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Alignment of Middle School Core TEKS with Visual Arts TEKS : Alignment of Middle School Core TEKS with Visual Arts TEKS Jennifer Hartman
http://teksalignment.blogspot.com/ Curriculum Integration : Curriculum Integration What is Integrated Curriculum?
“integration refers to the linking of all types of knowledge and experiences contained within the curriculum plan” (Ornstein, 2003, p. 243).
What is Arts Integration?
Motivations for Integrated Curriculum
200+ studies as well or better than conventional curriculum (Vars, 2001)
Motivations for Arts Integration
Engaged, well rounded, creative, socially aware Where I’m coming From… : Where I’m coming From… Humanist /Dewey-ian Philosophy
Critiquing the fragmented school day
James Beane – Democratic Education
Fair, just, higher level thinking for all
Heidi Hayes Jacobs
Practical implementation Research Questions : Research Questions What are the potential common learning activities, if any, between the visual art TEKS and the science TEKS, in grades 6, 7, and 8?
…English language arts and reading
…social studies Findings : Findings Science : Science Math : Math English Language Arts and Reading : English Language Arts and Reading Social Studies : Social Studies Summary of Data : Summary of Data What Can you do with it? : What Can you do with it? Make sure you are getting credit for the alignments you already have in your lessons
Add engaging content to existing lessons based on the TEKS
Use it to inspire new integrated lessons and units Example Lesson:What is Art? Designing a Personal Logo : Example Lesson:What is Art? Designing a Personal Logo “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” -Pablo Picasso Keith Haring : Keith Haring Born May 4, 1958
Grew up in Kutztown,Pennsylvania
After graduating art school he moved to New York where he was inspired by graffiti
He became famous from his chalk drawings in New York subways
Many of his works are on walls in public places.
He died in 1990 Are Logos Art? : Are Logos Art? Resources : Resources Beane, J. A. (1991). The middle school: The natural home of integrated curriculum. Educational Leadership, 49(2), 9-13.
Beane, J A. (1997). Curriculum integration: Designing the core of democratic education. New York: Teachers College Press.
Beane, J.A. (2005). A reason to teach: Creating classrooms of dignity and hope. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Dewey, J. (1932). Art as Experience. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam Inc.
Dewey, J. (1902). The child and the curriculum. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago.
Taylor, P.G., Carpenter II, S. B., Ballengee-Morris, C., & Sessions, B. (2006). Interdisciplinary approaches to teaching art in high school. Reston: VA. The National Art Education Association.
Fogarty, R. (1991). The mindful school: How to integrate the curricula. Arlington Heights, IL: Skylight Publishing, Inc.
Glatterhorn, A., & Jailall, J. (2009). The principal as curriculum leader: Shaping what is taught and tested (3rd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
Jacobs, H.H. (1989). Interdisciplinary curriculum design & implementation. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Jacobs, H. H. (1997). Mapping the big picture: Integrating curriculum and assessment K-12. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Stewart, M., & Walker, S. (2007). Rethinking curriculum in art. Worcester, MA: Davis Publications.
Walker, S. (2001). Teaching meaning in art making. Worchester: MA. Davis Publications Inc. References : References Ornstein, A. C. (2003). Curriculum: Foundations, principles, and issues. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Vars, G. (2001). Can curriculum integration survive in an era of high-stakes testing? Middle School Journal. 43(2), 7-17. Retrieved from: http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/Middle


Temmerman, Nita (2004) Student voices. In: Artistic Practice as Research: 25th Annual Conference of the Australian Association of Research in Music Education, 27-30 Sep 2003, Brisbane, Australia.
This paper is premised on two broad interrelated assumptions. First, that the student voice is worth
listening to; and second, that students’ perceptions about what they learn in classroom music sessions are valuable sources of information for teachers in the development and evaluation of both musical programs and musical learning.
Three groups of primary aged students aged between seven and nine, were asked to share by way of personal writings, their perceptions about what they learnt in their classroom music program. The purpose was twofold, namely: (1) to determine the extent to which students described their learning in musical and non-musical ways; and (2) to gauge the match between student perceptions about what learning took place and teacher expectations. This paper focuses on the former.
It was found that students invariably describe their musical learning in terms of activities they engaged in
each week, rather than in terms of the musical concepts being covered; and written reflections consistently
integrated musical and non-musical learning.
Statistics for this ePrint Item
|Item Type:||Conference or Workshop Item (Commonwealth Reporting Category E) (Paper)|
|Publisher:||Australian Association of Research in Music Education|
|Item Status:||Live Archive|
|Depositing User:||Professor Nita Temmerman|
|Faculty / Department / School:||Historic - Faculty of Education|
|Date Deposited:||08 Jun 2007|
|Last Modified:||02 Jul 2013 22:46|
|Uncontrolled Keywords:||music education; musical learning; music curriculum|
|Fields of Research (FoR):||17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1701 Psychology > 170103 Educational Psychology
13 Education > 1301 Education Systems > 130105 Primary Education (excl. Maori)
13 Education > 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy > 130201 Creative Arts, Media and Communication Curriculum and Pedagogy
|Socio-Economic Objective (SEO):||C Society > 93 Education and Training > 9301 Learner and Learning > 930102 Learner and Learning Processes|
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More Maps of Nicaragua
The first evidence of human inhabitants in Nicaragua is a set of footprints embedded on volcanic mud in Managua. The footsteps are that of a family who traveled the area some 6000 years ago. There isn't much known about the country's prehistory, but when the first European explorers found Nicaragua in the 15th century, it was inhabited by several indigenous groups. These inhabitants were related to the Mesoamerican civilizations, specifically to that of the Aztec and Mayan civilizations.
The first European to arrive in Nicaragua was Christopher Columbus in 1502. However, it was only in 1520 when the first attempt to conquer the country occurred, by Gil Gonzalez Davila. The first settlement permanently established was in 1524, through the efforts of Conquistador Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba. The settlements became the first 2 principal towns of the country.
Throughout the years, the country was under the rule of Spain. The country achieved independence through the triumph of the Mexican War in 1821. On September 15, 1821, Nicaragua became independent of Spain but became a part of the first Mexican Empire. After the Mexican monarchy was overthrown in 1823, the country became part of the United Provinces of Central America, which also marks their full independence from any state or nation, and declaring the new country of The Republic of Nicaragua.
Nicaragua is located in Central America, with the Pacific Ocean located to its west, and the Caribbean to the east. Honduras is found to the north, and Costa Rica to the south. The country can be divided into 3 regions: the Pacific lowlands, the Caribbean lowlands, and the central highlands. About a fifth of the land is made of protected areas like national parks and nature reserves. Its close proximity to the equator endows it with plenty of natural resources, which have been exploited throughout its history.
Nicaragua is a democratic republic, governed by a presidential representative elected through national elections. The president becomes the head of state and head of government. Executive power is practiced by the government, while legislative is governed by the government and the National Assembly. The Judiciary is separate and independent of all branches of the government.
Tourism is Nicaragua's 2nd largest industry, only next to the agricultural sector. With almost a thousand kilometers of coastline, Nicaragua is famous for its beaches and resorts. Among the most popular places to visit are the Bluefields, the Granada Islets, the Selva Negra Mt. Resort, and the Corn Islands.
Bluefields is found on the Atlantic coast and is one of the major tourist destinations in the country. The oldest city on the coast, it hosts an annual festival that lasts an entire month, called the Palo de Mayo. Occurring every Spring, this carnival-type festival is a celebration of the English and Creole customs of the people in the city.
The Selva Negra Mountain Resort is considered to be Nicaragua's most famous hotel. Built by German immigrants in 1891, their private home and coffee estate opened to the public in 1976 and has since become a popular tourist resort.
The Corn Islands are found east of the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. It's made of 2 big islands, divided into 12 municipalities. The islands are pretty small and no motor vehicles are allowed. The best way to get around the islands is by foot. The waters are popular sites for scuba diving and snorkeling.
Elementary education in the country is free and compulsory but children are not aggressively required to go to school, as many families in rural areas need them to do work. The school year starts in February and ends in November.
Higher education is mostly found in the city of Managua. There are 48 universities all around the country, with 113 colleges and technical schools. The oldest university was built in 1812 under the Spanish era, which is the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua.
- Baseball is the country's most popular sport, with a strong tradition of American-style baseball.
- Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America.
- The country had an American president in 1856. William Walker declared himself president of the country with the purpose of turning it into a slave state of the United States. He was driven out of the country the next year.
Last Updated : July 28 ,2015


Booster packs for Key Stage 2
Put KS2 literacy and numeracy skills into action with hundreds of activities to boost your child's knowledge and confidence. Covering all the core learning objectives for Years 3-6 in English and maths, you'll discover fun ways to support learning in these fantastic booster packs:
Maths and English homework help is at hand!
If you dread being asked by your child to help with their maths or English homework - fear not! We've got two excellent eBooks that will help you instantly find the answers you need. Maths Homework Helper brings together everything you need to get to grips with this vital subject and life skill. With it, you can support your child's maths learning effectively at home. You’ll discover how to tackle all the different topics your child will encounter – from addition and subtraction, to ratios and percentages – and get familiar with all the latest methods used in schools.
Literacy Homework Helper covers the ins and outs of reading, writing and spelling as they are taught in the primary national curriculum. Whether you are trying to help with a specific piece of homework, your child has a problem with a topic they’ve covered at school, or you just want to give an extra boost at home to their literacy learning, this resource is designed for you to be able to quickly find relevant information for you and practical ideas and activities to help your child.
Key Stage 2 is one of the most important periods in your child’s education. It’s in these school years that your child is introduced to some of the core learning concepts that they need to master before secondary school. They’ll review and consolidate learning done throughout primary school and be tested frequently to check that they are acquiring and retaining the right information.
Whether your child is struggling, jumping ahead, or you just want to check they are right on track, you can boost their child's confidence throughout Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 with TheSchoolRun Key Stage 2 Book Bundle.
There are 3 of our best-selling books in the bundle. Maths Homework Helper eBook covers all the core maths topics, from the basics of addition and subtraction to multiplication, division, working with measures, shape and space, and handling data. Grammar Made Easy eBook gives you confidence in the grammar basics so you’re fully prepared to help your child and Spelling Made Magic – our best-selling book - is packed with tips and tricks to help your child master this literacy essential.


