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Integrating Art.British Columbia Art Teachers Association,Vancouver.ISSN-0710-074491

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British Columbia Art Teachers' Association,Provincial Specialist Association of the BCTF,100-550 West Sixth Avenue, Vancouver, BritishColumbia V5Z 4P2, Canada.Collected Works Serials (022) ReportsDescriptive (141) Guides Non-Classroom Use (055)BCATA Journal for Art Teachers; v31 nl May 1991

MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.*Art Education; Elementary Secondary Education; FineArts; Foreign Countries; Freehand Drawing;*Integrated Curriculum; *Interdisciplinary Approach;Language Arts; Music Activities; Science Activities;Social Studies; Thematic Approach; Visual Arts

IDENTIFIERS Canada; Masks

ABSTRACTThese articles focus on art as a component of

interdisciplinary integration. (1) "Integrated Curriculum and theVisual Arts" (Anna Kindler) considers various aspects of integrationand implications for art education. (2) "Integration: The NewLiteracy" (Tim Varro) illustrates how the use of technology canfacilitate cross-curricular integration. (3) "Secrets in the Garden"(Gail Duthie) presents five lesson plans from a theme unit on foodand botany. These link art, language arts, and science throughhands-on science activities. (4) "Connecting Commonalities" (SharonMcCoubrey) gives a visual model, example, and explanation of what anintegrated unit might look like. (5) "Integration" (Kit Grauer)presents further implications for the arts and integrateddisciplines. (6) "Masks, an Integrated Theme Unit" (Pamela Wallis)includes lesson plans that involve art/language arts, music,movement, mime, social studies, and mathematics/science in theintegrating theme. The last article (7) "Drawing in the IntegratedCurriculum" (Boh Steele) presents drawing as a basic language andform of representation that has application in all subject areas.(mm)

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JOURNAL FOR ART TEACHERS

Volume 31 Number 1May 1991

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Integrating ArtBEST COPY AVAILABLE

British Columbia Art Teachers AssociationVolume 31 Number 1 May 1991 Journal Editor: Sharon McCoubrey

BCATA, Provincial Specialist Association of the BCTF105 2235 Burrard Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 3H9

INTEGRATING ART

Contents

3 EDITOR'S VIEWSharon McCoubrey

5 INTEGRATED CURRICULUM AND THE VISUAL ARTSDr. Anna Kindler

8 INTEGRATION: THE NEW LITERACYTim Varro

10 SECRETS IN TIE GARDENGail Duthie

17 CONNECTING COMMONALITIESSharon McCoubrey

23 INTEGRATIONKit Grauer

28 MASKS, AN INTEGRATED THEME UNITPamela Wallis

41 DRAWING IN THE INTEGRATED CURRICULUMBob Steele

ISSN 0710 - 0744

The BCATA Journal for Art Teachers is an official publi-cation of the British Columbia Art Teachers Association.The opinions expressed in the journal are those of theauthors and do not necessarily reflect the views of theeditors or the association.

ILLUSTRATION CREDITS

The elementary art works in this journal were created by the Grade 5students taught by Marg Boyd at Quigley Elementary School in SchoolDistrict 23, Central Okanagan. The students were working with thetheme The Environment when they drew these images.

The secondary art works in this journal were created by the studentstaught by Kathie Smith at Summer land Secondary School in SchoolDistrict 81, Summer land.

The picture on the cover of this journal was created by Carol Johnson,a student in the Education Program at Okanagan College.

2

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The Year 2000 Programs have resurrected a topic already familiar to art education, thatof INTEGRATION. As renewed attention is given to this structure of curriculum delivery,we may also encounter the words: interrelated, cross-curriculuar, interdisciplinary, orcorrelated.

Integration has a variety of applications in education. It can refer to the internalassimilation in the mind of the learner of what has been learned; or to the integration ofspecial needs students into the regular classroom, or to the combining of the 4 areas of theFine Arts; or to the joining of school life with the student's own life; or to the connectionsmade between school and the community; or to the connecting of the various subject areas.This journal deals primarily with the latter application, interdisciplinary integration.

Do we want integration? Will it be beneficial to art education or will it be a distructiveforce? If one agrees with the philosophy of integration, how can it be put into practice? Arethere different ways to implement integration? This journal offers discussions andexamples that might provide some answers to these questions.

Anna Kindler and Kit Grauer prompt us to consider many different aspects ofintegration and its possible ir plications to art education. Tim Varro illustrates how theuse of technology can facilitate cross-curriculuar integration. Connecting Commonalitiessuggests one option for implementing integration at all grade levels, including secondaryschool. Drawing, as Bob Steele explains, is a basic language and form of representationthat has application in all subject areas.

Several specific examples of lesson plans from integrated theme units are provided byRuth Duthie and Pam Willis.

I trust these examples and discussions will stir some thinking, broaden some perspec-tives, and stimulate some enthusiasm for yet another aspect of student learning and arteducation, that of INTEGRATION.

Sharon McCoubrey, Editor

3

INTEGRATED CURRICULUMAND THE VISUAL ARTS

by: Dr. Anna M. Kindler

The Year 2000 Primary Pro-gram Foundation Document listsintegration as one of the under-lying principles of the curricu-lum. The concept of integrationis seen as a means to promotelearning in a holistic manner andto assure that the outcomes of theeducational process constitute ameaningful whole. The integra-tion is perceived as instrumentalin assisting children to makebridges between the curriculumand life, as well as making con-nections across the curriculum.Before the Year 2000 mandate ofcurriculum integration can be im-plemented in a meaningful way,it is, I believe,necessary to clarifyand reflect on several issues in-strumental to the success of thisapproach.

First, it is imperative to de-fine the meaning of the word"integration" in terms of educa-tional practice. Second, it is nec-essary to carefully consider whatconstitutes the entities tha t are tobe involved in the integrationprocess. Third, it is useful to as-sess the state of readiness of teach-ers for the upcoming change,both in terms of attitudes aridprofessional prepartion foradopting the integrated ap-proach. Fourth, several questionsabout practicality, day to dayteaching, and planning of inte-grated curriculum need to beanswered. As a university art

educator and art teacher wholeft the public school system lessthan two years ago, I will try inthis article to address these ques-tions both in the broad sense andin terms of how the possible an-swers bear on the practice ofteaching and learning in art inelementary schools.

The definition of the conceptof "integration" is important, asthere is overwhelming evidencethat this term lends itself to avariety of interpretations. Un-fortunately, some of those inter-pretations can be very detrimen-tal to the educational value andintegrity of a curriculum. In thepast, there have been many at-tempts to ievelop school pro-grams around the idea of inte-gration. Some date back to theProgressive era of 1920's 1940's,some are as recent as five or tenyears ago. In 1987, I conducted astudy concerned with the topicof integration and the visual arts.I reveiwed over si:,ty articlesdescribing what was labeled asintegrated, interrelated, andmulti-disciplinary programs. Inmost of those writings, I couldeasily find a rationale statementsimilar in nature to the one of-fered in the Year 2000 Document.However, the question of whatintegration means was rarelyanswered.

The Webster New CollegiateDictionary includes several en-tries under the heading of inte-gration. One of them defines in-tegration as a process of "bring-ing together" two or more enti-ties. I find this definition quiteunsatisfactory in terms of its ap-plicability to educational prac-tice. As much as it implies com-bining two or more subject ma t-ter areas in a lesson or a unit ofinstruction, it does little in .)ro-viding guidelines for what mighthappen within the new er tity.According to that definition, asymbol for curriculum integra-tion may he tha t of a happy cou-ple holding hands together in amerry dance. It can, however,also be that of a snake swallow-ing a mouse. In both cases, the"bringing together" requirementis certainly fulfilled. Unfortu-nately, many of the programsexperimented with in the past,mirrored the second image. Itbecame almost a tradition thatthe visual arts were introducedinto another subject matter areato reinforce or enhance learningin language arts, sciences, etc.The rationale for the inclusion ofthe arts was an extrinsic one,pointing to the usefulness of artsin other curriculum strands. Thegoals, objectives, and value ofeducation in the arts seemed tobe totally disregarded. The titlesof some integrated programs,such as the Learning to Read

5

Through the Arts program, im-plied the servant role of the arts.It is not my intention to arguethat art activities cannot or shouldnot be employed to reinforcepoints made in other subjectmatter areas. It is rather to saythat, for obvious reasons, the"snake and mouse" model is notthe one to follow.

The same dictionary offersyet another definition of integra-tion, which, when applied in edu-cational practice, would helpfulfill, in my opinion, the trueexpectations of the Year 2000mandate. Integration is definedthere as ''incorporation asequals", or "bringing into com-mon and equal membership".The acceptance of this definitionallows for breaking away fromthe tradition of using the visualarts for some extrinsic purposes.It raises the status of the visualarts from that of a servant to thatof a partner: the "dancing cou-ple" model. The arts can still playa vital role in reinforcing learn-ing in other areas. This time, how-ever, learning in the arts is alsobeing considered. This model ofintegration requires teachers toregard the educational objectivesof all contributing domains increating an integrated unit, or inlesson planning. It ensures thatin addition to learning to readthrough the arts, studen's arealso learning in the arts (maybeeven learning about arts throughreading?).

The definition of integrationthat implies true partnership of

ral curriculum domains re-gal, es specificiation of what isthe content of each of the contrib-uting parts. The mistreatment

6

that the visual arts in schoolshave suffered from in the past is,I believe, partially due to thelack of consensus within the field,as well as the lack of under-standing outside the field, aboutwhat constitutes art education.Therefore, it is imperative toclarify that art education is con-cerned with more than the de-velopment of creativity, self-ex-pression, an d artisticexperimentaion; concepts whichdo not lend themselves to pre-cise, clear-cut definitions. Speci-fication of the goals, objectives,and content of art education is,in my opinion, a preconditionfor meaningful incorporation ofthe visual arts into othercirriculurn strands.

The B.C. Art CurriculumGuides provide great helpclarifying those issues. The prob-lem remains, however, how tospread the word across the teach-ing profession.? It is safe to as-sume that art teachers and artspecialists are not only familiarwith, but also competent to ad-dress in their teaching the manyareas of art edcaution that leadto visual literacy, in terms ofability to actively participate inart as well as respond to it. How-ever, will an art specialist al-ways be present in planning in-tegrated curriculum at both pri-mary and intermediate levels?

