Arts Integration: Arts, Math, and Language Arts at School 9

This project is an arts integrated lesson created 

recently at Paterson School 9.

2nd grade students were studying geometric shapes in math as part of their curriculum. Using recycled styrofoam trays, students had to create an original animal using crayons and fasteners. 

Afterwards, they had to title their animal and write a story that included where the animal would live and what their environment would look like relating to both science and ELA curriculum in Paterson Public schools.

This project used recycling and also aligned with Earth Day, April 22, 2019.

Sixth Grade Science Art Integration at New Roberto Clement School

At New Roberto Clemente School recently two teachers, Mr. Segovia, bilingual science teacher, and Ms. Aramayo, art teacher, collaborated on an art/science project designed for their bilingual students. Paterson Public Schools has over 4000 English Language Learners. LINK.

At the time of this collaboration Mr. Segovia was teaching his 6th grade students about electrical circuits in both English and Spanish. This is Unit 3 of the District-wide science curriculum LINK.   Ms. Aramayo was teaching drawing and painting to her 6th grade students. This is Unit 1 and Unit 3 of the District-wide fine arts curriculum LINK    LINK.

The two teachers decided to collaborate. This new lesson combined learning objectives in both areas: science and fine arts. 

Above:  Shared learning objectives for a collaborative science/art lesson taught 

to bilingual students at NRC.

Above:  Examples of Paper Circuits from Makerspace

First Mr. Segovia discussed electrical circuits from a scientific point of view. He asked students,  "What is required to complete a circuit?" He used teaching resources from the Grade 6 Unit 3 Foss Electromagnetic Forces used in the Paterson Public Schools District-wide Science Curriculum LINK

Above: Mr. Segovia teaches circuits to NRC 6th grade students

Next, Mr. Segovia demonstrated paper circuit making using materials from Makerspace purchased for the classroom with funds from the Geraldine R. Dodge Arts Integration grant.  These art/science materials are now available in both classrooms, art and science. He used both English and Spanish to teach this lesson.

Above: Mr. Segovia demonstrates circuit making to NRC 6th grade students

Next Ms. Aramayo showed the students the same students the drawings/paintings were already working on in her art class.  She too spoke in English and Spanish.

Ms Aramayo was following the Paterson Public Schools District-wide Fine Arts Curriculum for 6th grade: Grade 6 Unit 1 Drawing and Unit 3 Painting:  "From a psychological developmental perspective, sixth graders are beginning to think about who they are, where they come from, and where they are going. In the art studio classroom, sixth graders will explore these ideas and use art materials to express their feelings about these very real philosophical thoughts. They will draw, paint, sculpt clay, and make puppets." LINK   LINK 

Above:  Ms. Aramayo (left) demonstrates to NRC students while her 

WPU Practicum Student, Lindsay Karros, (right) looks on

The 6th grade students had drawn detailed images of themselves with their memories and fantasies from their childhoods. Many of these drawings were finished or almost finished.  Ms. Aramayo asked students, "Where would you like to add a "light feature" (a paper circuit) to your artwork?  Students showed her the precise spot they wanted to see their lights. 

Above WPU Art PIR Triada Samaras makes holes for the lights using an exact knife.

Mr. Segovia demonstrated what the light would look like by attaching a battery to the circuit. Ms. Aramayo and Mr. Segovia both used English and Spanish to teach this lesson.  The students responded in both languages as well.  As the students created their "light" artworks they talked a great deal in both languages, both to each other and to their teachers. 

A new English-Spanish vocabulary list emerged from this collaborative lesson emerged with words such as:

circuit  circuito 
simple circuit  circuito simple
parallel circuit   circuito paralelo
paper circuit    circuit de paper
electricity  electricidad
battery  batería
postive   positivo
negative   negativo
electrons   electrones  
shape   forma  
line   línea 
texture   textura  
light   ligero   
drawing   dibujo 
painting   pintura
brush   cepillo
composition   composición

Below is a video they made of the arts integration expereince and its impact on the students as well as their teaching practice:

Art Math Integration at New Roberto Clemente School and Don Bosco Technical Academy

At New Roberto Clemente School (NRC) art teacher Ms Aramayo recently created an art lesson for her middle school students that integrates art with math. She used the "grid method," a method for transferring the details of a photograph or a sketch to a larger format where an enlarged artwork can then be created.

Above:  The grid technique to enlarge a sketch or photograph.

The grid technique is based on math, especially measurements and proportions.

Above:  Drawings by NRC students

The grid technique has been used throughout time. "Since Ancient Egyptian times, artists have been using the "grid method" as a drawing tool to improve accuracy. The Egyptians used this method by 'snapping' a string soaked in red dye against their drawing surface to create the lines" LINK. During the Renaissance Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) used a drawing machine to create his grids.

Above: Albrecht Durer with his time machine.

