Talking with Don Bosco Students about the Benefits of Arts Integration

Earlier this year two teachers from Don Bosco Technical Academy: Ms Patti Kaminsky, art teacher, and Ms. Jennifer Post, science teacher, created an arts integration science/art lesson for a class of sixth grade students on the topic of planets and the solar system.  Each teacher formulated separate learning objectives in this content area.  However, these objectives were simultaneously taught during the same lesson period.  LINK 

On Tuesday, April 30, Don Bosco Technical Academy 6th grade students had a chance to look back and to reflect upon their process of learning in the this arts integration lesson. 

LINK 

Students spoke in detail about their learning and their experience in this Science/Art collaborative lesson, They had positive and favorable recollections 
about this lesson.

Above:  Ms Post writes the students' comments on the board.

Ms. Post, Ms. Kaminski, and WPU Art PIR Triada Samaras asked these students to reflect deeply upon, and to describe in detail, why they seemed to definitively prefer learning science content along with art content simultaneously.

Above:  Students work in groups during the art/science integration lesson.

Students offered a wide variety of insights and made the case for arts integration.

Their observations were thoughtful.  Among these were:  

The integration of the science and art lesson:

1. Gives them a physical picture of things they are learning.
2. Enables them t see how the science content is designed by imagining it in their minds.
3. Helps them see and understand the subject.
4. Enables them to work and learn together and brainstorm in groups.
5. Helps them enjoy learning science more.
6. "I could not enjoy myself so much in science if it did not have art too."

ART PIR Triada Samaras asked the two teachers whether they had each achieved their learning objectives for this collaborative lesson?  Each one agreed they had not only met their learning goals, but had exceeded them.  They would like to continue collaborating in the future as well.