Learn Art: Be Unique and Let Your Creativity Flow
Art is an important facet of society, it allows us a constructive outlet for our emotions and energy. The ability to create artwork is very empowering and allows the artist to embrace and explore their talents; but before running for the pastels and paints, it is important to understand the different elements that go into a piece of art. Learning about the fundamental elements, principles, and theories of art and composition is important to one’s art education, the following is your guide to learning about art, and how different elements of art can be combined to create an artwork that is unique and special.
Elements of Art
- Art & Design Elements – Learn more about the elements of art and design and how they are incorporated into art.
- Elements of Art – Detailed information about the elements of art, including color shape, and texture.
- The 7 Formal Elements – Understand the seven traditional elements of design and why they are important to art as a whole.
- Element Examples – Gain a better understanding of the elements of art with these examples.
- Art and Design – Explore the elements of art through this easy to follow website.
- Formal Elements – An introduction to the formal elements of art is an important foundation for further art education.
Principles of Art
- ABCs of Art – Learn about the basics to better “read” a piece of art.
- Balance – Discover the importance of balance in art with this basic information and examples.
Other Art Concepts
- Art Glossary – Use this art glossary to familiarize yourself with art terminology.
- Analogous Colors – Basic information about analogous colors and how they can be incorporated into art.
- Symbolism of Colors – Learn the meaning behind different colors and what type of emotion each color sparks.
- Color Theory – Explore the use and importance of color in artwork.
- Color Wheel – Discover the color wheel and its many variations. The color wheel is an important tool of art.
- Printable Color Wheel – Information and examples of primary, secondary, and color schemes using the color wheel.
- Complimentary Colors – Examples of complimentary colors and how to identify complimentary colors on a color wheel.
- Color Principles – Detailed information about the use of hue, saturation, and value in art.
- Additive Primaries – Information about additive color and how it is used in art and graphic design; this also covers information about shade and tint.
- The Primary Colors – Basic information about additive and subtractive primary colors and how they can be combine to achieve new secondary colors.
- Primary & Secondary Colors – Elementary information about primary and secondary colors and how they work together to influence art.
- Emphasis – Information and insight into how to guide the focus and emphasis in an artwork.
- Perspective – A detailed explanation of perspective and how it is used in art to direct the viewer.
- Art Safety Guide – Learn how to use different media and the precautions that you should be aware of when using a particular media.
- Glazes – Information about different media and how they can be used on a surface.
- How to Make Paint – Homemade paint allows the artist total control of the color and the media they are working with.
- Painting Guide – Learn how to master the art of painting with this easy to follow guide.
- Oil Painting – Detailed information about oil painting and how it has evolved and been used throughout art.
- Painting – Information about the origins of painting and its impact on the art community.
- Tempera Painting – Learn about the tempera painting and what is needed for tempera work.
- Pastel Painting – Detailed information about what pastel painting is and how it is used.
- Basics of Pastel – Brief information about the use of pastel and famous artists who have used the media.
- Drawing – Student artwork and information about drawing with pen and pencil media.
- Abstract Art – Detailed information about abstract art and some of the artists who helped to make it famous.
- Baroque – Basic information about the Baroque style.
- The Baroque Style – Information about the history of the baroque style and those who made the style acceptable in the art community.
- Byzantine Art – Examples and information about the Byzantine style.
- Cubism – Learn about analytical cubism and how it influenced art of the 20th century.
- Greek & Roman Art – information and samples of Greek and Roman art, as well as subsections of both art genres.
- Impressionism – Basic information about impressionism and popular impressionist artists.
- Realism – Basic principles of realist art and insight from famous realist artists.
- Renaissance Art – Understand what renaissance art is and how it impacted art history.
- Romanesque Art – Detailed information about Romanesque art and its common characteristics.


In chemistry, a mixture is a material system made up of two or more different
substances which are mixed but are not combined chemically. A mixture refers to
This tutorial introduces basics of mixtures. ... If you put sand into a glass of water,
it is considered to be a mixture. ... Rader's Network of Science and Math Sites.
In this educational animated movie about Science learn about reactions, bonding
, ionic, covalent, and mixing.
A key stage 3 revision and recap resource for science, covering chemical
reactions, compounds and molecules. It also covers mixtures and techniques for
Jul 16, 2012 ... Make and learn about making mixtures in this fun investigation.
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Aug 3, 2012 ... This short science video in English is meant for upper primary class children (age
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Oct 15, 2012 ... This is a short video on mixtures and solutions. ... We have to take a very
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Results from the fifth Trends in International Mathematics and
Science Study (TIMSS) came out earlier this week.
Based on last year's assessment of 63 countries and 14
benchmarking participants, TIMSS 2011 International Results in
Mathematics measures trends in math achievement at the fourth
and eighth grades.
The report runs eight chapters and eight appendices, with an
executive summary and references. Freely download each section
one at a time — or the combined 66MB document in one fell
swoop from here:
Video summaries address trends in student achievement, the
importance of home environment and preprimary education ("An
Early Start"), and factors for academic success:
PoW taking place: math problem-solving moment of the week
"Others, like Lee, Lu, and Eric, all went one step further.
While Lee does a good job explaining his thinking, Lu and Eric
also made nice charts. Ann used slightly different thinking.
She tried numbers that fit those two rules, as you can see in
her solution. Turning to Lauren, she did something pretty neat
that only a few of you did. She also determined that pencils
must cost four cents more than erasers, but then used that
information very creatively...."
- Riz, commenting on the FunPoW's latest solution
Dan Meyer and the BuzzMath Team recently posted over twenty
short videos designed to orient students to abstract and
Check out the clips of stories — each 102 seconds in
length — to graph using the freely downloadable accompanying
student template. Select from among story subjects, which range
from balls and carnivals to ponies and water; or types
Now taking place: math education conversation of the day
"I thought about Robert's son when I read this article. Has
anyone in the Math Teach community seen this app?"
- Richard, posted to the math-teach discussion
Easy Stats from the Census Bureau
The U.S. Census Bureau has a new interactive tool for selected
demographic and economic statistics.
Drawing on information from the yearly American Community
Survey, Easy Stats reports on education, housing, jobs, and
more by geography — down to the local level of incorporated
places, like cities and towns.
Detailed race, age, and gender breakdowns include
School Enrollment by Detailed Level of School for the
Population 3 Years and Over
Family Income in the Past 12 Months
Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months of Families
Means of Transportation to Work
Geographical Mobility in the Past Year for Current
Residence in the United States
From the results of any search, click in the lower right corner
on the green "MS Excel" icon to download the data in


4-12 year olds
Art experiences are provided through an integrated art therapy and art education approach. Children will explore a wide range of media and techniques including: mixed media collage, pencil, paint, charcoal, pastels, print-making, clay, & recycled & natural materials. Preliminary studies and weekly art experiences build upon the next. Each child’s pace and style of working is considered while providing an open environment for individual creativity, emerging ideas, and opportunities for collaboration. Emphasis is placed on the PROCESS of self-expression as a vehicle through which to gain a heightened self-awareness. Art sessions provided year-round–Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer Camp.
A serene studio—a secure garden setting