This brings us to the consid-eration of the third point: Whowill carry on the process of inte-gration? Several scenarios canbe conceived. The one that isclosest to reality in primarygrades requires a classroomteacher to assume the role of "thelonely integrator". Many pri-

mary teachers do not have theluxury of an art specialist's as-sistance and given the time,schedule, and financial con-straints, decisions about whatand how to integrate have to bemade by one person. Therefore,it is externely important that aprimary classroom teacher isadequately equipped to make

ich decisions.

The Year 2000 reform at-tributes great significance in thecurriculum to the fine arts. Thefine arts, including the visualarts, are indicated as one of fourfundamental curriculumstrands. For many art educators,this seems like a dream cometrue after decades of neglect andtimes when arts were consid-ered a frill. The new claim has tobe followed, however, by appro-priate changes in teacher educa-tion programs. Such programsshould provide time and oppor-tunity for teachers-to-be to un-derstand the rationale for the artsin the curriculum, to reflect uponthe role of art in a society, tobecome familiar with and com-petent in the requirements ofcontemporary art education.Many prospective classroomteachers come to teacher educa-tion programs without any artbackground, and often withmany misconceptions aboutwhat art in schools should be.One rushed methods course thatmany educational institutionsmandate is hardly enough toachieve those objectives.

Also, many practicing teach-ers who entered the professionlong before anyone heard aboutDiscipline-Based Art Educationor seriously considered educa-

tion in aesthetic perception andrasponse, need to review theirpositions and update theirknowledge and skills beforemeaningful integration of visualarts with other curriculumdomians can take place. If inte-gration of the visual arts in theprimary curriculum is to meanmore than drawing red hearts onValentine's Day and sticking cot-ton balls on a silhouette of abunny for Easter, classroomteachers need to be better versedin the area of art eduation.

More cooperation betweenteachers with a wide range ofexpertise can certainly be ex-pected in the intermediategrades. If one begins with theassumption that one person canhardly be an expert in all cur-riculum areas at the tenth gradelevel, some model of team-plan-ning and team-teaching seemsclearly a necessity. The interestsof art education can be bettersecured by the presence of artteachers or art specialists in theclassroom. However, the waysin which consultations, planning,and coordination of the inte-grated curriculum are to happenon a day to daybases still need tobe clarified.

My experience as a teacherwho has been :nvolved in anintegrated curriculum project fora period of four years indicatesthat the time factor becomesextemely important. Integratedcurriculum planning requireshours of cooperative work, dis-cussions, and learning about thediscipines that are to converge.,It is a time consuming projecteven for the ideal team of teach-ers who all are dedicated and

highly enthusiastic about theventure, as well as respectful to-wards and willing to learn in theareas other than their ownspecialty. The demands of thetask increase immensely wheneven one of the cooperatingteachers is territorial about his orher subject of expertise or whenthere is a personality conflictwithin the team. With an abun-dance of release time, flexiblescheduling of classes, and a greatnumber of teachers with exper-tise in a variety of areas to choosefrom within each school, thesemight hardly be consideredobstables to the process of inte-gration. The reality, however, isalways less than the ideal, and itis important that teachers ap-proach this issue with realisticexpectations.

There are many other factors,such as the methods of evalua-tion of the integrated curriculumthat should be discussed in thecontext of curriculum integra-tion and the visual arts. They are,however, beyond the scope ofthis article. It has been my inten-tion to point to some importantissues, understanding and con-sideration of which are, in myopinion, essential in the contextof the Year 2000 reform. It maybe worth noting that the ideas ofcurriculum integration is not anew one. It can be compared to awave that is quite potent when ithits the shore, but soon becomeslittle nore than wet tr aces on thesand. The poor record of its longterms survival in any particularsetting certainly indicates thatthe idea of curricu- n integra-tion is not a worry free one.

The integration of thecirriculum in B.C. will not hap-pen by itself, born of philosophi-cal assumptions and wishfulthinking. It will require a greatdeal of dedication and enthusi-asm, but also a great deal of rea-son, wisdom, and the ability tolearn from the shortcomings ofthe past attempts. It will requirecareful planning and assessmentof pilot projects, an efficient dis-semination of knowledge, un-derstindir._ . patience and time.With the integration mandate forprimary grades already in effectand the plans for the intermedi-ate program to follow in the verynear future, I feel that I am awitness to a great experiement.It is a very importantexperiement given its scope andpossible implications. I hope thatcareful considerations of the is-sues outline in this article canhelp to make it a successfulexperiement.

REFERENCES

Kindler, A.M. 1987 A Review ofRationales for Integrated ArtsPrograms. STUDIES IN ARTEDUCATION. 29:1. 52-60. SR

Anna Kindler is an Art Educa-tion Instructor at UBC.

7

INTEGRATION:THE NEW LITERACY

by: Tim Varro

If you agree that technologyis a systematic treatment of anart, then it seems reasonable tobelieve that artists have alwaystaken advantage of technology.In today's society, we are quicklybecoming accustomed to newinventions, forms of communi-cation, and various other tech-nological breakthroughs. (K.Hellyer, C. Rolland 1990). Whilemost newer technologies havebeen, for the most part, expen-sive and far beyond the budgetsof most art programs, they arequickly declining in price, andbecoming available to moreschools and programs. These af-fordable technologies have inpast included photography,filmmaking, video production,computer animation, slidephotgraphy, copy-art, and manyforms of computer generatedgraphics.

These technologies can be theavenue through which integra-tion can happen, facilitating theconnection of various areas ofstudy for students.

The way these technologiescan be integrated into your pro-gram and school is dependenton your individual situation. Asan art teacher interested in con-temporary forms of visual com-munication and the unique meth-ods of creation implied by theevolution of these technologies, Iwill describe some activities un-dertaken at our school in rela-tion to integration of technology,

8

art, and the school curriculum.The aims of our Art program inFilmstudies 11, 12, T.V. Produc-tion 12, and, to some degree,Stagec;aft 11, 12, is to developcritical and responsive attitudestowards film, television, theatreand stagecrafts, and to producestudents with the ability to con-ceive, execute, and disseminatefilm, television and stage projectswith sophistication, technicalskill and meaningful content. Forthe students who major in thisprogram, there is training in pro-duction planning, film criticism,history and theory During theschool year, the students are ex-pected to put theories into prac-tice in one of four ways. Theymust work on a two day, "LiveStudio/Audience" shoot of ourown T.V. show called "StayTuned", or pick one of three pro-ductions that are integrated di-rectly into other curriculum ar-eas.

This year, the three integratedprojects are well underway. Thefirst is a promotional productiondealing with the Burnaby SchoolDistrict Career Preparation Pro-grams; the second is a documen-tary of Burnaby North Second-ary's Access Program for the disa-bled; and the third project is alarge scale production of the lifeof Robert Burnaby.

The final project has takenthe Social Studies, English, HomeEconomics, and Art Departmentstwo years in preproduction plan-

ning and is beginning to looklike something from "HollywoodNorth". The principle photogra-phy date is set for April 8, allow-ing a large film crew armed witha 24 page, 8 scene, 13th draftscript to begin an 8 10 dayshooting schedule. The locationsselected for this project will takethe cast crew, and three teachers,to places such as Heritage Vil-lage (Burnaby), Burnaby LakeCates Park (N Drth Vancouver),U.B.C. Museum of Anthropol-ogy and Irving House (NewWestminster). This enormousproject has become a celebrationof learning, and a time to explorethe opportunities that arise whenaesthetics and techology merge.For many of our students whomay, as a result of our culturebecoming saturated by technolo-gies, be familiar with the specif-ics of how to use technology, it isimportant to teach them to ap-proach technology as it becomesintegrated across the curriculumwith some degree of depth, andsome level of literacy. The newliteracy. vs

Tim Varro is an Secondary ArtTeacher in the Burnaby SchoolDistrict.

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SECRETS IN THE GARDEN

by Gail Duthie

Editor's Note: The lesson plans included here are onlyaportion of the complete theme11 n it droeloped by Gail Duthie.

INTRODUCTION

Secrets In The Garden is an integrated unit linking Art, Language Arts and Science through a hands-onScience activity. Food is always a good stimulus and motivator and the class could make popcorn. If theteacher were to ask what would happen if we planted the corn instead of popping it, I'm sure interest andexperiements would follow. It would be hoped students could also planta class garden and take a fieldtrip to a major garden.

The art component of this theme is discipline based in that it is designed to help students gain a historicperspective to the garden theme in art, respond to its artistic qualities, make some reasoned judgernentsand create their own art based on the garden theme.

Throughout the unit, I would read to the class selections from The Secret Garden by Frances H. Burnett.This is a wonderful children's classic which I discovered while putting this theme together.

I anticipate the unit taking two to three months and it would be best done in the spring term.

OUTLINE

Science: Starting From Seeds is an experiment-based unit on-going througout the garden theme.

Lesson 1 Emphasis and ImaginationLesson 2 Patterns in NatureLesson 3 Points of ViewLesson 4 MagnificationLesson 5 Texture and Styrofoam Prints

SCIENCE UNIT STARTING FROM SEEDS

Objectives: The student will: collect data and organize informationidentify and control variables

- make and test hypotheses

10

PREPARATION:

Gather: vermiculite, popping corn, dried kidney beans, plastic containersOrder film Children's Gardens and videos My Urban Garden, The Vacant Lot and Tara's Mulch Garden.

EXPLORATION

Possible questions to initiate experiments:

ACTIVITY

Will plants grow in the dark?Will plants grow upside down?Will plants grow while spinning?Will plants grow in water only?Will plants grow in salt water?Will plants grow in the fridge?

The students will design and perform a series of experiments over a two month period while workingin partners.

ENRICHMENT EXTENSIONS.

1. Graph the results of plant growth.2. Visit UBC Botanical Garden or Van Dusen Gardens.3. Plant a class garden in a courtyard or a corner of one student's yard.4. A metaphor is a comparion between two dissimilar things. Think of ways that stories and seeds are

similar. Write a paragraph trying to make your readers understand what a story is through seeddescriptions.

LESSON I EMPHASIS AND IMAGINAT=I

Objectives:

The student will:

recognize the difference between botanical drawings and imaginative images.recognize that imagination is an artistic quality.understand that artists use line, shape, colour and tone to create emphasisuse the elements to create a centre of interest in their own imaginative paintings.

