children's literature to teach about Japanese culture. Describes classroom activities that link the Five Fundamental Themes of Geography to literature and art. Includes 11 figures, 9 summaries of children's books about Japan, and a 15-item annotated bibliography. (CFR)

Presents classroom lessons based on four self-portraits found in the Art Institute of Chicago. Provides background information, discussion questions, and activities for each portrait. Includes full-page color reproductions of the paintings. (CFR)