Ethiopian music is as diverse as it is beautiful; its music varies by ethnic groups as well as by traditional and modern elements at play within its culture. Like Western culture, Ethiopians utilize wind, percussion, and string instruments, but differ from Westerners in that much of the music is based on modal scales and pitches may be off intonation-wise from what our ears have been accustomed to. As is common in any culture since the rapid technological advances and globalization of popular music; many younger Ethiopian musicians have started to embrace modern music, including the use of technology and Western musical instruments. Despite this, however, many Ethiopian performers both young and old have tried to maintain ties to the traditional music of their home regions. Below is an example of a youtube Ethiopian music video performed by Gossaye Tesfaye, which combines elements of both new and old styles:
Ethiopian Instrumental Music: Many instruments, such as the malakat, kebero, and nagarit, are also used in classical Eritrean music. Additional stringed instruments include the one-stringed masenqo and the six-stringed lyre known as the krar (pictured on the left). Wind instruments include the fanta (pan flute), the holdudwa (an animal horn) and the washunt (bamboo flute). Traditionally, people have been called to prayer with the use of various percussion instruments including prayer staffs, the jangling senasel, and gongs.
A Brief History: The 1950s through the 1970s was a prominent time for both popular and folk Ethiopian musicians. During this time, Ethio-jazz became popular, especially influenced by Mulatu Astatke. This Golden Age in Ethiopian music soon diminished when the communist military junta, the Derg came to power in the 1980s. With the government’s strict control over free speech, Azmari musicians started satirizing the government through seminna werq, a form of double entendre. In addition to these witty lyrics, Azmari performers are also rewarded for singing uplifting messages and compliments to members in the audience. One of the parts I find so impressive about Azmari musicians is their ability to improvise, something that Western art music (aside from Jazz Bands) have largely done away with. The musical and dance cultures are very closely knit; dancers in northern Ethiopia practice a dance called eskesta, or “dancing shoulders,” which is still practiced today, but has roots in old Ethiopian tribes.
Much of traditional and popular Ethiopian music has become popularized in pockets across the world including Los Angeles and London. Famous American performers such as Herbie Hancock have taken interest in Ethiopian music after he performed with the very talented and famous Ethiopian, Gigi.
Image Sources: Wikipedia, Mesobrestaurant.blogspot.com
Below are additional articles and resources about Ethiopian music found at Music Education For All:


She was one of the icons of American politics: A woman who was bold enough to chart her own course, often operating against the direction of political powers. In the end, Shirley Chisholm would become one of the most notable politicians in America.
In today's world, an era when there are 43 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, with 15 of them women, Chisholm’s pioneering role in American politics seems particularly dramatic. She was the first Black woman elected to Congress following her election in 1968. By 1972, she became even more steeped in the nation’s history by becoming the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination.
In an interview with BET.com, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, who now represents much of the Brooklyn district that sent Chisholm to Congress, said her predecessor was “truly unbought and unbossed.”
Clarke added, “It was through her relentless dedication to public service that paved the way for women of color, like myself, to have the opportunity to serve in public office. She exceeded all expectations by defying both racial and gender biases when she launched her campaign for president of the United States 40 years ago.”
Shirley Chisholm was born in Brooklyn to Caribbean parents. He father was from British Guiana and her mother was born in Barbados. She graduated from Girls High School and Brooklyn College and later received a master’s degree from Columbia University in elementary education.
That would be the field in which she would make her mark in the initial phase of her professional career. From 1953 to 1959, she worked as the director of the Hamilton-Madison Child Care Center. For the next five years, she was an educational consultant for the Division of Day Care.
But then, her passions led her to politics. And, in 1964, she was elected to the New York State Assembly, representing a district in central Brooklyn. After making her way in the male-dominated, rough-and-tumble world of Brooklyn politics, she became the Democratic candidate for a Congressional seat that was crafted by court order, after an upset victory over two Democratic stalwarts in the primary.
With her campaign slogan, “unbought and unbossed,” Chisholm ran in the general election against Republican candidate James Farmer, a civil rights activist who was the initiator of the 1961 Freedom Ride and a co-founder of the Congress of Racial Equality. She was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1968.
She became one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971. As a freshman, Chisholm was assigned to the House Agricultural Committee, which she found to be irrelevant to the concerns of her Congressional district, which was anchored in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
"Apparently all they know here in Washington about Brooklyn is that a tree grew there," she said in a statement at the time. "Only nine black people have been elected to Congress, and those nine should be used as effectively as possible."
She railed against the seniority system, stunning many by insisting on being reassigned to another committee. By some shrewd political maneuvering, she prevailed, getting a highly coveted seat on the House Education and Labor Committee and becoming the third highest-ranking member when she retired from Congress.
Chisholm became well known for hiring women in her Congressional office, with half of those being African-American. She often said that she encountered far more discrimination as a result of being a woman than she did for being Black.
By 1972, she set her sights on running for president, knowing full well the long-shot nature of such a campaign. She amassed a total of 152 votes on the first ballot for the nomination, which went to South Dakota Senator George S. McGovern. She did not win any primaries. Some years later, however, she said that the campaign for president had been an important “catalyst for change.”
She announced her retirement from Congress in 1982 and went on to work in education, teaching politics and women’s studies and working at Mount Holyoke College. Chisholm, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, was also a visiting scholar at Spelman College. In 1990, she was part of a group that formed the African-American Women for Reproductive Freedom. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton to serve as ambassador to Jamaica, but she declined due to poor health.
Chisholm, who was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, retired and moved to Ormand Beach, FL, where she died in 2005 at the age of 80.
BET National News - Keep up-to-date with breaking news stories from around the nation, including headlines from the hip hop and entertainment world.
(Photo: Pictorial Parade/Getty Images)


Details about Preschool and School-Age Language Disorders:
PRESCHOOL AND SCHOOL-AGE LANGUAGE DISORDERS is designed for introductory coursework that explores language deficits associated with developmental delays and disorders as seen in children ages two to eighteen. Unique to this book is a chapter related to the provision of speech-language services in public schools, including a discussion of federal legislation that impacts service delivery. Aspects of normal language development are woven into the discussion of language disorders to emphasize that knowledge of both is necessary to effectively assess and treat clients. Preschool and School-Age Language Disorders focuses on integration of evidence-based practice into assessment, diagnosis, and treatment practices, and includes information from classic research studies as well as current research. There is also a focus throughout the book on the impact of low-income environments on a child's language and literacy development and school success. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.
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Rent Preschool and School-Age Language Disorders 1st edition today, or search our site for other textbooks by Michael Duggan. Every textbook comes with a 21-day "Any Reason" guarantee. Published by CENGAGE Learning.


Cath Madden Trindle
WPA Federal Arts Project
1935 – 1939 (NARA 69.5.2)
Established in August 1935. Terminated September 1939 with instructions for states to allocate all project art work to eligible tax- supported public institutions. Reputed to have created more than 200,000 works, FAP artists created posters, murals and paintings. It was the goal of the FAP to employ out of work artists and provide art for non-federal buildings, such as schools, hospitals and libraries.
Artists wishing to be considered for the Federal Art Project had to prove they were impoverished and had to submit samples of their work. Before they could be apply, they had to be accepted for Home Relief. If chosen for the Project, artists were paid a salary of about $24 a week.
There were three primary divisions of the project: art production, art education and art research. The primary product of the art research portion of the project was the Index of American Design, consisting of approximately 18,000 watercolor renderings of American decorative arts objects from the colonial period through the nineteenth century. The education component resulted in art centers, classes, lectures and exhibits around the country. The production aspect p
roduced many of the wonderful murals that are still in existence today.
The Autry Historic Southwest Museum in Los Angeles has a collection relating to a Federal Arts Project sponsored by the National Park Service at the Southwest Museum and the Los Angeles Museum of History, Science and Art from 1936-1937.
You will find administrative records which include correspondence, instructions and personnel reports. The photographic collections include field notes, file notes and the photographs themselves. A third section of the collection includes chalk and ink drawings, maps, oil paintings and watercolors depicting the collectinos and historical figures from California History.
This is just a sample of what might exist for other projects. If your family members were employed by the FAP look in local repositories for collections on the art works in the area where they lived.
The Department of the Treasury Section of Painting and Sculpture (Section of Fine Arts), was established in 1934 and administered by the Procurement Division. It continued until 1943. Unlike the other New Deal art programs, commissions were awarded through competitions and artists were paid a lump sum for their work. Competitions were open to all artists, regardless of economic status. Proposals were reviewed without identifying the name of the artist who had made the submission.
Find more on New Deal Arts Programs:


(USA) Youth Art Month - Time for reflection
- Dear Art Educators,
Pam Stephens is working for change in art education....Her students are
thinking about - and assessing - what "we" (practicing teachers) do. Maybe
you can tweak her questions and make a list of quesitons to distribute to
your stafff for reflection and discussion. When you meet is it just a gripe
session about kids not doing what you want? Maybe have a staff meeting and
really talk about what your department is doing and what effects it may be
having on the kids. I know our art department did not talk (ours mainly
turned into gripe sessions....boring!)
Pam Stephens' Youth Art Month questions for her students (they took a field
trip to a YAM exhibit)
YOUTH ART MONTH OBSERVATION
Youth Art Month is a national observance each March to emphasize the
value of art education for all children and to encourage support for
quality school art programs. The Nation and the Arts, a Presidential
briefing paper prepared by the Independent Committee on Arts Policy
"Well-developed programs of making and studying art serve many
functions. They help students better articulate their perceptions
and shape coherent responses to their experiences. When children
learn to appreciate form and color...when they learn the importance
of fashioning their own images of the world around them, they achieve
greater discipline and self-confidence. Further, the arts have
extrinsic public value, as they are increasingly important to this
1. Select an artwork clearly shows that the Arizona Academic
Standards for the Visual Arts have been used. Describe the artwork
and how the standards are represented.
2. Do you find an artwork that evidences academic standards from
other content areas (i.e., there is an interdisciplinary connection)?
Describe that artwork and what standards you think it meets.
3. How many artworks reflect sensitivity to cultural or gender
issues? What conclusion can you draw from your observation?
4. Do you see any artworks that are "in the style of" a well-
known artist? If so, do you think this is a worthwhile approach to
teaching art? What are some pros and cons of this approach?
5. Do you find any artworks that seem to be "cookie cutter"
(i.e., everyone in the class probably made the same thing or a
pattern was used)? Describe that artwork.
6. Locate an elementary work of art that you think is original
and of high quality. What characteristics does this artwork possess?
7. Locate a middle school or secondary artwork. How do these
artworks show evidence of originality and quality?
8. How well do you think that this exhibition communicates the
value of art as a vital component of the curriculum? What evidence do
you see to support your response?
Thanks for sharing these Pam... I know TAB list would like to "hear" some
answers. (TAB already got my long "in the style of" ramble -- smile - no one
but me and the kids know what all was going on during those lessons).
Judy Decker - Ohio
Incredible Art Department
Incredible Art Resources


