Education is much more than just academic achievement. The classroom needs to be a place where students can learn about themselves as well as the world around them. Integrating the arts into the core curriculum is a proven strategy for helping to address all the needs of students. In elementary schools, arts-integrated learning has been shown to improve students’ social, emotional, core academic, and arts learning.
Art Works for Kids is happy to announce the new and improved Lesson Plan Tool is up and running! Lesson plans for all grade levels, art forms and subject matter are available for your use. CHECK OUT THE SAMPLE LESSON PLAN below (PDF versions of every lesson plan are available for download.) Follow the arrows to ALL THE LESSON PLANS ON THE BTSALP WEBSITE located in the menu located above.
Calling all BTSALP Specialists: If you have a lesson plan to share with others, please send it to: contactus@btsalp.com and help our database grow!
Sunshine 2.0 is a professional traveling theater troupe based at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) in Rochester, New York. The troupe provides performances and activities for deaf and hard-of-hearing children and adults that highlight the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEaM), as well as educational topics pertaining to the Deaf experience. The theater troupe travels to schools, and programs serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students, colleges, museums, conferences, civic groups, festivals and other venues.
Performances are presented in voice and in American Sign Language, are accessible to all audience members and cover subjects for people of all ages. And these performances can come to your school at no cost!
Using an array of performance techniques, Sunshine 2.0 offers a series of engaging programs and workshops. Sunshine 2.0 audiences have a rare opportunity to see exciting and entertaining performances that will create a lasting impression.
Sunshine 2.0 partnered with the University of Utah, Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program specialist, students and faculty from the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, students and teachers from West Kearns Elementary School in Granite School District for a day of presentations, workshops, sharing and learning. The interaction between elementary students, teaching professionals, theater troupe members and university faculty and staff was amazing, informative and heart warming. Learn more about this professional troupe and highlights of the day below.
This Fall, 2019 the Artsbridge Honors course at Weber State University will design and co-create a new faux-stained glass installation called Utah Birds & Ecosystems. This is a course designed for Weber State University students to work closely with professors and BTSALP Visual Arts Specialist, Brent Rhodes, and his 4th graders at James Madison Elementary. Through this collaboration students design and build a hanging installation that depicts the birds and ecosystems found in Utah. This aligns with the 4th grade Utah State Science Standards. All of the Weber State students and 4th Graders will visit the Ogden Nature Center to gather field research on Utah’s birds and ecosystems. They will work closely with local artists to inform and develop their artistic process. Throughout the semester, students will also engage in pen-pal writing prompts, strengthen their knowledge in the elements of art and explore a variety of art techniques.
This display will be permanently hung at James Madison Elementary School and is facilitated by Tamara Goldbogen, Erinne Roundy, and Brent Rhodes. This project is a partnership between the Weber State University Arts Learning Collaborative, the Ogden Nature Center, and the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program.
Mark your calendar: The semester and course will culminate in an unveiling of the Utah Birds & Ecosystems faux-stained glass installation and a short documentary on the creative process on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 from 5:00-6:30pm at James Madison Elementary School in Ogden Utah. This event is open to the public and all are welcome to celebrate the hard work and success of both students and faculty.
Utah State University sent BTSALP specialists and classroom teachers “back to school” with strategies and lesson ideas to reach every learner. Arts Are Core: One World, Many Makers held on August 1, 2019 provided professional development arts-integration for K-6 classroom teachers, arts specialists, administrators and university students/pre-service teachers.
Educators participated in a full day of professional development exploring how the core curricula of Math, Science, Language Arts and Social Studies can be taught using the rich hands-on art forms of dance, drama, music and visual art. Participants delved into the foundation of arts-integration, unpacking all of the quality characteristics of best practice. They also walked away with enriched lesson plans to kick off the upcoming school year!
If this looked like fun, check out some of the other workshops coming up at Utah State University!
The Master of Arts in Teaching – Fine Arts at the U of U was just ranked #11 as one of the best online education degree programs in the country! The program isn’t even a year old!!! Check it out!!!
Jeremy Chatterton, principal at Dilworth Elementary School in Salt Lake City School District, is definitely a friend of BTSALP. He is willing to share the success of the BTSALP every chance he can! Jeremy presented information about his school and the program at the Principal’s Symposium held at the University of Utah and at the BTSALP Legislative Dinner.
Here is an excellent excerpt from the book, You, Your Child and School: Navigate Your Way to the Best Education by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica. Share with parents, principals, colleagues, and community members to advocate for the benefits of Art Education in schools. Click here to read more.
Just for fun – a bit of Doodling. Enjoy!
Jen Terry is a BTSALP Professional Development Partner and elementary art integration coach at Alpine School District. She believes that art integration transforms learning into purposeful experiences that are worthwhile for the teacher and student. Jen holds a B.S. from Utah State University in Early Childhood Education with a Visual Art emphasis and a M.Ed. in Integrated Curriculum from American College of Education. As a practicing artist, she is passionate about the arts and children’s literature. She is a curator of children’s picture books who works to bridge stories and inspire ideas in the hearts of children and educators.
