Abstract
In the current aftermath of No Child Left Behind, experiences in the Arts have all but been stripped away from current day curriculum in high poverty schools in order to make room for extended instruction in Language Arts and Mathematics, both of which are assessed on standardized tests. Although the Arts are often viewed as just frills or fun, research shows creating a partnership between subject matter, such as Language Arts and Mathematics, and the Arts, can create connections between subjects for students and positively affect a student’s ability to learn. An evaluation of research from the areas of education and psychology, including researchers such as John Dewey, Elliot Eisner, and James S. Catterall was utilized. The California State VAPA standards, California Common Core State Standards for Language Arts, as well as other Arts and Language Arts sources were also used for the creation of this project Experiences in the Arts increase a student’s critical thinking skills, problem solving, and creativity, all of which are highly sought after skills students need to meet college and career ready skills set forth by the Common Core Standards in order to compete in the 21st century global world. This project, which integrates the Arts (visual art, theater, music, and dance) into Language Arts, will provide educators with the knowledge and tools necessary to implement engaging integrated Art and Language Arts lessons, providing beneficial experiences in the Arts within a classroom setting. The unit and “Art Smart Vocabulary” section is intended for use in any third grade classroom, with possible adaptation for use in other primary grades.