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MCP Phonics Levels D,E, & F provide continued instruciton consistent with either the ©2003 ot the MCP Phonics ©1998 Program Levels K-C. This solid, well-structured program promotes continued literacy development into the intermediate grades. Word-study, comprehension, thinking, and writing skills are integrated to make learning meaningful and relevant to the standards set forth for intermediate-grade students.
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Raise A Reader With Good Books
A children’s librarian’s favorite words? “I want some good books!” There are few things that make us smile like helping a child find just the right book. And with almost 1 million books in our collection, Richland Library has a lot of good books! We know that reading is not only fun, but also very important.
“By the time a child is five, he will have heard 90% of all the words that he will ever know.” -Jim Trelease, The Read Aloud Handbook
Good books are important no matter your age, but the first five years are crucial in a child’s vocabulary and literacy development. The more books you read to your child, the more words he will hear. Reading should happen every day and all through the day.
Here are some easy ways to incorporate reading into your family’s daily life:
• Read to your child every single day. Fill your home (and car!) with library books. You can check out 60 at one time.
• Read books about ABCs, shapes, numbers, colors and sounds. Library staff are experts. We’ll help you pick out books just right for your child.
• Find time to talk. Point out things in the world and ask your child questions.
• Sing, play and draw with your child. Just a few minutes every day will make all the difference.
• Schedule a daily reading time. There’s nothing better than a bedtime story.
This summer, I hope you’ll make the library part of your weekly routine. Visit us for storytime and other fun family events. There is something happening almost every day! Join the Richland Library Friends’ Summer Reading Challenge and earn prizes as you read. Bring your whole family to see us at the library; we’ll have some good books waiting for you!


Creativity should not be underestimated. Creativity helps teach cognitive skills such as mathematics and scientific thinking. Creative thinking involves imagination, basic use of the scientific method, communication, physical dexterity and exertion, problem posing, problem solving, making interpretations, and using symbols which help with future literacy skills.
1-Creativity promotes emotional development-Creative expression provides many opportunities for expressing emotions and working through those emotions to gain relief and understanding of them. To help your child do this you could encourage a child who is angry to draw or paint a picture of how they are feeling. You could play varied types of music that invoke different emotions and then ask your child how the music makes them feel.
2-Creativity promotes social development- In young childhood, creativity is often a social act. Singing, dancing, puppetry, and theater all teach the child to pay attention to others as well as develop an understanding of social rules like give and take, and cooperation. Have a dance party with other children or have the child and their friends put on a play or puppet show.
3-Creativity supports physical development-Working with art materials such as crayons, scissors, paint brushes, play dough and paint promote fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination. To promote gross motor skills try dancing, mural painting, theater, or large construction projects like building things with boxes.
4-Creativity supports language and literacy development-By engaging in creative play or projects,
children can learn new vocabulary words as well as learn to associate pictures with words. As mentioned above try playing different kinds of music and creating a conversation with the child about how it makes them feel; this will boost language expression and understanding. Expose your child to plenty of instruments and talk to them about their favorite one and what sound each instrument makes. Ask them open ended questions about their art work such as "how did you feel when you drew this" or "how does this painting make you feel?"
5-Creativity promotes cognitive development- Creative activities help children to develop attention skills and cognitive learning. Their imagination is in full use and it encourages them to come up with new ideas and to think outside of the box since creativity involves exploration and problem solving. Through creative activities such as playing with play dough, children can learn pre-math skills such as the concept of less and more. When children match shapes or colors in their creations they are learning the math skill one to one correspondence. Creative activities can help them learn about grouping and classification, physical properties of objects, and cause and effect. Painting and play dough are all great ways to explore these concepts.
There are four components of creativity as described by Psychologist Ellis P. Torrance: fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration.
Fluency is the ability to produce a number of different ideas. To promote fluency provide children with plenty of opportunities that stimulate the thought process. Ask open ended questions and questions that ask the child’s opinion. Encourage the child to explore and experiment and this will enhance cognitive growth.
Flexibility is the ability to approach different situations and develop solutions from a number of different perspectives. Foster flexibility by allowing plenty of opportunities to explore and experiment. Allowing children to experiment and make mistakes unleashes their creative thinking and a sense of wonder. They feel free to imagine, invent, create, and try out new ways to do things. Asking questions during an activity or when a problem arises such as “how is another way we could do this or solve it?” encourages children to think outside of the box.
Originality is the ability to have a new or novel idea. To promote originality, provide a variety of supplies and experiences in which children can use their imagination and create. By painting or constructing something out of play dough they are creating something out of nothing.
Elaboration is the ability to extend ideas. Give children new ways of doing old ideas and activities. For instance, providing pipe cleaner and other items to stick into play dough would allow children to elaborate in their play.
What are your child’s favorite creative activities?


|History of Education|
An Online Exhibition of Historical Artifacts
The History of Agraharas
by Dr. Jyotsna Kamat
Excerpted from author's forthcoming book "Education in Karnataka through the Ages"
Agraharas became the foremost educational institutions in southern India during the medieval period. They were group settlements of brahmins who formed a corporate body and administered all affairs of the agrahara, including education. The earliest agrahara in medieval Karnataka appears to be that of Talagunda or Sthanakundur (in present day Shimoga district). An inscription mentions that the ancestor of Mayurasharman (or Varman), the founder of the Kadamba dynasty, brought thirty-two learned brahmins from Ahichchatra and settled them in Sthanakundur, turning it into an agrahara (350 CE.). This shows that kings promoted learning by inviting scholars from outside, and this practice continued in later centuries. It is said that Mayurasharman granted 144 villages to the support of the agrahara.
Further details of this agrahara are available in an inscription from 1150 C.E. indicating that Talagunda continued as a famous center of education for eight centuries. There were forty-eight students and eight teachers of different subjects, such as the vedas, vedanta, prosody, rupavatara (grammar) and prabhakara (philosophy). Besides, there were arrangements to teach Kannada at the primary level (Kannadaksharashikshe). Provision was made for clothing (sire, or saree) for the teachers, students and the temple staff, and there were cooks who cooked food for all inmates.
Later, the Chalukyan king Vikramaditya VI invited learned brahmins from Tamil Nadu, and turned Nirgunda in Koguli province into an agrahara (agraharikritya) and donated it to the brahmins.
Queens of Karnataka also took a leading role in establishing the agraharas. Queen Kamaladevi, wife of the Kadamba king Shivachitta (see Kadambas) thought of founding an agrahara in Degamve (in present day Belgaum District) and told the king of her desire in the audience hall. According to an inscription, the king put the proposal before his council of ministers, which consulted one another, and finally accepted the proposal. The queen herself selected a number of Brahmins, who were well versed in different subjects. They hailed from different lands. This inscription gives an idea of how an agrahara came into existence and how enough care was exercised to recruit the right learned brahmins who could prove worthy of royal grants.
The agraharas imparted primary education, which was in the Kannada language. In one instance, the puranabhatta (teacher of the epics) read out the puranas in the evening and the rest of the day was utilized to teach children. The teacher was known as the akkariga or Karnatapandita. These teachers, who taught the reading and writing of the Kannada alphabet were village schoolmasters. However there were also other teachers who taught Nagara (Sanskrit), Tigula (Tamil) and Arya (Marathi) as per an inscription of 1290 C.E. It was required of boys to learn different languages, which enabled them to travel from one region to another, for reasons of trade, pilgrimage and learning.
In Narasimhapura agrahara of Belur, boys were taught the Rigveda and the Yajurveda. Some agraharas taught only parts (khandike) of the vedas. It is likely that the simpler prayers, invocation mantras and riks were taught to youngsters, followed by an introduction of padapatha (recitation of verses), sutras, and the recitation. An agrahara was typically composed of different vocations such as blacksmiths (kammara), carpenters (badiga ), goldsmiths (suvarnakara), security men (talara ), flower-men and farmers. Youngsters of all the families in the community received elementary education locally in their families and later through guilds.
Most of the agraharas had groups of villages under them and were closely connected with other educational institutions such as shales, mathas, brahmapuris, and ghatika, and in a real-sense could be called alma mater.
History of Education
|Kamat's Potpourri Timeless Theater Education in India|
Merchandise and Link Suggestions