PREPARATION

Collect botanical drawings and reproductionsTangled Garden - J.E.H. MacDonald Art Image 1.10Pont au-dessus - Claude Monet Art Image 1.12Iris - Van Gogh Art Image 4.24Iris enlargement - Van Gogh Art Image 4.29Arrange to visit a nearby barden.Art Supplies =paint palettes, water containers, cartridge paper, brushes, boards or a hard surface, papertowels.

11

2

EXPLORATION

1. Discuss the importance of making exact drawings of the stages of plant growth in Scienceexperiments.

2. IntrDduce the terms botany, botanists, botanical and relate them to the students experiments withplants.

3. View and discuss the botanical drawings.4. Tell the students that artists also draw and paint plants and gardens but they use theL lagination

to create their own images.5. View and discuss the reproductions. Be sure students understand the difference between a

reproduction and an original work of art.6. Discuss:

How are the plants in this garden different from thcse in botanical drawings?How does this garden make you feel? Why?Describe the garden. When do you think the artists wanted to emphasize in this garden? Howhas he made this the focal point of his painting? (line, shape, colour, tone)Look closely at the artist's brush strokes. How do you think he used his brush to create hispainting?Explain why you like or dislike this work of art.

ACTIVITY

1. Have students select an area of a garden to use as an inspiration for their painting. They canincorporate other views or scenes from their imagination.

2. Have students create a focal point by emphasizing one area of their painting through line, shape,colour, tone, intensity.

ENRICHMENT EXTENSIONS

1. Write a Haiku or cinquain poem to go with your garden painting.2. Research Van Gogh, J.E.H. MacDonald or Monet and report back to the class.3. Make a collage using collected garden materials. (e.g. a bird made of leaves and twigs or a face made

of flower petals.)4. Plan and make an indoor garden in a terrarium.

EVALUATION

1. Display and view all student work.2. Have students identify how line, shape, and colour have been used to achie ve emphasis.3. Have students select works which they consider imaginative and explain why.

12

laSSON 2 PATTERNS IN NATURE I

OBJECTIVES

The student will: view and identify line and pattern in nature.practice using line, pattern and colour to make an oil pastel resist.

PREPARATION

Collect fruit and vegetables (whole and halved), honey combs, leaves, flowers, sunflowers, poppies.Gather pictures or slides depicting patterns e.g. dandelions, spider webs, tomatoes.Art Supplies: coloured construction paper, sketchbooks, black tempera paint, brushes, pastels, chalk.Order the video Conservatory

EXPLORATION

1. View and discuss the pictures of patterns in nature.2. Have the students suggest other places patterns are found e.g. clothing, machinery, architecture,

wallpaper...3. Examine the exterior of fruit or vegetables discussing shape, texture and colour.4. Have the students predict what the interior will be like.5. Cut in half and examine pattern and sketch in sketchbook. Repeat for several fruit and vegetables.6. View the video Conservatory noting design and colour in plants.

ACTIVITY

1. Students will draw an assortment of whole and halved fruits and vegetable,J in chalk on colouredconstruction paper using varying line thickness, views and overlapping.

2. Apply pastel in solid areas and patterns without covering the chalk lines and leaving some areasuncovered.

3. Check the completed pastel composition for -variety of colour, repetition of colour, pattern, texture,varied open spaces and uncoloured paper, and solid application pastel before applying tempera.

4. Brush black tempera paint over the oil pastel composition.

EVALUATION

1. Display and discuss the student work.

Can you identify a radial design in this piece? (Repeat for spiral, hexagonal, linear, branching.)Are the colours realistic or imaginative?Can you identify a piece in which the design is pleasing? What makes it pleasing to you? Is thereoverlapping? Are the background areas interesting?

ENRICHMENT EXTENSIONS

1. Set up several microscopes so that students can examine and draw patterns found in magnified images,(e.g. a leaf skeleton, fern spores...)

2. Use a design from nature in an applique stitchery.

3. Write concrete poety in the shape of an object. The pattern of words makes the design.

13

[LESSON 3 POINT OF VFW]

OBJECTIVES

The students willput themselves into the place of a garden object and write a paragraph from that object's point of view.draw a sketch of the garden from the object's point of view.

PREPARATION

Arrange a field trip to a nearby prden.Art Supplies: sketchbooks, pencils, lined paper, pencil crayons, felt pens, viewfinders.

EXPLORATION

I. Gather the students together in the garden and tell them they are g,oing to walk in the garden bythemselves until they find an object that they feel drawn toward. They are to "become" that object.

2. They will write a paragraph telling what they see, hear, feel, smell, including emotions and reactions.3. They may begin with "I am a fern, rock, fireweed, etc. (This is usually a very personally revealing

writing assignment).4. Discuss what things the object would have to contend with, wind, rain, insects, gardeners...5. Discuss how things might look different from the object's point of view.

ACTIVITY

1. Students create an image in words (a paragraph) depicting life in the garden.2. They sketch the garden from the object's point of view.3. On returning to the classroom have students use a viewfinder (2 'L' shapes) to select part of their image

to redraw so-that it makes a stronger communication.4. Encourage students to elaborate through adding detail and colour to their image.5. Complete the writing process (editing, proof-reading, publishing) with the paragraphs.

WRITING PROCESSideadraftrevise/editre-writepublish

EVALUATION

ARTING PROCESSideasketchdesign /editre-drawexhibit

1. Display all written and art work with a title "The Many Views of a Garden", or "Another Point ofView".

2. Presentation Time: Have the students read their paragraphs aloud showing accompanying illustra-tions.

3. Dicuss:How has the author/illustrator made us feel the work is from the object's point of view.How has this been emphasized in the illustration?What changes did you make in your sketch to make it stronger?How is this viewpoint different from another object's?

ENRICHMENT EXTENSIONS

1. Work in groups to dramatize the garden coming alive, a tableau form.2. Rewrite your paragraph as a poem.3. Create a garden mobile depicting objects found in a garden.4. Read excerpts from Beatrix Potter's Journal. She wrote the Tale of Peter Rabbit and other well know

stories. Find her point of view on many nature related subjects. Begin a journal of your own.14

LESSON 4 MAGNIFICATION AND SELECTION

OBJECTIVES

The students will:

take part in a guided imagery.view and respond to reproductions of Georgia O'Keeffe's flowersidentify use of selection, magnification, colour, shape.create a magnified painting of a flower, leaf, cactus, berry...using the primary coloursand white.

PREPARATION

Collect reproductions of Georgia O'Keeffe's flowers and a photo of Georgia O'Keeffe herself.Gather a variety of silk and real flowers, photos of flowers, leaves, cactus, berries, etc.Art Supplies: sketchbooks, pencils, 18" X 24" paper, temera paint (primary colours plus black and white)brushes.

EXPLORATION

1. Guided Imagery -Students will "see" pollination from the inside of a flower.

IMAGERY EXERCISE:Sit comfortably and relax.See yourself inside a flower as it begins to open.Feel the sun's rays.See its brightness as the petals stretch and curl apartExamine the inside of the flower closely.Smell its fragrance.Climb to the top of the petal and look at the view.Hear the sound of a hummingbird approaching.Dodge the narrow beak as it searches for sweet nectar inside the flower.Feel powdery pollen grains dusting you as the bird moves away to other flowers.Watch as some of the grains fall into the pollen tube.Listen as they tumble down the -tube to the egg cell.Reach down in...feel the egg cells inside mixing with the pollen.Pull one out and examine it closely.Watch it grow into a new seed.See yourself returning to the classroom.When I count to ten, open your eyes.

2. Allow time to share experiences and debrief.3. Tell students they are going to see some paintings that may be like the flowers they found themselves

inside.4. View and discuss the reproductions.

- What do you see in this painting?- How is this flower different from other flowers you have seen?- Why do you think the artist painted it so large?-Describe the shapes the artist used.-What colours has the artist used and how do you think she mixed them.

1 5

5. Review mixing colours from primary colours and mixing tints and shades.6. Have students experiment with both imaginative and realistic images in their sketchbooks until they

feel comfortable with one to enlarge.

ACTIVITY

1. Students choose either a realistic or imaginative flower to enlarge on 18" X 24" paper.2. They mix their own tempera colours and paint the enlarged image.3. Choose a title for their painting.

ENRICHMENT EXTENSIONS

1. Write a story along the idea of the movie "Mother, I Shrunk the Kids" or "The Day I Shrank".2. Cut apart a large flower and examine its parts. Make a model or diagram of the parts of a flower.3. Research Georgia 0"Keeffe and report back to the class.4. Flower Power! Find new uses for flowers, such as eating edible flowers, make a pot pourri, air-dry

bunches of flowers.

EVALUATION

1. Display all paintings with title and artist.2. Do students feel differently about flowers now?3. Have they used colour, shape and form to effectively create a magnified image?4. Do illustrations show an understanding of flower parts? (stamen, pistil, petal.)5. Can students offer reasons as to why an image may be realistic or imaginative? IM

Gail Duthie teaches at Maple Lane Elementary School in Richmond.

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,5

CONNECTINGCOMMONALITIES

by Sharon McCoubrey

Will we ever clear the muddied waters of integration? The many different interpretations ofintegration and the many valid concerns about integration keep the waters agitated and murky.

Perhaps the solution to this dilema is in not seeking concensus on the topic of integration, but inclearing the wa ters individually. Each educator could examine the options, then implement integrationin a way that is suitable for one's teaching situation. The option of integration that is presented here isthat of Connecting Commonalities.

Of the various applications of integration, the inte. .)retation that shall be used in this discussion isinterdisciplinary, that is integrating or bringing together the various subjects that are taught in school.

One common way to bring subjects together is through a theme study. A chosen topic, such as Whales,becomes the hub to which the subjects are connected. Thematic integration is an exciting and effectivelearning situation for many students. One possiblP pitfall of a thematicunit is superficiality, which mayresult from forcing irrelevant connections to the topic. Integration is more than singing songs that havewhales in the lyrics and doing math facts that have been printed on whale shaped pieces of paper

An option of integration that presents a deeper, more significant teaming of the subjects, and that hassuitable application for students of all ages, is connecting commonalities. This approach to integrationis achieved by identifying a concept or a process that exists within a subject, and that is common to othersubjects. This common concept presents an overlap of the subjects. An example of such a concept mightbe PATTERNS. How are patterns part of art, of science, of language arts, of music? Examining Patternsin the context of these different disciplines would certainly lead to a clear understanding of the idea ofpatterns, but would also lead to a greater awareness of the insights of art, science, language arts, or music.The chosen concept, such as Patterns, becomes the lens through which the various subjects are viewed.These cross-curricular connections can help the student see more clearly an idea that is important to eachsubject.

