Students at Lafayette Elementary School engaged in aesthetic valuing with visual art.  They practiced compare/contrast language to discuss the art, then wrote an organized paragraph.

After reading winter poems with sensory details and descriptive language, students created a winter scene using water color and salt.  Ms. Silvia emphasized the cool color family, texture in the background and the use of tape to create their positive space which in this case was the trees.  

Second Graders in Hoopa are learning about rhythm, beat and dynamics with drumsticks for their holiday performance.  

6 classrooms at Hoopa Valley Elementary  practiced using visual art to build observation skills and use descriptive language and sensory details in writing.  

After learning oil pastel color blending skills, students in Ms. Brakeman's fifth grade class at Lafayette Elementary used oil pastels to illustrate concepts of photosynthesis in their own way. Using professional art supplies not only teaches students about the materials real artists use but also increases engagement.  Illustrating concepts and posting them in the classroom is an example of "communication", one of the 21st century skills students need for careers today.  By creating their own artwork, they are using higher order thinking skills to design and revise their poster, create their illustration and identify key concepts of photosynthesis.

"Artful Thinking Routines" (or Strategies) are at the core of day-to-day arts integration instruction.  These strategies can be used regularly in almost any subject.  

In an effort to consolidate these strategies and remind teachers of how each is implemented, we put together a webpage that highlights nine of our favorites.  If you're looking for other strategies, take a look at the Project Zero site where many more are available.