An in-depth study of the life, subjects, and style of the "Ashcan artist of Appalachia"
A product of the industrialized New South, Eugene Healan Thomason (1895–1972) made the obligatory pilgrimage to New York to advance his art education and launch his career. Like so many other aspiring American artists, he understood that the city offered unparalleled personal and professional opportunities—prestigious schools, groundbreaking teachers, and an intoxicating cosmopolitan milieu—for a promising young painter in the early 1920s. The patronage of one of the nation's most powerful tycoons afforded him entrance to the renowned Art Students League, where he fell under the influence of the leading members of the Ashcan School, including Robert Henri, John Sloan, and George Luks. In all Thomason spent a decade in the city, adopting—and eventually adapting—the Ashcan movement's gritty realistic aesthetic into a distinctive regionalist style that used thick paint and simple subject matter.
Eugene Thomason returned to the South in the early 1930s, living first in Charlotte, North Carolina, before settling in a small Appalachian crossroads called Nebo. For the next thirty-plus years, he mined the rural landscape's rolling terrain and area residents for inspiration, finding there an abundance of colorful imagery more evocative—and more personally resonant—than the urbanism of New York. Painting at the same time as such well-known Regionalists as Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood, Eugene Thomason embraced and convincingly portrayed his own region, becoming the visual spokesman for that place and its people.
Andrew Wyeth: America's Painter, Greenville County Museum of Art: The Southern Collection, and The Charleston Renaissance.
is a graduate of Wells College in Aurora, New York, and holds a master's degree from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. An art historian, she has served as curator at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina, the Portland Museum of Art in Maine, and the Greenville (S.C.) County Museum of Art. She has published studies on a variety of Southern artists, including Charles Fraser, Alice Ravenel Huger Smith, William Halsey, and Mary Whyte. In addition she is the author of
is the repository of the largest single body of Eugene Thomason's work. Located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the collection offers an extensive survey of artistic activity in the American South from the late eighteenth century to the present day. The Johnson family is committed to creating a collection that captures and illuminates the rich history and diverse cultures of the region. By making masterworks from its holdings available for critical exhibitions and academic research, the collection hopes to advance interest in the dynamic role that the art of the South plays in the larger context of American art and to contribute to the canon of art historical literature. The collection also seeks to enrich its local community by inviting the public to interact with these inspiring works of art.
"Art lovers will enjoy reading about and admiring the paintings of this talented regional southern artist who 'used thick pain' and painted 'simple subject matter.'"—Lowcountry Companion
"From New York to Nebo: The Artistic Journey of Eugene Thomason carefully chronicles the life of Eugene Thomason and his embrace of North Carolina. Deeply influenced by his New York City training with George Luks and the Ashcan movement, Thomason returned home to capture Nebo and the mountains of western North Carolina through vigorous landscapes and haunting portraits. Martha Severens discusses Thomason's personal and professional complexities in clear, direct prose that offers a portrait of a truly great artist."—William Ferris, author of The Storied South: Voices of Writers and Artists


Adaptation is described as the way a plant or animal adjusts to its environment. For example, animals that live in a desert environment have developed unique ways to adapt to the hot, dry climate. In this game, players will learn interesting facts about animal adaption and practice them using a fun matching card game! Here the instructions for the game as well as a list of interesting animal adaptations to get you started.
What You Do:
- Cut index cards in half, making 24 cards.
- On one side of 12 cards, draw or paste a picture of an animal from the list below and the animals you add to the list.
- On the other side, if you choose, glue bright colored wrapping paper to cover the white card so you can’t see what the animal is or the adaptation information you write down.
- On the 12 cards without animal pictures, write one way in which one animal from the first set of cards adapts to its environment. For example, one card could be a picture of a chameleon and on another card would read “Changes color to hide from predators.”
- Once all the cards are completed, turn them facedown and make as many matches as possible. Turn over only two cards at a time. If they don't match, turn them back over and try again! If you are playing with another person whoever winds up with the most matches wins.
The descriptions of the animals listed below are detailed to get the big picture of the animal and its adaptation. When it is time to play the game, it will be up to your child to summarize the adaptation and narrow it down to one or two things that identify what kind of change happens to help them survive. Here a some animal adaptations from the hot desert to get your child on track:
- Armadillo Lizard protects itself from predators by rolling up into a ball and creates a spiny ring to fend off unwanted predators. He has a keen sense of smell to notice predators.
- Banded Gila Monster has such good hearing and vision that she can lay inside her burrow until it is safe to come out. When this amazing lizard is under trees or bushes she is camouflaged and when she is not, her red, pink, orange, and black colors are a warning to predators. She only comes out in the morning and burrows the rest of the day because of the extreme heat.
- Desert Tortoise lives in burrows which he digs himself to escape the heat of the summer and the cold of winter in the desert. Most of his water intake comes from moisture found in the grasses and wildflowers he eats in the spring. The tortoise has the ability to store about a quart of water in his bladder to be used when necessary. Adult desert tortoises can go for years without water.
- Thorny Devil is one of the least aggressive reptiles. She likes to defend herself but has weird ways of doing it. She has the ability to change colors to match her environment, and when she’s scared she puts her head between her front legs, showing a fake head or knob on her neck where a real head should be. If a predator tries to flip her over she puts her spine and curved tail against the ground to prevent from falling over. Her movement looks like a leaf, and she often "freezes" instinctively, or puffs herself up like a ball, which makes her look bigger.
Now it is your child's turn to complete the other 8 cards for the matching game. Have fun creating more cards from what your child has learned in school, or investigate animal adaptation in books, on the Internet, or at your local science museum!
Alicia Danyali, BS Elementary Education, taught primary-level students for four years at the International School of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The last four years of her teaching career, she taught at the Washington International School in Washington, D.C. She recently completed writing a series of children's picture books and is a mother of one young son.


Sir Jim Rose finished his review of the primary curriculum and while I’ve yet to read the whole document I have taken a look at the executive summary and recommendations.
The curriculum that primary children are offered must enable them to enjoy this unique stage of childhood, inspire learning and develop the essential knowledge, skills and understanding which are the building blocks for secondary education and later life.
To achieve this, the new curriculum must be underpinned by an understanding of the distinct but interlocking ways in which children learn and develop – physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially, culturally, morally and spiritually – between the ages of 5 and 11.
Key features of a new primary curriculum
- recognise the continuing importance of subjects and the essential knowledge, skills and understanding they represent.
- provide a stronger focus on curriculum progression.
- strengthen the focus on ensuring, that by the age of 7, children have a secure grasp of the literacy and numeracy skills they need to make good progress thereafter.
- strengthen the teaching and learning of information and communication technology (ICT) to enable children to be independent and confident users of technology by the end of primary education.
- provide a greater emphasis on personal development through a more integrated and simpler framework for schools.
- build stronger links between the EYFS and Key Stage 1, and between Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3.
offer exciting opportunities for learning languages for 7–11-yearolds.
What is set out in the draft programmes of learning represents a national entitlement with full scope for teachers to shape how it is taught and to supplement it.
Subjects and cross curricular learning
There are times when it is right to marshal content from different subjects into well-planned, cross-curricular studies. This is not only because it helps children to better understand ideas about such important matters as citizenship, sustainable development, financial capability and health and wellbeing, but also because it provides opportunities across the curriculum for them to use and apply what they have learned from the discrete teaching of subjects.
Six areas of learning
- Understanding English, communication and languages
- Mathematical understanding
- Scientific and technological understanding
- Historical, geographical and social understanding
- Understanding physical development, health and wellbeing
- Understanding the arts.
Children thrive best when parenting, the curriculum and pedagogy are all of high quality. In other words, children benefit most when their home lives and school lives establish similar values and expectations for their learning, behaviour and wellbeing. Much has been achieved in recent years to ensure that parents are fully informed about and seriously involved in many aspects of school life.
(i) The QCA, in consultation with representative groups, should exemplify and promote the range of learning envisioned in the new framework for personal development with the firm intention of helping schools to plan for balanced coverage and avoid piecemeal treatment of this central aspect of the curriculum.
(ii) Personal development together with literacy, numeracy and ICT constitute the essentials for learning and life. The DCSF should work with the QCA to find appropriate and innovative ways of assessing pupils’ progress in this area.
With their local authorities, primary and secondary schools should agree a joint policy for bridging children’s transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3. Five interdependent transition bridges are suggested for this purpose: administrative; social and personal; curriculum; pedagogy; and autonomy and managing learning. This should involve extended studies across Year 6 and Year 7, and draw upon the support of personal tutors.