These visual models reveal the subtle but crucial difference between integration by tieing subjects toa theme, and integration by connecting commonalities.

Thematic Unit

PracticalArts

SocialStudies

PhygicalEducation

Pointof

View

Mimic

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ConnectingCommmonaliti es

Many teachers have been reluctant to give integration a try because of valid concerns aboutsuperficiality or because of the fear that Art will have the role of handmaidento other subjects as it servesonly to decorate projects. Many teachers do not want to sacrifice any araount of subject matter coverage,or to 'water-down' the content of a subject. These problems do not need to be the inevitable outcomes ofintegration. Connecting commonalities accommodates teaming, of subjects while still retaining thedistinctiveness of each discipline. The unique qualities of the descrete subjects must be recognized,valued and preserved. Each subject has its own body of knowledge, history, vocabulary, rules, frame ofreference, and representations. School experiences should help students recognize thesedistinctions."Students cannot fully benefit from interdisciplinary studies until they acquire a solidgrounding in the various disciplines that interdisciplinarity attempts to bridge." (Jacobs, 1989)To ensure that art does not take on a secondary, subservient role, specific art learning outcomes orobjectives must be ide-Atified for each and every activity. Even though an activity in a classroom mayappear to be a meshing of many subjects, the teacher must identify the art learning' or 'science learning'or math learning' that is made available to the students because of that activity. Perhaps the regular swingof the pendulum from embracing integration to abandoning integration would be avoided if teacherswere always able to retain the integrity and distinct learning of each subject.

Which concepts might be used to connect subjects? The following list of concepts will serve as astarting point, but many other possibilities exist. A teacher's particular perspective of a subject willdetermine which concepts are identified.

patternspoint of viewchangemain ideasequencefact or fictiontraditionsalternativesevidencedependency, independency

. cause and effect

. symbolismoppositesdeception

. power

. propagandaisolation

. cyclesinteracting systemssources

What would an integrated unit that connected commonalities look like? The following example usesPOINT OF VIEW as the commonality, and states possible ways in which that concept is part of eachsubject. It is recognized that this example is limited in the possibilities given and the perspective takenon PONT OF VIEW.

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i

MATHdifferent approaches chosen to solve aproblem.viewing a problem from variousperspectivesdiffering theories of issues in math

LANGUAGE ARTS/ENGLISHdifferent interpretations of a particularliterary workdifferent compositions when a group ofstudents write about a single topic.different ways to use language to expressa chosen emotion or idea.examining a literary work to determinethe author's point of view.

ARTdifferent images from one subjectliterally different points of view whenlooking at a subjectdifferent interpretations of a work of artdetermining the points of view thataffected the image

MUSICdifferent personal preferences of stylesof music.different interpretations of a musicialselectiondifferent ways to musically represent atopic or emotion

'

. - .. ,

DRAMA- different ways to portray a character or

emotiondifferent presentations from samestarting pointdifferent views of issues indramatizations

PHYSICAL EDUCATIONdifferent ways to achieve fitnessdifferent views about competitiondifferent activities from sameequipmentdifferent perspectives of coach, referee,player and spectator in a sport.

SCIENCEdifferent hypothesis for a problemdifferent approaches to test ahypothesisdifferent opinions on issues in science,e.g. environmentally friendly practices

SOCIAL STUDIES- different interpretations of the cause of

certain historical eventsunderstanding the different ways ofthinking that are part of differentcultures.examining a topic from various pointsof view, for example, looking at WorldWar II from Canada, from Japan, orfrom Germany.

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While thinking of the various possibilities of concepts that one might choose to integrate subjects, itbecame obvious that skills or processes can also serve as commonalities. A student's competency at aparticular skill may increase significantly when he /shecan use it in more than one context. Some possibleskills or processes that may allow integration are:

comparing and contrasting predictinganalysing visualizingcategorizing . problem solvingdecision making . concept mappingvisual graphing . generalizingjournal keeping . observinginterpreting . describingimagining . sythesizingjudging

In Acherman and Perkin's (1989) writing about Integrating Thinking and Learning Skills, CURRICU-LUM is the term they use to define the subject content of the various disciplines, whileMETACURRICULUMis the term used to define the various learning and thinking skills and strategies that must be used inschool. These authors stressed the importance of creating a balance by integrating CURRICULUM andMETACURRICULUM.

Realizing that the effectiveness of an integrated study is dependentupon the choice of the concept orprocess, giving some thought to the selection is important. Which commonalities will work best? Perkins(1989) stated that a concept or integrative theme will be a lens worth looking through if it follows these5 qualifying criteria.

it applies broadly -applies to a wide range of topicsit applies pervasively -throughout a topicit discloses fundam6ntal patternsit reveals similarities and contrastsit fascinates -it should intrigue the students. provoking curiosity and inquiry.

Integration that connects the comn ion understandings and processes of the various subjects providessubstantial and significant benefits. Our aim in school is to have students obtain the attitudes,skills, andknowledge as designated in the curricula. The students would reach a clearer and deeper understandingof those attitudes, skills and knowledge when they are dealt with in more than one context. A broaderperspective or frame of reference would result from examining commonalities. Students would moreeasily understand the transition from concrete to abstract meaning as a result of having approached acentral concept from different starting points. A constant aim of teachers is to help students transfersomething learned to another situation. That transfer of learning iscontinually practised when studentsdeal with a concept or process in many different settings.

Several considerations are worthy of review in this discussion of integration.The development stages of the students must be taken into consideration when selecting a commonalityand when planning an integrated study. Integration has often been interchanged with theme units,which have generally been considered appropriate for Primary grades, but not really suitable forolder students. Connecting commonalities of subjects may be the approach to integration that isacceptable in the Intermediate Program, and that makes integration possible at the secondary levelin spite of the restrictive compartmentalized structure.

420

Connections should not be forced. Superficial teaming of subjects may not lead to the deeperunderstanding that is aimed for in an integrated unit. One would need to examine each subject todetermine if there are legitimate commonalities that warrant its inclusion in the unit. Not all subjectswill logically overlap with a chosen concept or process. Joining 2 or 3 subjects in an integrated studymay be sufficient for a valuable unit.

This proposed option of integration should not be viewed as a task of adding one more thing to analready over crowded curriculum load. The chosen commonality can be the vehicle through which thecontent of the curriculum can be reached. In fact, content learning could be enhanced rather than deprivedby an integrated unit.

The commonalities suggested here have always been part of many classroom experiences, therefore,may not be considered new. However, a conscious reference to a concept or process, rather than leavingit to chance, will enable a better understanding and use of it.

Seeking the overlaps of subjects may be the option that will allow some previously reluctant thinkersto give fresh thought to the idea of integration and perhaps clear the waters as tohow it might be put intoplace in a classroom. Connecting commonalities may enrich your program by enabling new insights intoold subjects.

Reference:

INTERDISCIPLINARY CURRICULUM: DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION, ed.Jacobs, Heidi Hayes,Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, VA 1989.

Sharon McCoubrey instructs in the University of Victoria Education Program atOkanagan College in Kelowna.

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e INTEGRATION

by Kit Grauer

Integration is a pivotal issuein the Year 2000 document andin the discussions of educatorslargely because of the confusionabout what integration mightmean both in theory and prac-tice. This paper is concerned mostspecifically with issues of inte-gration from a visual arts per-spective but will explore issuesthat impact on all the arts.

I tend to make meaning fromanalysing my own experiencesand expanding on my own sto-ries. For those of you with simi-lar learning styles, perhaps threeshort stories will put the topic ofintegration in a wider arena thanas an initiative of the Ministry ofEducation in the province of Brit-ish Columbia. I drive to work atthe University of British Colum-bia from my home in BoundryBay which is a fair bit of travel-ling time each day. As with all ofyou, my time is very precious.We are, as they say, living ininteresting times and to keep upwith the current flow of infor-mation and ideas about educa-tion is extremely difficul t. Onesolution has been to ask all myvarious friends and acquaint-ances to bring me back the tapesof the keynote speeches from thevarious and sundry conferencesand symposia they attend. Thisleaves me free to reflect on theideas of Elliot Eisner speaking at

the Association for Supervisionand Curriculum Development,for example, as I weave my waythrough tunnel traffic. Moregermaine for this discussion,however is a set tapes I re-ceived from the conference forthe American Association ofColleges and Universities ofTeacher Education held in Chi-cago last February. The audi-ence at this conference was com-prised of the Deans and majordecision makers of most of theteacher training institutions inNorth America. It was with somesurprise that a consistent themein the training of teachers for thecoming century was integrationand that the arts were includedin the essential components of anintegrated curriculum. From TedSizer and John Goodlad, toCatherine Bateson and ErnestBoyer, the need to make connec-tions and links between learningand experience and across thedisciplines was articulated againand again. Let me paraphraseTed Sizer (1989) to give you someof the guist of some of these dis-cussions. Sizer was discussingschool reform and how interest-ing schools were attempting tomeet the challenge of educatingfor the twenty first century. In-teresting schools, he suggested,were moving away from a disci-pline based model where highlyspecialized teachers taught their

r.;

discipline in one hour blocks withno connection to what was hap-pening in any other subject. Theonly people in these schools whowere expected to make links inlearning were the students andperhaps the school librarian. Hespoke of schools with the visionthat built teaching and learningaround real concepts and issues;where teachers and studentsmade connections across disci-plines and where teachersmodeled the ideals of a liberaleducation. Integration, for Sizer,was a way to bring the wholeenterprise of education in linewith our goal for students.

The second story takes us outof the area of general educationand even North America. Victo-ria Garnon Williams, a formerNorth Vancouver teacher who iscurrently teaching at a college ofeducation in Brisbane Australia,was up last winter on a shortstudy leave. Australian educa-tion is also going through rathermajor changes in orientation andshe was working on research forthe Department of Education onintegration in the arts. They werelooking at the B.C.ElementaryFine Arts curriculum as a possi-ble model and were also awarethat the document only tacklesfine arts integration at a some-what superficial level. Victoria'smission was to find out what we

23

had learned from our attemptsat an integrated arts curriculum.The point here is that we alreadyhave had some experience andexpertise in the area of integra-tion that is in demand by othereducators and that we shouldseriously consider our own his-tory as we draft new curriculum.

