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Second graders are finishing up an IB unit called "Kids.gov". This unit deals with leadership and how a leader's decisions impact the citizens and the community. The students learn about the responsibilities of leaders and the rights of citizens. In the Art room, we talked about how artists form a community of their own. People who love and appreciate Art have a responsibility to inform others about why Art is important in a society. We learned that this is called being an advocate for the Arts. To begin our lesson, I asked the kids to imagine what our world would be like if Art didn't exist. This video really brought that idea to life - Our students were amazed to realize just how much Art is present in everything we do. From the fashion designers who make our clothing, the architects who design our structures, the product designers who make machines and equipment, the interior designers who create the spaces we live in, the packaging designers and graphic artists who design the things we purchase, and even the media artists who create our entertainment, Art is EVERYWHERE!! I asked students to think of something that happens in their daily life. I asked them to illustrate that activity in two ways- one WITH the influence of Art, and one WITHOUT. Students had the opportunity to share their ideas with their classmates. While the first part of the lesson was designed to increase appreciation for the Arts, the second part was geared towards teaching advocacy. Now that students understood WHY Art is important, I wanted them to feel the responsibility for sharing that importance with others. This was the connection to the IB unit- as members of the art-making community, we have the responsibility to help others see why Art is needed in our society. This is advocacy! I shared with our students that there are children all over the country, and even in our own state, who don't get to go to Art class in their schools. Our kids were so sad to hear that! One second-grader even asked if it was because they didn't have art supplies- he volunteered to donate his extra crayons from home! (THIS is the kind of action we want to see in our students!!) I told them that in these situations, the leaders of the schools probably felt that it was important to put the school's money towards other things- likely reading and math. Students were thankful that we live in a part of the state where our leaders see the value of including the Arts in educating our kids! Our second activity was to make these mini-posters stating why Art is important. (These small artworks are actually called Artist Trading Cards, a new activity we are starting here at Hendrix. A separate post on these "ATCs" is coming soon!) Students were to design a card and then trade it with a friend. When trading the cards, they were to tell one reason they felt Art was important for kids. In having these conversations, students are being leaders in the Arts community and advocating for something they believe in! Even the Art teacher made a card to trade!! If you're interested in more information about why advocating for the Arts in schools is a good thing, check out this video! Here's a link to one of my favorite articles encouraging Arts Education, and an infographic full of support for the Arts!
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