Music teachers are increasingly asked to teach material from a wide variety of subject areas (especially the new Common Core) while still meeting the Standards for Music Education. Stanton’s recommends these new song collections that incorporate language arts, social studies and even physical education into your music curriculum.
Learn the rules and you’ll go far! Reinforce basic grammar concepts while rockin’ to the beat with another winning resource from Hal Leonard’s Rock ‘n’ Learn series. This standards-based study explores nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, contractions, capitalization and more – all put to music for learning that lasts! Perfect for Music class, Language Arts or any other academic area, the Teacher Book includes reproducible song sheets with chord symbols and simple choreography, and worksheets to reinforce learning. For performance options, a script is also included that introduces each of the eight original songs.
“Sing and Play” these songs from around the world and watch as your students’ musicianship grows hand-in-hand with their understanding of our worldwide community. Including French, Native American, Indian, Japanese, Czech, Spanish, Caribbean, and African songs, this resource is overflowing with ensemble pieces for voices and pitched and non-pitched percussion. Mari makes introducing them easy by offering teaching suggestions as well as ideas to extend and adapt the music. Gorgeous performance tracks highlight arrangement options, offer audio examples, and assist with foreign texts. Printable vocal and instrumental scores featuring Alphanotes notation round out this must-have classroom collection.
Name the U.S. presidents in order and learn some interesting fun facts! Did you know the father of our country wore wooden teeth? Which president helped write the Declaration of Independence and played the cello? What president was known for his fireside chats with the American people? Who was a movie star before becoming president? Sing across the curriculum with familiar melodies set to new presidential lyrics. Choreography and reproducible lyric sheets are also included.
It’s time to get movin’! Bring your knees to your nose. Do a little ol’ soft shoe. Be a turkey. Make angels in the snow. Be President! Get ready to shimmy & shake and wiggle & giggle from the first day of school to the last. Here are twelve more seasonal songs from the popular “Hop ‘Til You Drop” series that will help you do just that! Present each song with helpful teaching tips, simple movement ideas and reproducible lyric sheets. Accompany your class with piano arrangements, or sing-along with John and a group of children singers.


Early Learning Tools: Cognitive Concepts
Earobics Literacy Launch is a research-based supplemental early literacy system designed to ensure that all students have the foundational skills they need to be strong readers. The software covers phonemic awareness, language enrichment, letters and sounds, decoding and spelling, as well as beginning reading and writing. By incorporating the latest research findings, the software enables teachers to provide the most effective strategies for literacy instruction and significantly improves student reading.
Earobics comes with customized professional development and continual support through in-class coaching, modeling and mentoring. Teachers can keep track of their students’ progress with screening tools and detailed printable data reports. The software also supports other languages, including Spanish and Arabic. Cognitive Concepts, Evanston, IL, (888) 328-8199, www.earobics.com.
This article originally appeared in the 11/01/2002 issue of THE Journal.


Stuart Davis is The Rye Arts Center’s featured Famous Artist for Spring 2016
Thursday, March 10 & Wednesday, March 16
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
STUART DAVIS (1892-1964) was an American painter whose works demonstrate the change from realism to abstraction that characterized modern art in the early twentieth century and continues to govern much artistic expression today. Influenced by fellow artists at home and in Europe, he experimented with recent artistic experiments like Cubism, brought to the United States from Europe in the groundbreaking Armory Show in New York in 1913. It was the post-war Jazz Age that brought Davis to his signature style of bright, bold paintings that mimicked the rhythms of these new musical forms. During the 1930s, he painted murals for the Federal Art Project, using the same large swaths of color that also appeared in the commercial advertisements he designed and that presaged Pop Art by thirty years. Throughout his life, Davis took an active interest in street life and mass culture, and he strove successfully to endow mundane objects such as eggbeaters and matchbooks with artistic dignity, detached from their utilitarian context.
Excerpts from jazz performances will be included with docents’’ materials
STUART DAVIS: IN FULL SWING: AN EXHIBITION AT THE WHITNEY MUSEUM: June 10th-September 25th
Famous Artists™ is designed to develop visual literacy in school-age children. Created in 1986, it serves both public and independent schools throughout the area. Professional art educators and art historians train parent docents to deliver interactive classroom presentations that enable students to experience the wonders of artistic creation and provide tools for students to evaluate and interpret visual art.
Here is what some of our participants have said about our Famous Artist Program:
Rena Hecht, Famous Artists Chair/PTA Vice President, Harrison Avenue School:
A fantastic, yet affordable enrichment program and the parent presenters, as well as the students, get so much out of it.
The fact that you time your choice of artists to when their work is being exhibited in the New York metropolitan area is fantastic. It gives families the opportunity to share in the students’ excitement about the artists by seeing the works in person.
Joanne O’Connor, Art Teacher, Chapel School & St. Joseph’s School Bronxville:
The Rye Arts Center’s docent program has been a wonderful way to have parents participate in the art education of their children. The children enjoy having the parent docents come into their classrooms, and the excellent training provided by the Rye Arts Center makes it all possible.
The training includes valuable information about the featured artist, as well as literature and classroom support material. We consider it a valuable part of our art curriculum!
Laurel Faintreny, Parent-Docent, French American School, Larchmont:
Every piece of information and training is very well prepared by the Famous Artists Team: from the inspiring meeting – well ahead of time, to the detailed material – focused equally on the docents and the students, everything is carefully prepared and thought of in order to provide a very interesting and enjoyable time for everyone!
The organizing team suggests that we work with a partner, another volunteer docent, which makes the whole preparation richer from the exchange you have with the other docent.
Posted on the Famous Artists Blogsite by parent-docent, Osborn School:
The children looked at one work of art by each artist, Alexander (Sandy) Calder and Joan Miro, and shared their ideas about the paintings. Then the mom/facilitator read them “Sandy’s Circus” — a story about Calder, his wire circus animals , and his invention of the mobile. Afterwards the children made a mobile together. Each child had the opportunity to pick his/her own animal stencil, draw it, cut it out, and decorate it. Now, the mobile is hanging in the classroom. Many of the children wanted to bring home duplicate cut-outs of the animal they chose. They did an amazing job and were all very excited about the project.


Title and Author: Emily’s Art by Peter Catalanotto
Field of Philosophy: Aesthetics
Plot Summary: A class of first grade students is involved in an art contest. The judge is the principal’s mother, who notes that her cousin is married to an artist. Looking at the paintings, the judge points out a painting she admires because of its “detail and amazing colors,” and observes that it is a beautiful rabbit. When she is informed that the painting is actually of a dog, the judge decides she does not like the painting after all because she hates dogs, and she chooses another painting as the contest winner.
Some discussion questions:
Is this judge qualified to judge an art contest?
What makes someone qualified to evaluate works of art?
Is the opinion of someone who knows very little about art as valuable as the opinion of someone who has pursued an art education?
If the judge in Emily’s Art says paintings of dogs are not art because she hates dogs, does that mean paintings of dogs are not art?
Is there some art that is art no matter what anyone says? If no one liked the Mona Lisa, would it still be art?
Does someone have to appreciate a work for it to be considered art? More than one person?
Does a work have to have beauty to count as art?


Lively Letters is a reading program that turns abstract letters and sounds into lively, colorful characters. Forty-four letters and letter combinations are embedded into colorful pictures that show students what to do with their mouths when making the letter sounds. The keys to this powerful program are:
- Embedded Letter Character Pictures
- Hand/Body Cues
- Oral Kinesthetic Cues
- Comical Mnemonic Stories
- Songs for the Letters
What does the Lively Letters Program teach?
The Lively Letters program trains students in the critical skills of:
- phonemic awareness
- speech production
The picture cards and, later, plain letters, are used in hands-on tracking activities to develop the phonemic awareness skills of blending, segmenting, and sound manipulation. Students progress through the program using various levels of words and materials to develop the ability to automatically sound out words for reading and spelling. The program continues into the upper levels of phonics instruction, including mnemonic techniques for reading and spelling multisyllable words.
Who is Lively Letters for?
The Lively Letters program is used throughout the US and globally as a supplement to the core reading curriculum in grades Pre-K - 2. It is also used as a powerful intervention program, quickly closing gaps for all types of learners and struggling students of all ages. The Lively Letters Program addresses the needs of students with various learning challenges, including the following:
- Students with various reading disabilities, including dyslexia
- Students with speech and language disorders
- Students with memory weaknesses
- Student learning English as a second language
What kind of Results can you expect?
Students trained with the Lively Letters program typically show improvements of 1.5 to 3 grade levels in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonetic decoding, and oral reading within several months. When implemented in the Response to Intervention model of instruction, schools implementing the program have reported a decrease in the number of students needing to be referred for intervention or special education services. To review the data, including pilot and case studies, visit Clinical Studies.
Lively Letter Boxed Picture Cards
Lively Letter Instructional Manual (3rd Edition)
Lively Letter Classroom-sized Cards
Lively Letter Mini Cards
Lively Letter Parents’ Guide
Lively Letter Sticker Sheets
Lively Letter Character Songs
Lively Letter Coloring Activity Book
Lively Letter Poem Book
Lively Letter Uppercase Book
Lively Letter Character Poster
Plain Letter Cards
Plain Letter Classroom-sized Cards
Plain Letter Mini Cards
Let’s Practice Reading with TLC Workbook