Finally, so that we realize tha tthis topic is one of concern be-yond the English speakingworld, in our last INSEA (Inter-national Society for Educationthrough Art) meetings the ex-ecutive had a chance to speakinformally about issues that wereof major importance in each ofour particular circumstances. ForIrene Wojrtar, integra ting art intothe general curriculum was themain theme that echoes throughthe discussion of Polish art edu-cators. Integration was seen asthe solution to provide more timeand emphasis for art in theschoolsystem. The issue of integrationas a political ploy to include artin the mainstream of a generaleducation is another issue thatneeds serious discussion.

These stories provide me withseveral themes that I wish to ex-plore. The first is that in tegra tionis not an issue that is isolated ineither place or time. EducationalHorizon magazine, as anotherexample, devoted the entire 1989fall issue to the topic of integra-tion as a major force in drivingcurrent curriculum reform. Al-though the impetus is comingfrom our own particular agenda,we can learn from the past andpresent contributions of bothgeneralist educators and thoseconcerned directly with the arts.Secondly, it is necessary to at-

24

tempt to separate out what inte-gration might mean within thecontext of art as a discrete disci-pline; art in relationship to othercirriculurn areas and art as partof the fine arts.

A short historical meandermight also provide some neededperspective. In this century,within North America, integra-tion as an ideal of education wasmost prevalent during the Prc,-gressive era from 1920 to 1940.Many of the ideas that are articu-lated, especially in the primarycomponent of our current docu-ments, find their roots in the ide-als of John Dewey's educationalphilosophy. For the Progressives,the school was seen as a micro-cosm of everyday life. Childrenwere treated as active learn .-rswhose creative energies centeredon themselves and their world.Active inquiry, sharing of effortand decision making are the ten-ets of this democratic model ofeducation. "Child Art" was dis-covered as the Progressives rec-ognized that self expression wasfundamental to all ages and theartistic efforts of children were agenuine form of art. In progres-sive schools, the unit became away of integrating curriculum.Teachers developed activities tohelp their students solve prob-lems, clarify their ideas and com-municate in a variety of forms.Among the means of communi-cation were diaramas, r- Trals,bulletin boards, and puppetplays. These activities becameknown as integrated or corre-lated arts. The art experienceswere to flow from the wants andneeds of the child. The role of theteacher was to guide and facili-tate not to prescribe. Why did art

educators become skeptical of amovement that placed art in themainstream of education? Inte-gra tion often meant that artcomplimented the disciplineswith which it was teamed. Sub-stantive learning in art becamenon existent. For teachers whodid not understand much aboutart, integration meant that artbecame an illustrative techniqueto communicate other learning.Further, with the notion that artwas caught not taught, teachersactively tried to keep adult influ-ences away from the developingchild. Very little art, in the fullsense of the word, was left inintegrated art activities. Hope-fully we have come a long wayfrom this naive view of in tegra-tion and art. A quick check of thePrimary Program might be use-ful to allay our fears.

Integration, according to thedefinition in the Primary Pro-gram, "acknowledges and buildsupon the relationships whichexist among all things; it sup-ports the integrated nature oflearning." Not too much of any-thing to quibble with there. Noris there in the statements that"Learners construct meaningbased on prior knowledge andexperience. Learning occurs asnew information is integratedwith previously acquired knowl-edge. Teachers provide for theassimilation of this new learningby helping children link the con-tent of the curriculum to theirown experiences." This is a defi-nition that should not be at alladverse to most art educators asit sounds like a page from Nel-son Goodman and his theory ofunderstanding which empha-sizes the constructivist nature of

cognition axtivity. For Harvard'sProject Zero and the writings ofHoward G ardner (1989), the cor-ners ton e of this sort ofconstructivist thinking is theemphasis on human symboliccapacity. Human beings have theability to use various symbolsystems to express and commu-nicate meaning by denoting orrepresenting information or byconveying some mood, tone, orfeeling. Human symbolic capac-ity is exr ressed in a variety ofdomains from language to thearts.

Similarly, educators such asElliot Eisner (1982) argue thatculturally transmitted knowl-edge is shared in forms otherthan language. Literacy as aneducational goal is broader thanthe narrow confines of verbal ornumerical skill and includes anyof the significant forms that hu-mans use to represent meaning.The arts, in this view, constituteimportant forms of repnsenta-tion through which humansshare what they have thought,felt, or believed. It would seemthat the arts are finally beingbrought into full partnershipwith the other academic subjectsand that is reflected in both thegoals of the Primary Programand the proposed changes in theYear 2000 document.

The second part of the Minis-try definition of integation willcause us a few more problemsdepending on how it is inter-preted in practise. "The integra-tion of curriculum content al-lows children to experiencelearning as a meaningful whole.Through an integrated approach,the content becomes the vehicle

which enables children to de-velop the ability to think criti-cally and creatively, to solveproblems, and to representknowledge in a variety of ways."What does that or can that mean?As suggested previously, I wishto tackle this concept of integra-tion from three perspectives: artas an integrated discipline; artand the other disciplines; andfinally tl te issue of fine arts inte-gration.

ART AS AN INTEGRATEDDISCIPLINE.

Current thinking in the areaof art education suggests thatthere are several strands to thediscipline of art that should betaught if students are tohave anyreal understanding of art. It is nolonger viewed as adequate toexpose children to a variety oftechniques and materials andhave them express themselvesvisually. Reasoning, responding,and reflecting are now on theagenda with making and creat-ing. Most teachers, even art spe-cialists, were not trained in aes-thetics, art history or criticism orhow to integrate these strandsinto an art program in meaning-ful ways. Add to this the fact thatart in the elementary school isoften taught by teachers whohave little or no training in anyaspect of art. There is a seriousquestion raised as to whether artis understood adequately to betaught as an integrated discretesubject. Both the new elemen-tary fine arts curriculum and therevised secondary curriculumgive equal weight to making andresponding and yet in my expe-rience in schools, it simply is nothappening. Students are busy

(") if

4

creating what has been termed"school art" with no reference tothe history of similar art experi-ences, an understanding of art incultural context, or often, anyrelationship to meaning in theirown lives. The classic cases,which we encounter more andmore in teacher education, of stu-dent teachers who are trained inart history and have no under-standing of the artistic experi-ence, or have been trained asartists and have no understand-ing of a wide range of artisticexpression outside of their ownspecialty, are only too typical ofthe majority of art specialists whoare currently responsible for artinstruction. The situation whereno knowledge of any art areaexists is even more drastic as art,for these teachers become littlemore than manipulative activi-ties devoid of any substantivelearning or relevance. Before wecan discuss integration of art withother disciplines, we need to besure that teachers have adequateknowledge and resources to in-tegrate the discipline of art.

ART AND OTHER DISCI-PLINES

In my research for this paper,I ran an ERIC search of art andarts integration. The results werequite interesting. Of the articlesthat turned up there were sev-eral that were along the samelines as this presentation, gen-eral overviews that confrontedthe issue of integration as a posi-tive or negative force. Most arti-cles, however, were concernedwith actual examples of inte-grated curricula, art and readingor art and social stidents forexample. Somewhat surpris-

25

ingly, art was more often linkedwith other disciplines than withdance, drama or music. Andthere were far more articles aboutvisual art integration than aboutintegration and the other artsareas. This is not so surprising ifyou think about the most com-mon and least eduationally validuses of integrated art. Illustra-tion, or representation in pictureform is a common practise inmost elementary classrooms. Il-lustrating a story, the title pagefor a socials project, colouring inthe geometric shapes after a mathlesson, are all examples of thistype of rather inane "art" experi-ence. In these instances art is thehandmaiden to the other subjectareas. There is no substantive artlearning taking place, rather artis used as a motivator at best anda time filler at worst. Again, wecome back to the need to under-stand the discipline of art beforean integrated experience canhave education goals. There aregood examples where art andother subjects can be integratedbeyond mere illustration. Cer-tainly looking at similarities anddifferences between the processof learning in different forms ofrepresenting ideas has great pos-sibiiities. My own area of inter-est in connecting the writingprocess and a simibr metaphorin artistic expression has led meto a rich source of language artsand art curriculum integration.Wonderful integrated unitsaround concepts and themhave also been developed wherethe integrity of each subject areais preserved. The experience ofthe Progressive era of educationshould give us adequate warn-ing about the pitfalls of shallowintegration. What many teach-

26

ers have been saying all along isthat natural not forced integra-tion is the key. Not alt subjects,nor themes, nor activities, norconcepts need to be integratedall the time. Students need tohave subject specific knowledgeand an understanding of the con-nections between and amongvarious ideas and disciplines ifthey are going to be able to con-nect their experience to the largerworld of ideas. If integration isviewed as a healthy part of cur-riculum development and notmandated as the only way infor-mation and concepts can begrouped for instruction, thenthere is every reason to welcomethis renewed emphasis on wholelearning.

FINE ARTS INTEGRATION

If there have been difficultieswith integrating art with othersubjects, they are even more pro-nounced when we explore thearena of fine arts integration as apolitical issue to keep the artsalive in the curriculum. Many ofus are arts activists. We havebeen instrumental in organiza-tions such as the Arts Actiongroup which became the Arts inEducation Council, B.C. ArtsAdministrators and so on. Thereasons for forming Fine Artsassociations are botheducationaland political. We have recentlycome through a time of retrench-ment where it made absolutesense for arts groups to bandtogether to support commoncauses from the threat of back tobasics and accountability to theneed for more time, money, andtraining for arts teachers. Manydistricts downsized and Art andMusic superivsors and coordi-

nators were replaced with a sin-gle Fine Arts administrator. TheMinistry followed the trend andrevised the Art and Music cur-ricula as a single Fine Arts cur-riculum that also includedDrama. The Fine Arts sympo-sium at Simon Fraser Universitylast spring is a good example ofthe eduational issues hat the artsshare but which need to be ad-dressed from each perspective.We should not get political andeducational issues confused.There are times that the arts cannot speak as one voice, timeswhere the distict differences ineach of the disciplines outweightour commonalities. The discus-sion on what aesthetics means ineach of the arts is a good exampleof Lite need to clarify our distinc-tiveness. Similarly we should becareful of falling too easily intothe trap of an integrated FineArts strand. The Elementary FineArts curriculum is a case in point.The development of commongoals was no problem but devel-oping an integrated curriculum,which was the original mandate,proved impossible and three veryseparate resource books were theoutcome. By imposing a similarstructure, the unique content ofeach of the arts was lost. Com-mon concepts were not necessar-ily equal in importance. For ex-ample, colour, tone, and patterncould all be construed as ele-ments of each of the arts, butwhat real benefit is there in tak-ing these elements out of con-text. Formalist understanding inisolation tends to lead to forcedassociations that offer no insightsinto expressive areas such asmyth or metaphor.