Ms Aramayo taught the students to take photographs of their faces with their cellphones first.  Next she explained to students how to place a grid on their photographs and then to make a proportional grid on a larger piece of paper.  She explained that the trick to grid art is to keep the two grids proportional.  Next students created enlarged drawings on their larger paper block by block.  Finally they used pencil and graphite to create their finished artworks.

Above:  Finished Self Portraits by NRC Students

AT Don Bosco Technical Academy (DB) art teacher Ms. Kaminski created a self portrait drawing lesson that relied on another mathematical concept: symmetry.  Her students also photographed themselves and printed out their photos.  But in Ms. Kaminski's class, they learned to cut their printed photos lengthwise in half and to glue one half of their portrait to a plain white paper, leaving room for the other half.  

Next students completed their drawings with pencils by drawing the other half of their face based on what they could see in the photographs.  They used symmetry as well as proportion and measurement in this process. Their finished drawings are equal in size to the original photo.  These artworks, now in the display case on the first floor on the first floor of Don Bosco Technical Academy attract many viewers.

Paterson Students Go On Arts Integration Field Trip at William Paterson University

Above:  NRC students from Ms. Selino's technology class created posters for their field trip day at WPU

On Thursday April 11 approximately 80 students and six teachers from the Paterson Public Schools visited the campus of William Paterson University for a variety of arts integration activities. New Roberto Clemente School (NRC) and Don Bosco Technical Academy (DB) middle-school students and their teachers: Ms. Selino, NRC technology teacher, Ms. Aramayo, NRC art teacher, Ms. Giancarelli, NRC ELA teacher, Ms. Kaminski, DB art teacher, Ms. Lorenzo, DB ELA teacher, and Mr. Hayden, DB music teacher attended. Also in attendance were WPU Art PIR Triada Samaras, WPU PIR Betsy Golden and Director of WPU Professional Development Schools Director Nancy Norris-Bauer.

Above left to right:  Nancy Norris-Bauer, Two WPU Art Students, Emily Johnson, Triada Samaras, 

Ms. Giancarelli, Ms. Aramayo, Ms Selino

In the morning the students separated into four, smaller groups.  One group went to the WPU Athletic Fields and Facilities where Ken Sinatra showed these students and their teachers around the department.  Students learned WPU students are  encouraged to achieve as a scholars, citizens and athletes. Another group of Paterson students and teachers visited the WPU Library to learn about and see the 3D printing process there and meet Chris Weber. In addition they created their own 3D forms with plastic manipulative pieces that enabled them to envision a a 3D form before printing.

A third group attended a workshop on dinosaur bones, shark teeth and fossils, many from nearby New Jersey archaeological sites. These students learned about the proximity of these remains so close to Paterson and to WPU from Dr. Marty Becker assisted by Harry Maisch. LINK   LINK                     
                                       
  
The fourth group visited two art exhibitions at WPU Ben Shahn Gallery with Emily Johnson Gallery Manager.  In one gallery students learned about the Cuban painter, Rafael Soriano (1920-2015), an artist born in Cuba who later died in exile in Miami, Florida.
Students learned about the difficulties this artist faced leaving his home country and being exiled to a foreign land.  Ms. Johnson explained the connection between Sorian's difficult transition to this body of Cabezas (Heads) paintings at Ben Shahn Galleries.

For the second art exhibit, a WPU student exhibition, Emily introduced to WPU art and art history students who led the students through a tour of this work. Students asked questions and learned how student art is created in the WPU Fine Art Department. Next, all the students and teachers gathered at the WPU Student Art Exhibition at Ben Shahn Gallery where two WPU MFA students greeted and spoke with them

Above:  Don Bosco Teachers and Students at Ben Shahn Gallery

The next event was a WPU Admissions Office presentation by Melissa Zollo.  Ms. Zollo presented a movie about WPU created with drones.  She also explained to the students how to start planning for a successful college career by planning now, far ahead of time.

Lunch at the WPU Student Center then followed. Afterwards all students and their teachers walked to WPU Shea Center for Performing Arts  where they viewed and heard Act One of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, The Pirates of Penzance performed by WPU students. 
The performance was produced by Christopher Dylan Herbert, William Paterson vocal program coordinator. The stage director was Phillip Sprayberry, William Paterson media relations coordinator and adjunct faculty. Lois Buesser, William Paterson accompanist and vocal coach, conducted. Samara Grossman, MetroWest Jewish Center producing artistic director, choreographed. Mr. Sprayberry and Ms. Samara Grossman answered questions from the students about the creation of this production for the stage.

Students researched and created pre-activities for the Pirates of Penzance field trip day at their schools before the field trip.  

Above:  Ms. Aramayo and her students designed Pirate hats in the classroom prior to the 
field trip.

Above and Below: Ms. Selino and her students researched and designed posted for the production in the classroom .

Next they will follow up with post-activities back in the classroom.  Stay Tuned!!