Weber State University Family Literacy ProgramIntroduction
The Weber State University Family Literacy Program is a Partnership between the Department of Child and Family Studies at Weber State University and the (see the news story here)Glasmann Family Literacy Endowment, The Ogden-Weber Community Action Partnership (Head Start), The Elizabeth Stewart Treehouse Museum, Deseret Industries, The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, and UBS USA Bank. The program is offered to both Spanish and English speaking families. The program was recently featured by KSL TV News as an effective program promoting literacy among children and families
The major focus of the Weber State University Family Literacy Program is to mentor and educate the parents of Head Start children so as to engage in literacy activities with their children. The vast majority of participants (over 94%) come from lower income backgrounds and over 75% identified themselves as Latino or Hispanic. The program provides education and mentoring on parental discipline and appropriate child guidance strategies. The program goes beyond what is traditionally done at Head Start which operates an early childhood education program.
In 1989, Weber State University received an endowment from the Glasmann Foundation to establish a project to enhance family literacy. The project was called the WSU-Standard Examiner Family Literacy Project. A partnership between Ogden City School District and the WSU Family Literacy project received a federal grant for "Project Even Start." This was the federal effort to address family literacy. Due to federal budget cuts, the Even Start Project was ended in June of 2007. The new partnership was initiated in August of 2007.
Previous research has identified four major benefits of family literacy programs: 1) children benefit through higher levels of literacy and academic achievement; 2) parents benefit through literacy development and parenting skills; 3) families benefit through greater emotional closeness and involvement in education; 4) society benefits through positively affecting health, nutrition, unemployment, poverty, and reduced risk-behaviors (Padak & Rasinki, 2000).
The program teaches parents culturally appropriate parenting strategies, focusing on daily literacy activities, visiting educational centers (i.e., library, Treehouse Museum), reducing punitive parenting practices, and increasing positive family interactions. These activities between parent and child lead to the development of additional benefits beyond emergent literacy skills including increased positive self-concept, self-regulation, social competence, better communication skills, and prosocial peer networks.
Results show major improvements in the parent’s daily literacy activities with their children and in the child's literacy abilities. Specifically, significant increases were identified in engaging with children in reading, storytelling, rhyming activities, letter and word identification, and many other literacy activities. Correspondingly, significant improvements were identified in the child’s literacy activities, including reading, involvement with reading a story with a parent, and independent reading. Parenting behaviors were also impacted in that significant gains were found in the establishment of routines, contributing to family work, appropriate limit setting, consequences for behaviors, and most importantly creating a special time for reading each day.


Date of this Version
Published (as Chapter 17) in Composing Our Future: Preparing Music Educators to Teach Composition, edited by Michele Kaschub & Janice P. Smith (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013), pp. 289–304. http://global.oup.com/academic/product/composing-our-future-9780199832293
The editors of this volume have asked me to describe our pre-service teacher education program that includes a concentration in music composition education. Naturally, I am pleased and flattered to do so. The considerable journey that we have begun at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to bring this program into being has been extremely rewarding, occasionally frustrating, and always remarkably challenging. Indeed, it remains rewarding, frustrating, and challenging today.
. . .
This narrative will address the set of practical questions that so often dominate discussions I have had about this curriculum when I have been asked to speak about it at professional meetings across the United States and abroad. These practical questions include:
1. Who should learn to teach music composition to children in K-12 settings?
2. Who should teach composition pedagogy to pre-service music education students?
3. Where can university students be placed for practicum experiences in K-12 settings?
4. What costs are attached to a composition pedagogy curriculum and how can university music schools and departments shoulder such costs, especially in times of diminishing funding and resources?
5. What role might university music schools play in working with local districts to create employment opportunities for music composition pedagogy specialists?
6. Are there other courses implied in such a curriculum besides a methods class in composition pedagogy and its companion practicum?
I invite the profession to consider ways, appropriate to the local contexts and constraints in which teacher-training programs may find themselves, to embrace the opportunities to equip pre-service music educators to become composer educators, and to expand the agenda of music education in the schools. Our children will nourish as these important learning opportunities expand.


Musical Training Improves Youth Brain Functions
New research provides hard evidence that community music programs can enhance brain function in at-risk children.
The Northwestern University study provides the first direct evidence that a community music program for at-risk youth has a biological effect on children’s developing nervous systems.
Researchers discovered two years of music lessons improved the precision with which the children’s brains distinguished similar speech sounds, a neural process that is linked to language and reading skills.
One year of training, however, was not associated with changes in the nervous system.
“This research demonstrates that community music programs can literally ‘remodel’ children’s brains in a way that improves sound processing, which could lead to better learning and language skills,” said study lead author Nina Kraus.
The paper is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Researchers say study is unique as it evaluated biological changes following participation in an existing, successful music education program.
Kraus, director of Northwestern’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, and her team collaborated with Harmony Project.
For more than a decade, Harmony Project has provided free music instruction to thousands of disadvantaged children from gang-reduction zones in Los Angeles. Children between the ages of 6 and 9 participated in the study.
The research team traveled to Los Angeles to evaluate them as they enrolled in Harmony Project’s programs and returned each summer for the following two years to evaluate them longitudinally.
“We used a quick but powerful neural probe that allowed us to gauge speech processing with unprecedented precision.
With it, we found that the brain changes only followed two years of music training,” Kraus said.
“These findings are a testament that it’s a mistake to think of music education as a quick fix, but that if it’s an ongoing part of children’s education, making music can have a profound and lifelong impact on listening and learning.”
Research from around the world has suggested links between music training, enhanced brain function and heightened language skills.
This is the first study, however, that uses random assignment to evaluate brain changes in collaboration with an existing and successful community music program that targets disadvantaged children.
Prior research had focused on individuals from affluent homes who received private lessons.
“Thanks to this finding, sustained music training is now an evidence-based method for closing the achievement gap between poor kids and their more advantaged peers,” said Margaret Martin, founder of Harmony Project.
Martin approached Kraus several years ago, having observed the positive impact that music was having on Harmony kids’ lives.
Since 2008, 93 percent of Harmony Project seniors have gone on to college despite dropout rates of 50 percent or more in their neighborhoods.
“Now we know this success is rooted, at least in part, in the unique brain changes imparted by making music,” Martin added.
“Biologically, you are what you do, and your past shapes your present,” Kraus said.
“Community interventions have the potential to instill salient benefits in children that can set them up for better learning in and out of the classroom.”
These findings provide biological backing for the large-scale implementation of these programs to promote child brain health and development.
Source: Northwestern University
Nauert PhD, R. (2015). Musical Training Improves Youth Brain Functions. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 5, 2016, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/09/04/musical-training-improves-youth-brain-functions/74483.html


Junior Guitar Course
(For 7- to 11-year-olds)
Children between the ages of seven and eleven are at the developmental stage where their logic and creative intelligence begin to flourish. As a result, they will enjoy physical and mental stimulation through reading and playing music. This course is the perfect solution to your child's need for self-expression in a fun and challenging way through music.
A Strong Foundation
As a student in the Junior Guitar Course, your child will be guided through a systematic and progressive syllabus developed by the Yamaha Music Foundation, Japan. Our proven curriculum will help your child learn the correct techniques in the playing of the guitar, and will train them to read music scores and charts the right way.
To showcase the skills achieved, we encourage our students to participate in concerts and competitions. Through such activities, they become more self-confident and willing to share their love of music with family, friends and the public.
The Right Preparation
With the training and guidance our instructors provide, your child may want to attempt an examination. If so, our instructors will make sure they go into the examination confident and, most importantly, prepared.
- Melody Playing
- Chord accompaniment / playing
- Note reading skills
- Basic 2-part solo playing
- Strum & sing
||7- to 11-year olds
|Form of lesson
||Group lesson of up to 8 children
|Duration of course
|Number of lessons
||11 lessons per term
|Course fee and schedule
||Go to course schedule page for information
- Upclose with Students
Students and graduates of Yamaha Music Education System and their learning experiences.
- Join us on Facebook
Connect with us to find out more about the Yamaha Music Education System and our activities.
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May I reassure Michele Hanson (A Certain Age, G2, 25 September) that, on the importance of music, she and I are singing from the same hymn sheet?
This government has strengthened music in schools – protecting core music funding of £80m, introducing a music module for trainee primary school teachers, creating a new qualified music educator qualification and opening 123 new music education hubs, across all local authorities.
As the chief executive of Arts Council England, Alan Davey, has said, these hubs will play a key role in ensuring that every child in the country has the chance to experience the richness of music.
We are protecting the Music and Dance scheme for the most talented pupils and expanding the highly successful In Harmony scheme in the poorest areas.
Based on the inspirational El Sistema programme in Venezuela, In Harmony provides intensive instrumental training to children from deprived backgrounds, teaching them to play in ensembles and orchestras.
Our National Music Plan gives all young people the opportunity to learn a musical instrument for at least a term, to sing regularly in choirs and vocal groups, and to play in ensembles and perform.
It is simply unfair that, for so long, the joy of music was the preserve of those whose parents could afford it. Under this government every child, regardless of background, will have an equal opportunity to discover music as an essential element of a rounded education, and a vital part of life.
Michael Gove MP
Secretary of state for Education