Unfortunately, without asolid grounding in each of thearts, integration is often reducedto products such as play, puppetshows, film and video where, inthe case of the visual arts at least,the real learning for studentsdisintegrated into the paintingof sets, not even set design. Whathas a student learned about artfrom dabbing onto a backdrop?

What we must confront aresome pragmatic issues. There canbe no integration if there is noreal understanding of the sepa-rate arts disciplines. Who willtrain or retrain these arts special-ists that are to be required of aFine Arts integrated strand? Weoffer a diploma in the Visual andPerforming Arts at U.B.C. andyet each of our courses is taughtseparately with no attempt to

model integrated learning. Thatmust change as must the require-ments for elementary teacherswhich allows art tobe an electiveat some universities rather thana required component of everyteachers education.

Finally, even if they re wellconceived and well taught, unitsor courses that focus on interre-lationships are not a substitutefor basic education in each of thearts. The experience of art is builtfrom an appreciation of the par-ticulars. Whether called inte-grated, interrelated, multiarts orrelated arts, these strategies willnot reduce the need for fulltimeexperienced teachers of art anddesignated time, resources andinstruction in the schools.

REFERENCES

Brownlee, G. (ed) Integrating theCurriculum EDUCATIONALHORIZONS. Fall, 1989.

Eisner, E. COGNITION ANDCURRICULUM, A BASIS FORDECIDING WHAT TO TEACH.New York: Longman, 1982.

Gardner, H. and Perkins, D. (ed)ART, MIND AND EDUCA-TION; RESEARCH FROMPROJECT ZERO. Chicago: Uni-versity of Illinois Press, 1988.

Sizer, T. Second General Session,Proceedings of the AmericanAssociation of Colleges ofTeacher Education. Chicago,1990.

PRIMARY PROGRAM, The Min-istry of Edcuation, Province ofBritish Columbia, 1990.

Kit Grauer is an Art Education Instructor at UBC.

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MASKS AN ART BASEDINTEGRATED THEME UNIT

by: Pamela Willis

Editor 's Note: The information and lesson plans included here are only excerpts from an extensively developed themeunit by Pam Wallis.

INTRODUCTION

When comparing the B.C. Fine Arts Curriculum to the Primary Program, I noted that 5 out of 6 FineArts Goals are loosely included in the new Primary Program. However, the Primary Program hasexcluded goal #3 "To develop the child's skill and technical ability in the arts" and substituted "torepresent through a variety of forms".

This concerns me because it seems to indicate that developing a child's skill and technical ability inthe arts is not seen as important. We will integrate subjects, and art will be seen as only one more wayto express values, ;deas and information. But how can one express adequately if we don't have the skillsand technical ability to do so? It can only lead to frustration.

If children could "represent through a variety of forms" by unguided experience alone, there wouldbe little need for art education in schools. We must help children to develop the skills necessary forauthentic expression of "self". Education through art and education in art are both needed. It is not enoughto give children the materials and a suggested product outcome. When we use art activities and materialsmerely to illustrate other subjects and call it art, we are denying our students knowledge of a valid meansof communication. If language/art is articulation of thought and the exercise of the intellect must takeplace through a language medium then why leave such an important means of expression to chancediscovery, unguided illustration of other subjects, or pre-conceived (by teacher) products? Yet withsubject integration, this is just what I see happening in many classrooms.

I believe that we can integrate subjects through a theme approach without losing specific skills if thefocus or core of each theme is changed to include a different subject. Other subjects and their inherentskills are naturally included as well but instead of one subject (usually the Language Arts) being theprimary focus with other subjects evolving from it, each subject can have center stage in turn.

With subject integration "art is frequently regarded in our schools as a tool for learning abouteverything except art". It will be a poor tool if we don't educate students in its possible uses.

Masks of all kinds are frequently seen in our schools. Papier-mache, aluminum foil, string and shoepolish, clay, paper mosaic, wire and many other materials arc used to create them. They often are usedto illustrate, by making masks of N.W. Indians which the children have been studying in Social Studiesor to make a Halloween mask. Sometimes they are even used in a play but usually they are made, putup for awhile and the teacher and principal are satisfied that art has been successfully integrated into thecurriculum.

Mere making art, a mask, just isn't good enough.28

2

Karen Hamblen (1984) asks about the same activity: "What have children learned about art? Do theycomprehend that masks are among the objects you could see in museums, objects used in specialceremonies in many culture? How many have learned that disguise and mask-like images havefascinated artists and t, .at some have used these ideas in their work? How many children have been askedto consider how people in general wear masks? How many of you are right now? What function doesit serve? How many children have explored the general themes of disguise and fear and death...or studiedthe range of artistic techniques...used to create an atmosphere of fear or mystry?" (P. 6)

Art must be viewed as an intellectual process otherwise it would only be a manual skill, it wouldhave no statement, be non-expressive. At some point in photography, you must know why you arepointing your camera. All subjects are inter-related. Science is as much a humanity in today's complexworld as Language. Social Studies is also a Science when considering the global issues of humangeography. What purpose is served by dividing intellectual development in this way. If art is taught asa series of manual skills only, then the product will become just pictures with no statements. It will besafe, comfortable, meaningless and intellectually unsatisfying, contributing nothing to anyone's under-standing of the world. The art produced will belong to neither the viewer (consumer) nor the creater(producer).

Adult Education night school is full of unsatisfied manual arts trainees. Some were exposed to artin school. They want to create art but don't know how because they believe that art is just the accumulationof skills not a conceptual, intellectual process done for the purpose of communicating ideas, expressionsand thoughts. They ask how do you paint rocks? How do you paint water? Instead of asking why do youpaint? What do you want to say? They may take art courses and buy dozens of "how to" books, but stillsit in class stumped, unfullfilled, clutching their pictures from Beautiful B.C. Magazine because theydon't know what to do.

If art is a means to help us make sense of our workd, to humanize our lives and co think about andexpress the meaning of our existence, then we must educate people both in the skills of art and themeaning of art. Education in art and education through art go hand in hand as a continuing intellectualprocess.

MASKS An Integrated Unit

Major Objective:to provide an interrlated, arts centered unit of study ucing masks as the theme for organizingexperiences.

Unit Goalsdevelopment of specific skills in the Arts and Language Artsopen ended and integrated in a way that does not neglect skills teaching in the above subjectsto explore a theme using all four content areas in the B.C. Fine Arts Curriculum.

29

Curriculum Concepts Learning Outcomes

Aesthetic and Artistic Development

Art: image development, variety of sourcesidentification and exploration of pattern, colour, texture, 3-dimensional form,line, symmetry

Music: sounds and movementrhythm, Kodallydevelop ability to express personal feelings through music

Drama: mimecontrastmirrorto express ideas and emotions through body movements

Language Artsexploration of imagesreview of printing methodsproblem solvingvocabulary developmentdeveloping charactersdescriptive writingresearch writing, facts, introduction to process writingacrostic poemspo2try vs prose, feelings and reasonsBtening skillscriticism techniquesoral presentations

Social Studieswe change/communities change, chronologically organizedcompare contrast

Science

Math

- exploration of environment, fear, feelingsanalysis, description, research

measurement, height, circumference, weight, lengthsymmetry, asymmetry

Social and Emotional Developmentcooperative planning and productionexplore f. 2lingsreflect and discussdevelop coping strategiesexperience ourselves, our feelings, our sensesdevelop awareness of similarities and differences among

Social Responsibility- cooperative problem solving

positive interactions between people- share and cooperate

30

individuals

ACTIVITIES

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES

1. Daily drawing the drawing gameclassical linejournal, writing process

2. Read Aloud Call It Courage, focus on chara

3. "Me Clouds" outline, psychology of colour'unmasking ourselves'

I wish...I wonder...I like...I am...

4. Wire masks, what are they saying?

ART/LANGUAGE ARTS

cter development, names that fit.

Writing and PlanningPredictingDrawingColour

1. Ceramic Masksform on own faces, pre-imaging, preplanning consideration: texture, form, colour, additions

2. Masks Alphabet Bookalliterative, use of thesauruscolour, lineprinting

3. ReadingGinn Journeys Touch The Sky TURNABOUTS

relevance of names and appearance- famous people, mean nicknames

turnabouts, changes in fortuneTitle page, prediction, making tournabout books, brainstorming, clustering, chart making,research and factual writing, categorizing

4, WritingBehind the Masks, writing an autobiography based on ceramic masks, writing processintroduced, use 3 part writing folders, word processor introduction

Daily Drawing and Journalsimage development, critiquing methodsline, implied texture, show don't tellcenter of interest using colourdesigning masks from animal photosdrawing from portraits of famous peopleMy face was a mask of fear, horror, etc.What will I look like when I'm 30?A silly class portraitSylvester and the Magic Pebble, transformingWhy No One Lends His Beauty What mask did you wear?Design a horrifying masks

31

5. Group Muralsbased on films: The Legend of the Raven, The Loon's Necklace.foreground, middle and backgroundcharacter developmentguided imagery

6. Poetry Writing/Patterningown name acrosticwrite a poem based on Bertha's Wish, from If I Were in Charge of the World

7. Self-Portraitsacrylic on canvgasLeslie Poole exhibition at Art Gallerycompare, discuss, critiqueinner vs outer selfpurpose of a portraithistorical and now

MUSIC, MOVEMENT, MIME

1. Introduce Kodally rhythms, could begin with words like face, emotions like happy

2. Masks Day Mirroring to Music in partners, leads other follows, switch -Mr. Dunn's stern mask- your teacher's pleased mask

your mom's beauty maskyour maks of good behaviour

3. Move to Carnival of the Animals, by St. Saens

4. Listening to Vivaldi's 4 seasons Autumn changing face (tempo) "It made me feel..."

5. Follow up Play, mime, story, using maskssmall groups or class write scr;ptaccompany by own music or selections, or both

SOCIAL STUDIES

1. Bulletin board collage, "The Face of Canada"

2. Exploring BC's Past How do communities change?changes in selfmuseum maskschanges in community, using photographs, memoriesWhen Grandma and Grandpa were Kids, The face of ourselves. family, community havechanged

32

MATH/SCIENCE

1. My size sheet, measuring, comparing, cooperative problem solving

2. Galilao's pendulum experiement based on story read.

3. Project Wild -First Impressions (see Masks Day)

4. Spider observation, study and research

5. Monster Math problem solving

CONCLUDING ACTIVITES MASKS DAY

I. Newsletter home explaying the masks day

2. Video, masks for today's world, 30 minutes inside and outside "we can tell a lot about the peoplewhat make and wear them)

3. Put on make-up and disguises

4. Project Wild -First Impressions; spiders often create afeelings of fear and revulsion because ofappearance

catch spiders in magnifying boxecspider words websresearch teamsread The Lady and the Spider, discuss changes in opinion if any

5. Monster Math Sheet

6. "Transition" stories and accompanying sheetsSleeping UglyThe Emperor's New ClothesThe Ghost Eye Tree.

