ARTS EDUCATION TEACHER HANDBOOK

CURRICULUM INTEGRATION

Submitted by Nancy Clark, Ed Moon, and Patricia Pleasants, Wake County Public Schools

Integrated Performance:
French, Orchestra, Dance

Objective:
To integrate three disciplines in order to meet the various learning styles of our students and encourage cooperative effort.

Alignment with NC Standard Course of Study and Grade Level Competencies, K-12:

Dance

• Goal 3: The learner will understand that dance can create and communicate meaning.
• Goal 5: The learner will demonstrate and understand dance in various cultures and historical periods.
• Goal 7: The learner will make connections between dance and other content areas.

Music

• Goal 1: The learner will sing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
• Goal 2: The learner will play on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
• Goal 8: The learner will understand relationships between music, the other arts, and content areas outside the arts.
• Goal 9: The learner will understand music in relation to history and culture.

Description of Activity:

(Written by Nancy Clark, French Language Teacher)

When one of my French students told me that he was learning to play a French song in orchestra I asked him to play it for me. I recognized it as Au Clair de la Lune and immediately thought, "This is an opportunity for integration." I spoke with the orchestra teacher about the possibility of accompanying my French students on several numbers for Une Soiree Francaise (A French Evening). The collaborative effort was expanded when I asked the dance teacher to have some of her students demonstrate ballet terms and then music while the orchestra played and my students sang.

After a brain-storming session we each set about teaching our students the songs, terms, and music. When the students were ready, we met briefly to work out the logistics of when and where to gather all students for practice. We decided to meet before classes began, and communicated the days and times of the rehearsals with the classroom teachers and parents. One might think it would take a lot of extra time to organize such an activity; however, we found that it took very little extra effort, and the end result was much more effective than if each group had performed individually.

This performance showcased the skills and talents of approximately 80 students. They benefited in several areas. First of all, students and teachers faced the challenges of coordinating tempo and sharing limited stage space. For some, it was the first time they had performed for the public in the evening and for fellow students and teachers the next day at school. In fact several students who told me they were too nervous to perform found strength in numbers and overcame their fears.

Some of the French students were also in the orchestra, and although they played their instrument during the performance instead of singing, they at least knew the words and story to the music they were playing. Some French students also participated in the music. Others put their foreign language skills into practice through speaking and singing.

All students gained self-confidence through the pride they felt for having worked hard to cooperate with teachers and each other. We teachers learned the benefits of providing such an opportunity for our students and look forward to our next performance.

Powell Elementary Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts
Raleigh, N

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