By Teachers, For Teachers
What makes a successful teacher? If you were to ask any observer you may hear things like, the teacher kept the students engaged via unique teaching strategies, and the classroom basically ran by itself. But, if you were to ask a student, you’d probably hear a different response along the lines of “they make learning fun” or “they never give up on me.”
To be honest, there are countless teaching strategies you can use to achieve success in the classroom, but no matter the teaching style, the most effective teachers have one thing in common—they know how to reach their students in a long-lasting, positive manner.
Here are 10 qualities that contribute to a successful and happy teaching career:
The most effective teachers expect their students to succeed, they believe in them, and motivate them to keep trying until they reach their goal. As a result, they set the bar high and create an environment where students can push themselves beyond their comfort zone to reach their goals, but also have a safety net to catch them if they fail.
If you ask a student who their favorite teacher is, they are more than likely to tell you about the teacher that makes them laugh. They aren’t afraid to be silly and can laugh at their own mistakes. Humor helps create that lasting impression.
The best teachers are masters in their subject area. They know their craft and never stop learning. They are curious, confident, and do not need a textbook to teach their students. They stay abreast of their subject and transfer their love of knowledge to their students.
Productive teachers think creatively and try and make classroom experiences exciting for students. They identify ways to leap outside of the educational norms and create experiences that are unexpected, unique, and ultimately more memorable.
A popular saying is, “If there is no risk, there is no reward.” Successful teachers know that risk-taking is a part of being successful. Children learn by observing, and when they see you try new things (and watch how you handle success and failure) they too will know how to handle similar situations.
Successful teachers are consistent in ALL that they do. Do what you say you’re going to do and stick with it. This applies to enforcing class rules, a consistent grading system, and the expectations for all your students. Do not play favorites or make special exceptions.
Effective teachers know that communication is the key to student success. They create an open path of communication between parents and students, and recognize that a united front between both groups lowers the chance that children will get left behind.
Great teachers take the time to explore new tools and stay up-to-date with latest technology. They are not afraid of what technology holds for education in the future, and are willing to learn and incorporate the new trends into their classroom.
This goes hand in hand with having a sense of humor, but making learning fun doesn’t mean you have to put on a comedy show. Find ways to mix up your lesson plans based upon your students’ interests. When they see you putting in effort to get to know them and mold your teachings around their lives, the more successful you will become.
The best teachers are patient with students, and understand when they are under stress or have problems with material. They do whatever is necessary to get their students back on track, and are able to recognize that everybody has bad days.
If you’re looking to take the next step in your teaching career, you can learn a lot from what successful teachers do differently. Although it can be quite intimidating to think of all of the things we must do in order to reach our students, it is possible to master these skills one day at a time.
What do you think makes a successful classroom teacher? Feel free to share the qualities and skills that you think are essential to reaching students in the comment section below. We would love to hear your thoughts.
Janelle Cox is an education writer who uses her experience and knowledge to provide creative and original writing in the field of education. Janelle holds a Master's of Science in Education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. She is also the Elementary Education Expert for About.com, as well as a contributing writer to TeachHUB.com and TeachHUB Magazine. You can follow her at Twitter @Empoweringk6ed, or on Facebook at Empowering K6 Educators.


ERIC Number: ED322284
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1990-Oct
Reference Count: N/A
Teaching Mathematics with Understanding to Limited English Proficient Students. Urban Diversity Series No. 101.
Secada, Walter G.; Carey, Deborah A.
This document provides research-based information to help school district personnel select appropriate mathematics education programs for their limited English proficient (LEP) elementary school students. A review of the mathematics education literature is discussed in the context of the reform movement in school mathematics. Two instructional programs for effectively teaching mathematics to LEP students, Active Mathematics Teaching (AMT) and Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI), are discussed in detail. Examples, using addition and subtraction problems, illustrate each program. Since teaching math in a student's native language may be more effective than limiting instruction to English, Spanish translations of examples are also included to demonstrate how simple presentation of problems can facilitate their solving. Recommendations are woven throughout the text and each section ends with a list of additional recommendations for teaching mathematics to LEP students. The following final recommendations are suggested: (1) choose and use manipulatives carefully; (2) manipulatives should support discussion about mathematics, not replace it; (3) activities should emphasize the mathematics content; (4) the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' document, "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards," provides specific recommendations for content that should be emphasized as well as deemphasized; (5) AMT has been proven effective for conveying large amounts of basic information that is well organized; (6) CGI shows promise for developing problem solving skills, higher order thinking, and enhancing student confidence; and (7) mathematics is too important for students' futures to be reduced to computations or omitted entirely. Five figures are included. A list of 72 references is appended. (FMW)
Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Curriculum Development, Elementary Education, Elementary School Mathematics, Limited English Speaking, Literature Reviews, Mathematics Curriculum, Mathematics Instruction, Teaching Methods
ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education, Box 40, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027.
Publication Type: Reports - Research; ERIC Publications
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Administrators; Teachers; Practitioners
Sponsor: Wisconsin Center for Education Research, Madison.; Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs (ED), Washington, DC.; Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.; National Science Foundation, Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education, New York, NY.; Columbia Univ., New York, NY. Inst. for Urban and Minority Education.
Identifiers: Active Mathematics Teaching


Say Hola to Spanish Otra Vez (Again!)
By Susan Middleton Elya
by Loretta Lopez
With its lively illustrations and humorous verse, this companion volume to the acclaimed Say Hola to Spanish makes language learning a fun activity for the whole family. The colorful format and pages packed with action will appeal to a child's sense of humor while fans of children's verse in the tradition of Dr. Seuss will appreciate the style and art of this engaging educational storybook.
For educator resources and ideas on how to teach Say Hola to Spanish Otra Vez (Again!) in the classroom, click here.
About the Creators
has written several children's books for LEE & LOW . She holds a degree in elementary education and has taught Spanish. A native of Urbandale, Iowa, Elya lives in Danville, California, with her husband and their three children. Visit her online at susanelya.com.
who was born in El Paso, Texas, earned a fine arts degree at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and now lives in New York City. Visit her online at lorettalopez.com.
About This Title
Interest Level:Grades K - 5
Reading Level:Grades 1 - 2
Colors, Five Senses / Body Parts, Latino/Hispanic/Mexican Interest, Bilingual, Beginning Concepts, Animals


School Librarian's Role in Reading Toolkit
Thirty seconds and 100-150 words
An effective elevator pitch generally answers questions such as:
- What the product, service, or project is.
- What it does for the buyer, investor, or sponsor (e.g. the benefits).
- Who you are and why you will be successful.
Designed to get a conversation started:
The bar for 21st-century literacy is set higher for today’s students than for any previous generation. We know that students, who are unmotivated to engage with texts, do not enjoy reading, or cannot read proficiently, will not make use of the rich array of resources available through our print-rich library programs. We increase students’ motivation and engagement of text through integrated literacy events and initiatives. As collection developers, we have the responsibility to offer an exciting selection of reading materials in all genres and formats. In partnership with classroom teacher colleagues, we integrate these resources into the taught curriculum. We also integrate reading comprehension strategy lessons into cotaught inquiry units to give students opportunities to develop as strategic, self-regulating readers and learners. Like all educators, SL must be involved in improving students’ proficiency, motivation, and enjoyment of reading. How can we strengthen our roles on our schools’ literacy teams? (151 words)
Classroom Teachers and Other Specialists
I am your partner in promoting reading and teaching literacy skills. There are many ways in which we can work together to positively impact students’ engagement with texts and improve their reading proficiency. We can collaborate to gear the monthly literacy events/school-wide literacy initiatives sponsored through the library program to the interests and needs of students and your classroom curriculum. When we plan for instruction, I will contribute ideas related to the wide variety of texts available in our library and beyond. Together, we can determine which reading comprehension strategies can help students improve their skills. We can coteach lessons in which we model strategies and jointly monitor students’ guided practice. We can give students more individualized attention. We can integrate strategy lessons into inquiry-based units so that students can practice strategic reading while engaging in authentic learning experiences. What concept will you be teaching next? When can we get together to do some planning? (Words 155)
Like you, I am concerned about our students’ reading proficiency. Some of our teachers do not see themselves as teachers of reading, but I do and that’s where I can help you and our school reach our goals for achievement in reading. Students must find relevance in what they read, and I’m committed to helping our teachers select the most engaging resources to teach their curricula. Students must be strategic readers in order to learn from library resources, to read the Web, to succeed in class, and in life. The strategies we coteach through the library program are 21st-century skills. I will work with our entire faculty to involve them in literacy initiatives and teaching reaching comprehension skills in order to ensure that students make meaning, think critically, and produce knowledge from the ideas and information with which they interact. For my evaluation this year, will you observe me coteaching reading comprehension during an inquiry unit? (Words 156)
Being an engaged, proficient reader is critical to your child’s/student’s success in school as well as in life. To that end, the library is open before and after school and during lunch in order to give students the greatest possible access to the rich resources in our collection and beyond. In addition to reading and checking out books, students come to the library for a wide variety of purposes. They access the Internet, download and complete homework, conduct small group work, meet friends, and play educational games. The literacy events held throughout the year are designed to increase students’ engagement with texts and ideas. Middle school/high school/college-level reading will require that youth make meaning from increasingly sophisticated texts. I coteach reading comprehension with classroom teachers so that students can practice these strategies while exploring classroom curriculum. I will be responsible for evaluating some of your child’s/student’s work as well. What questions do you have about our library program? (158 Words)
O'Leary, Chris. 2009. "Elevator Pitch 101." Elevator Pitch Essentials. < http://www.elevatorpitchessentials.com/essays/ElevatorPitch.html> (accessed October 11, 2009).
Wikipedia. 2009. "Elevator Pitch." < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_pitch> (accessed October 11, 2009).