Jen presented on the Best Children’s Books of the Year panel at Utah Valley University’s For the Love of Reading Conference held in October, 2018. Specialists in all art forms will find inspiration for integrated lessons within the pages of Jen’s “Best Books of 2018.”
On A Magical Do-Nothing Day by Beatrice Alemagna | Grade Pre-3
This book is from a french author/artist and beautifully encourages unplugged exploration. A book about seeing the world through a different mindset and lens. The illustrations and color will leave you wanting to go out, play in the dirt and experience nature.
Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell and Corinna Luyken | Grade Pre-3
A heartwarming story about empathy and imagination. Pair with Sam, Bangs and Moonshine to bring the importance of being kind and that understanding is sweeter than judgement. Luyken’s illustrations really make you take the time to look over and observe Adrian’s “horse.”
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales | Grade Pre-3
Dreamers is a celebration of what migrants bring with them when they leave their homes. It’s a story about family. Also included are a brief autobiographical essay about Yuyi’s own experience, a list of books that inspired her (and still do), and a description of the beautiful personal images, textures, and mementos she used to create this book.
Blue Rider by Geraldo Valerio| Grade Pre-2
In creating this book, Valerio was inspired by the German Expressionist group known as Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), which formed in Munich in 1911 and included painters Franz Marc and Wassily Kandinsky. The colors and shapes in this book will inspire and make you get up and create your own colorful story. Valerio has created a wordless book that speaks volumes about how art can transform us beyond the sometimes dreary world of the everyday.
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson | Grade K-3
National Book Award winner, Jacqueline Woodson and two time Pura Belpre illustrator award winner Rafael Lopez have teamed up to create a poignant, yet heartening book about finding courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone. We find when we reach out and begin to share our stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway. The illustrations will move you just like in Drum Dream Girl.
The Colors of History: How Color Shaped the World by Clive Gifford | Grade 2+
Pair with Vivid: Poems and Notes About Color by Julie Paschkis. Why did Roman emperors wear purple? Which color is made from crushed beetles? Find out the answers to these and many more questions in this vibrant exploration of the stories behind different colors, and the roles they’ve play throughout history.
Voices in the Air: Poems for Listeners by Naomi Shihab Nye | Grade 5+
This is a collection of almost 100 original poems written by the award winning poet Naomi Shihab Nye in honor of the artists, writers, poets, historical figures, ordinary people, and diverse luminaries from past and present who have inspired her. This book celebrate the inspirational people who strengthen and motivate us to create, to open our hearts, and to live rewarding and graceful lives.
Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor by Temple Grandin | Grade 3-7
From world renowned autism spokesperson, scientist, and inventor Temple Grandin – a book of personal stories, invention, facts that will blow young inventors’ minds and make them soar. She creates a blueprint for different ways to look at the world. She gives a call to action, a call to imagination, and shows readers that there is truly no single way to approach any given problem – but that an open and inquisitive mind is always key.
Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead | Grade 3-7
Mass and Stead, two masterminds of classic middle grade fiction come together to craft this magical story about the enduring power of friendship. Clue by clue, Livy and Bob – a short greenish creature dressed in a chicken suit – will unravel the mystery of where Bob comes from and discover the kind of magic that lasts forever.
Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar | Grade 5-6
In this unforgettable, multicultural coming-of-age narrative, based on the author’s childhood in the 1960s, a young Cuban/Jewish immigrant girl is adjusting to her new life in New York City when her American dream is suddenly derailed. Ruthie’s plight will intrigue readers and her powerful story of strength and resilience, full of color, light and poignancy, will stay with them for a long time. As Ruthie’s world shrinks because of her inability to move, her powers of observation and her heart grow larger and she comes to understand how fragile life is, how vulnerable we all are as human beings and how friends, neighbors and the power of the arts can sweeten even the worst of times.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo | Grade 7+
This is an astonishing New York Times bestselling novel-in-verse by an award winning slam poet about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth.
Don’t miss out on these exciting opportunities available to you, several at minimal or no cost!
The Arts Engage Saturday workshops at UVU still have openings. Join the best presenters in the area for Drama, Dance, Music, Visual Art or Robotics workshops. Visit this website to sign up. Class meets October 13, November 10, January 26, February 23, March 16 and April 13. (There will be a make up for the Sept 15 class for those needing USBE credit.)
Evening For Educators information and registration can be found here. October 3rd 6:00-9:00 at BYU
University of Utah College of Fine Arts ArtsLINK Mini Conference Friday, October 5, 12:30-2:30 at the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts and Education Complex at the U of U
Utah Dance Education Organization Annual Conference provides workshops for teachers, October 27, 2018 at the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts and Education Complex at the U of U
Orff Workshop Guest Presenter: Christa Coogan Music and Dance Saturday, October 27, 8:30-3:00 at Utah Opera Production Studio in Salt Lake
Dance and the Child International is for people of all ages to dance together to build family and community ties. Register here for this event November 3, 2018 at BYU