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A&ha4078 Journal 5
A&ha4078 Journal 5
A&ha4078 Journal 5
culture (p.189). Children can imagine and create representations of other cultures, issues
in history, and ideas about the world, to extend their learning and apply their knowledge.
I also appreciated Beals (2001) comment that when studying other artworks
related to social studies, such as the pieces of art in a museum, Rather than tell the kids
what they are seeing, its best to let them look at it and discover the works for themselves.
The art will unfold for them as they do so (p. 207). Just as children make meaning
through their own works of art, they can construct meaning from the art they see in the
world.
Curriculum Objective for Social Studies and Clay
Borrowing the idea from Beal (2001), I might ask children to tell the story of a
topic in social studies. For example, we might read and talk about the Civil Rights
Movement, and I might ask, How can you tell the story of Martin Luther King Jr.
through clay? To guide students to explore the clay in purposeful ways I would ask
questions such as, How can you represent Martin Luther King Jr.? What about clay are
you exploring? How are you changing it in different ways to express emotion? and
What textures can you use? Students can respond to their learning about other topics
and people in social studies, as well as the characters in the books they are reading, in the
same ways.
References:
Beal, N. (2001). The Art of Teaching Art to Children. New York: Farrar, Straus and
Giroux.