7. Music and Mime, sheet and program

8. Journal, video Devils, Monsters and Dragons (see quote about masks.

3

33

ESSON 1: Grade 3

Theme: Masks

Purpose: 1) To introduce continuous line drawing.2) Students should understand that images come from a variety of

themes.

Materials: paperPenduo-tang (labelled Daily drawing)

Introduction: -introduce the rules to the drawing game. Don't erase, don't goover the same line twice. Do try to move your pen at a steady, fluidpace.-demonstrate method on board.-try to ''feel" the line as yov, draw.

Development: -I will tell a story to you. I will tell more than you can possibly draw.As the artist you must choose what is most important. Don't startdrawing until you have a clear picture in your mind, then continuedrawing until the picture is finished.

-story format : i) hiking...you are lost...embellish story.ii) your face is a mask of fear - focus on face.

finish at your own speed-you may write about it on the page-SHOW how you feel in your word choices.

Conclusion/Evaluation: -students view each others work. Ask them to choose afavourite drawing and explain what they like about it.-Students /Teacher evaluate who most successfully usedcontinuous line. Compare strength & cleanliness of lineto sketch type.

Extension/Enrichment -could do a series of drawings connected with this story.-Read stories like Lizzie's Lion (Lee); Tim all Alone(Arcli7-zone) or Outside Over There (Sendak) whichdeal with robbers, and abandonment, fearful subjects-project self into situations develop fear drawingsespecially focusing on face.

-design/paint/create a mask based on your favouritegame drawing.

r`,

LESSON 6: Grade 3.14.11111,

Theme: Masks

Purpose:

Materials:

-To use daily drawing & journals as sources for image development.To use photos, literature & other sources for developing maskimages and as sources for interpreting the purpose of masks.To respond to images by learning how to constructively criticize

art.To extend knowledge of line through processes such as iinpliedtexture.

Paperpen

photos of animal heads (class set)masks

Introduction: Brainstorm & web questions such as:Masks - What do we wear them for? Why do we wear them?

When do we wear them? How can you tell when someone iswearing a mask? Who wears masks? Where are masks worn?

Development: Use journals &/ or Daily drawing duo-tangs to develop a selectionof the following images:-silly class portrait. Half the class poses for the other half. Halfmake a disgustingly silly face-other half of class studies the posefor 1 min. Then draws from memory using pen & continuous linedrawing. Reverse roles.-my face was a mask of horror.Compare to a drawing of a frightening mask.Try different emotions: What would a greed mask look like?When asked to describe emotions children at this age often will useonly happr/sad. Sad describes everything from losing yourpencil to finding your father dead on the driveway-so; use theemotion drawings for vocabulary development."My face was a mark of horror." -What did I show?

-What makes one mask morehorror filled than another?-list words to describe the maskthat show horror best in youropinion-share-compile-extend.

335

LESSON 6: Grade 3 (con't)

Theme: Masks

Development: (con t)"Make a horrifiying mask." -What did you think about when

you were drawing it?Make a list of horrifying things.

Compare horrifying & horror -Cause & effectMake a graph

-Draw actual masks from "life". (Use your bulletin board display,museum, collections etc.) Explain why you chose the particularmask you drew. Use line only. Draw masks based on photoportraits ie: Queen Elizabeth & Prince Phillip.-Draw/describe your everyday mask (of good behavior).Each of us wears a mask every day the person we have decidedto present to the world.Draw/describe/discuss: -The mask I would like to wear...

-The mask I would like to "be"...-How I would like others to see me.-The mask I think I wear.

-Read, Why No One Lends His Beauty, (Nigerian Folk Tale),Courlander. The story of a time when we wore beauty as a mask& could take it off or put it on at will. Illustrate. Couldcompile into class book. Good introduction to writing Legends.-Teacher describes a surprise party given in your honor - drawthe mask your face wears! -A Halloween masquerade party. Tryto develop a focal point or center of interest. Allow student to useone colour to help them.-Try giving students a free day for journals &/or drawing. It isinteresting to observe their responses. In my class most continuedto develop mask theme but added lots of colour.-What will I look like when I'm 16? -writeWhat will I look like when I'm 30 -draw (mask)-Using animal photos (Old Ranger Rick magazines) design a maskbased on the animal that you could wear? Introduce contour lineand implied texture (showing texture using line-by visuallycreating it not physically making it.)-Read Go Away, Stay Away by Haley. Shows the purpose ofmasks; one way of v^ing masks. Interpret this story by using ourmost frightening masks in a role drama based on this story. It isunusual in that it shows Europeans using masks-providesa culturallink. Initiate role playing with the following:

36

--0 3

LESSON 9: Grade 3 (con't)

Theme: Masks

Purpose: -To respond to a play that shows masks being used.-To create murals that have definite foregrounds & backgrounds;introduce concept of middle ground. Contrast is created throughuse of contrasting mediums.-To develop images based on oral story telling.

Materials: videos The legend of the RavenThe Loon's Necklace

large sheets cartridge pr,per (approx. 36 X 44)paint, paper, felts, glue...

Introduction: view video The Legend of The Raven &/or the Loon's Necklace.*Pre-plan through mime. Students are guests invited to a feast atK'san. (could use slide set on K'san to set imaginary stage)

Describe the scene, house interior, method of entry other guests & masks,dancing, eating etc. Lead them orally thmugh the entire eventincluding the story telling with masks, drums & chanting. Students each choosetheir own role. If you're a bit shy to try this just use the video - discuss the variousroles encourage the students to select a character to be. What will your body looklike? What masks belongs with this character? Discuss the details.

Development: *In daily drawing books plan your character, add colour, detailsto mask, could keep body simple eg. a draped form.Organize class into groups of 4 - 6. Each group pre-plans themural. Two students paint the background.-could show house posts (totems), fire, stage, sleeping platformsetc.Others make themselves-characters in the story that they havechosen to represent. Make the characters out of cartridge orconstruction paper. Use felts, crayons etc. for colour & detail. Cutout, glue according to size on mural background. (Largest at frontforeground, smallest farther back- middle ground.) Some students

actually showed large forms looming up that ended at the waistbecause they were so dose.

Conclusion/Evaluation: Display murals.Critique & discuss. Which ones are most successful?

Why?

Extension/Enrichment *Class play relating story either borrowed or original.Use class made masks, rhythm instriznents (Kodallytype rhythm score.)

37

LESSON 12: Grade 3 (Masks Day)

Theme: Masks

Purpose: To conclude our theme about masks through one integrated daywhich allows for performance and expression (physical,

written, oral & visual) of the skills and images we have developed.

Materials: videos -Masks for today's worldDevils, Monsters & Dragons

make-up and disguises.magnifying boxespictures of spiders, slugs, snakes (see Project Wild lesson)tape or record - Vivaldi, Four Seasons

- St. Saens, Carnival of the Animals.McNulty, F. The Lady and the Spider.

Introduction: Video - Masks for Today's World.

Development: (sequential)-Put on make-up and/or disguises

-Project Wild, First Impressions.We often judge people or things by the way they look to us.Use photos of various animals. Teams record words that describe

their feelings about each animal.In a waste area near the school, catch spiders in magnifyingboxes. If you don't have such a place, prepare ahead of timeapprox. 1 spider/pair of students.Partners "web" spider words describing your spider & listingwhat you know about them (see example. Encourage wordsshowing how you feel about them too.

Distribute non-fiction books about spiders to research teams, andthe note taking sheet. Team collects 11 facts or more, cuts andcategorizes, then each team mumber writes own report based onfact sheet.

Line drawing of your spider. Release outdoors.Read - The Lady & the Spider. Discuss; Did your opinion of

spiders change? Why or Why not?

Do Mystery Numbers Math sheet. These numbers are masked.

38

LESSON 12: Grade 3 (Masks Day: Parts) (con't)

Theme: Masks

allDevelopment: (con't)

-Try showing -your mom's beauty mask-your mask of good behavior-your teacher's pleased mask-the Principal's stern mask-fear, strength, greed...-a proud lion mask.

Mirror some of these ideas in partners. (one partner leads, theother mirrors, switch.) Play Vivaldi's 4 Seasons as we mirror.Mirror any feeling that the music suggests to you.Move to St. Sa6ns, Carnival of the Animals; Royal March of the

Lions. Try to show what the music is "saying".*Listen for the transitions in Vivaldi's music (Chanbe in tempo, &dynamics)*Complete music sheet as you listen.

-Refreshments;*Watch video Devils, Monsters & Dragons,- first 10 min. only. theportion that asks and explrres - "What are you afraid of?"'Journal "I am afraid... (when, of, to...) & Drawing. Try to makeyour writing part of your drawing. Use James Ensor drawings asexamples. Show & discuss - volunteers only.

Conclusion/Evaluation: -Bind Masks Day papers into a booklet each.-Mark spider reports, share highlights.-Self evaluation, students & teacher see evaluationsection)

Extension/Enrichment: -Books for transitions throughout the day:'Sleeping Ugly1 YolenThe Ghost-Eye Tree, Martin*The Emperor's New Clothes, Westcott.*The 'fudge, &mach.

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By Bob Steele

DRAWING IN THEINTEGRATED CURRICULUM

(Editor's Note: The following arti-cle is comprised of excerpts of a muchlonger paper by the same title. Thereare 10 different chapters in the pa-per.The excerpts included here havebeen selected from throughout thepaper. Anyone interested in readingthe entire article can do so by con-tacting Bob Steele through the Draw-ing Network at UBC, Faculty ofEducation)

The thrust of curriculum re-form is currently in the directionof subject matter integration. Thismeans finding a bal ance betweendiscipline autonomy and totalintegration. I am not concernedin this paper with the problem ofbalancing these opposing pointsof view. Two problems do con-cern me: 1.how can drawing beused in a 'whole language con-text throughout the curriculum,integrated or not, and 2.how can'whole language' be carried be-yond the Primary years (when itis largely a spontaneous phenorn-enon) into the years when lan-guage tends to become stiltedand self-conscious.

