School 7 Enhances Social Studies Learning by Integrating Art

Social Studies teacher Mr. Offerjost adds interest and excitement to the study of history by giving his students activities that bring the subject alive.  As a requirement for their study of early hominids, students worked in teams to create posters simulating cave paintings.  These had to include such items as representations of the skulls, pictures of the bodies, what tools the hominids used, and what they ate.

The products were graded using a rubric keyed to the prescribed sixth grade Social Studies curriculum.

When studying the Roman Empire, students were first shown an example of a mosaic, an art form that was frequently used by the ancient Romans.

They then learned how to make their own mosaics by gluing bits of colored paper to a larger piece of paper.  Working in teams, they created a map of the Roman Empire at the height of its power.  Note:  In the picture below, the mosaics of the different teams have not yet been joined.  Eventually a seamless combined class effort will be produced.

Below, Mr. Offerjost leads a class discussion of the final product and its historical significance.