Document Type

Senior Honors Project

Publication Date

5-2023

Abstract

The state of Minnesota provides statewide expectations of what students in grades K-12 should know in public schools by the end of the school year. There are standards in all subjects, including art. However, not all schools have an art professional to teach these standards. Fine art programs are often the first programs to be cut from schools due to budget restrictions. This project has two main goals. First, to address the misconception that art is expensive to include in the classroom, whether the general teacher’s classroom or by having an art teacher to lead the instruction. Second, to show that art education can be integrated into all content areas and can make learning for students richer and provide more meaningful connections. This honors project consists of interdisciplinary mini units, meaning across multiple subjects, grounded in the visual arts for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The mini units also integrate social justice, social emotional learning, collaboration opportunities, and project based learning with the arts being the heart of these lessons. This project shows that art is for the youngest students as well as students in upper elementary and beyond. By having learning that occurs across disciplines, students are more engaged, they participate in higher level thinking, and it shows connections between disciplines to the real world.

Department/School

Honors Program

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