Louisiana

KIDsmART

Arts Integration through Primary Sources (2019)

In this project, teachers learned that blending the arts and primary sources into the academic curriculum is an effective way to build dynamic, engaging, and rigorous lessons that encourage critical and creative thinking in students from a variety of backgrounds and abilities. To this end, the project incorporated workshops from consortium members including STEM to STEAM and Who Am I? Photography and the Self, which explored visual literacy using an overview of the history of photography. Additionally, the focus on using primary sources with arts integration continued with four sequential workshops that can also be presented as standalone workshops, as well as a submission to a national conference for a presentation on the use of this work.

Contact: Elise Goldman  

KIDsmART

Arts Integration through Primary Sources (2018)

In this project by KIDsmART, participants learned about a specific historical moment by closely examining primary sources available from the Library of Congress. They crafted personal poems that embodied the voice and mind of fictionalized and historical characters. They also created unique characters through tableau, pantomime, scripting, and costume design. These exercises provided participants with tools to teach students how to study a lived or imagined experience from multiple points of view. Sequential workshops were offered to educators working with students in Grades 1–5. An education consultant advised small learning group leaders and led three days of plenary workshops on training educators to use primary sources.

Contact: Elise Goldman