For the first eight years, chil-dren live in a holistic world freeof the subject matter divisionscharacteristic of schooling. Thechild's world is vividly experi-enced though the senses, reactedto emotionally, and made senseof intellectually with ideas rooted

in fact and fantasy. It is only laterthat these experiences are organ-ized into Science, Social Studies,Literature, and so on. Any dis-cussion about an integrated cur-riculum should have as its pointof departure what we knowabout children in this golden age.

Until recently, language hasbeen defined almost exclusivelyin terms of literacy. In spite ofprogress towards a broader defi-, Won which would includedrawing and other media (pho-tography is one which is sadlyneglected), this seems to be theprevailing view. I do not doubtthe ultimate importance of lit-eracy; what concerns me is thenumber of children who muststruggle to achieve it and thenegative effect of that struggle. Iam concerned with the psychicdamage to those who spend largeportions of the school day inmechanical routines related toliteracy. I am concerned (as weall are) with the boredom manyexperience in school and the life-long negative attitudes engen-dered there toward reading,writing, speaking (beyond prac-tical needs) and, indeed, towaredanything intellectual.

Consider writing. Except forits structural relationship tospeech, learning the wi IL Len codeis an entirely new challenge. Chil-

'1 I

dren struggling with writingrarely catch up to its technicaldifficulties which means theycannot use it spontaneously.While the challenge of writing,as with other aspects of literacy,may be a welcome adventure forthe scholarly, it can be a source offrustration and dispair for aver-age and below average children.

Whole language teachers re-fer to drawing as 'emergent writ-ing' but many agree that it is alsoa language in its own right. Bothviews are equally important inshaping a more effective lan-guage program for children fromkindergarten through early ado-lescence. That children draw asthough using a language is madeclear when we observe thatthrough drawing they 1. processinformation, and 2. engage inthe higher levels of thought. Formany chilren, drawings expresswhat cannot be expressed inwords. For all children, drawinghas the potential to assist them inthe difficult challenges of literacy.

What thoughts beyond prac-tical communication do we ex-pect a language medium to becapable of processing to achievenormal intellectual growth? Thefollowing adjectives sum it upfor me: subtle, complex analyti-cal, sustained, relational, descrip-tive -possibly others. These de-

41

scribe the higher orders ofthought which we want childrento be able to use in their encoun-ters with the curriculum. Mostchildren have some difficultyusing words beyond practicalcommunication, and yet intel-lectual growth and subject mas-tery can only be achievedthrough using language at thesehigher levels. We hope that ourefforts in the language arts areleading children in this direc-tion, and that eventually theywill be able to use words sponta-neously in projects requiringcritical thinking, exposition, logi-cal argument, philosophical dis-putation and so on, none of whichcan be achieved through imagesalone. While literacy skills aredeveloping, however, the codesare major obstacles and must beaugmented with other media.

Drawing encourages chil-dren to use words. First, there isevidence that unspoken wordsaccompany drawings in the formof an interior dialoguc . We ob-serve this when children movetheir lip., as they draw. Some-times parents or teachers caneavesdrop on a conversation be-tween the drawer and the char-acters portrayed in the drawing.

"Whole language" teachersencourage children to external-ize these interior dialogues byincorporating them into draw-ings as printed or written state-ments. Or after a discussion, theparent or teacher may provide amodel for the child to copy. Orchildren will be encoura ' touse letter forms as best they canwithout a model and withoutfear of making mistakes. In thisunstressful atmosphere, learning

4 2

the code of words becomes some-thing of a game. Standard letterforms and correct usage aregradually achieved throughmotivation, practice, and teach-ing. Because the thought is thechild's own and the code is stand-ardized, there would seem to beno negative effect in copyingwords from an adult model, butteachers and parents will recog-nize that the drawing, if it is to beof value, must come from thechild's imagination.

Teachers are all too familiarwith the "I can't draw" disclaim-ers typical of early adolescence.Fluent drawers suddenly be-come aware of their lack of tech-nique and show no further inter-est. These same children mayalso have problems with speak-ing, writing and reading. Self-consciousness attacks all lan-guage expressions except, per-haps, the oral expression of thepeer group. While strong 'wholelanguage' teaching in the pri-mary years will alleviate the situ-ation in the future, teachers can'tassume that older children willfind drawing any easier thanwriting, or writing any easierthan drawing. Eliminating self-consciousness from all languagemedia should be a principal goalof all who are interested in abetter education for children.

The need then is to designteaching strategies that reduceself-consciousness in the use oflanguage. If 'whole language' (thejudicious union of literacy anddrawing) is accepted at highergrade levels, there is a particularneed for a suitable methodol-ogy. I will address this problemin later sections. First, it would

be helpful to review the innatecharacteristics of drawing whichmake it a valuable languagemedium. There are four that needto be described.1.Drawing -A Language with-out a code2.Drawing -A private languagethat stimulates communication.3.Drawing -A language of stablecomponents4.Dra wing -a language of empa-thy

GUIDED IMAGERY ANDPROGRAMMED MEMORYDRAWING(Note: This is one of many otherstrategies referred to in the full lengtharticle)

Visualization and guided im-agery are based on memory. Eveninvented images are composedof memory fragments from ac-tual experiences, childhood sto-ries, illustrations of myths, leg-ends, works of art and so on. Wewill now consider a motivationbased on memories programmedjust before a drawing or writingactivity begins. Here is an exam-ple. A particluar plant is beingstudied in a botany lesson. Eachchild is given a specimen, and istold that after studying its forms,it will be drawn from memory.Imagery is guided by the delib-erate choice of subject and therequirment that only a limitedtime for observation will be pro-vided. To distinguish this fromdrawings that originate in theindividual's 'memory bank', I willcall it programmed memorydrawing.

Three rationales support thisactivity. The first relates to im-

proving memory. While memorytraining is less fashionable nowthan it once was, an educatedmemory contributes to learningand the enrichment of life inmany ways. Arguably payingcareful attention to detail andusing mnemonic devices arehelpful aids to memory.

The second relates to the pow-ers of observation which are aproduct of concentration, per-ception, and methodical ap-proach. Knowing that you aregoing to draw something frommemory after a few moments ofcareful study is bound to con-centrate one's attention, makeone more observant, and encour-age a methodical analysis of whatis about to be drawn. Ingrainedhabits of careful observationcontribute to scholarly life andenhance our relationship to theenvironment.

The third rationale for pro-grammed memory drawing isthat it combines observed factand imagination. If children areasked to draw a refugee camp,they will find this difficult forwant of detailed knowledge. If aphotograph of the same subjectis projected and left on the screenwhile they draw, they will beoverwhelmed by literal detail. Ifa photograph is projected, stud-ied with care, and then dra wnfrom memory, (programmedmemory drawing) three advan-tages will be realized: 1 .the dra w-ing will be a personal interpreta-tion, 2.the inclusion of importantdetails and the exclusion of thoseless important, will result fromthe selective effect of memory,and 3.the drawing is likely to bea strongly empathic image.

Some suggestions for usingprogrammed memory drawingin the context of Science and So-cial Sudies are as follows:

SCIENCEChildren are given an opportu-nity to study a biological speci-men before drawing it frommemory. After the drawing iscompleted, it is analyzed to see ifit includes important details, ifthe parts relate to each other andso on. A second drawing is thenundertaken. Because the point isnot to make a perfect drawingbut to improve the skills ofmemory and observation, thedrawing itself is not subjected toevaluation. Programmedmemory drawings may be fol-lowed with drawings from ob-servation. Whole language isserved by labelling and descrip-tive writing in the margins andopen spaces.

SCIENCEChildren study a projected slide(or a still photograph from thepicture file) of a geographicalfeature, volcano, land formation,weather phenomenon, etc. andla ter draw it from memory. Theimage is studied again to checkfor detail and a second drawingis made.

SCIENCEChildren are given a homeworkassignment which requires themto observe a bird, animal, or plantas carefully as they can knowingthey will be asked to draw itfrom memory the next day. Theyare encouraged to make mentaland written notes which are thenincorporated into the drawing.

SCIENCEChildren are asked to make ascience collection over a statedperiod of time. Actual specimensare collected when possible andare drawn from memory andobservation. Observed speci-mens from parks and zoos, or ontelevision science programs willbe added to the collection asdrawings. Specimens will be re-searched as extensively as timepermits, and findings will bewritten or printed in the journal.At the end of the stated period, ascience fair is held and all thecollections will be on display.

SOCIAL STUDIESChildren research a topic in thelibrary and make notes. Specialattention is given to pictorialmaterial as they know they willbe expected to make drawingsfrom memory when they returnto the classrom. Captions, labels,and brief descriptions are addedto the drawing.

SOCIAL STUDIESSlides on a Social Studies topicare shown, and after carefulstudy, are drawn from memory.

SOCIAL STUDIESA media presentation evokes atrip to a country under study.The children know they will beasked to draw their impressionslater and observe very carefully.At the end of the presentation,the children draw as many itemsas they can remember.

SOCIAL STUDIESNewspaper items are distributedto the children who will drawtheir interpretation after study-ing them.

43

SOCIAL STUDIESStudents are assigned to watchthe television news and to makea drawing based on one story.

SOCIAL STUDIESThe class discusses an importantongoing news story. Over a pe-riod of time, students will watchtelevision and read papers andmagazines to research it in de-tail. A 'large book' format is usedand students contribute draw-ings, stories, captions, headlines,etc.

CONCLUSION

A place for drawing will be foundin a crowded curriculum if weunderstand that drawing is a lan-guage and that language is themedium through which childrenlearn. The quality of the languageprogram is the key to intellectualdevelopment and to establish-ing an emotional climate in whichchildren learn efficiently and joy-fully. If children are at ease withlanguage, the learning game will

prove to be exhilarating. If chil-dren are bored with language,they will be bored with learning.

A new slogan for 'whole lan-guage' might be: "Every teacheris a teacher of Drawing!" la

Bob Steele is a retired UBC arteducator who now gives his timeto the Drawing Network.

44

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