Creative Arts in the Schools

¶ … inappropriate given the risks posed by old, small radio parts to small children who might put these unsanitary substances in their mouths or injure themselves on sharp parts. Instead, children can be provided with large, age-appropriate blocks to construct robots. Scenario 2 reflects positive forethought and planning in the teacher's explanation regarding traffic flow; however sand can still be extremely messy, even outdoors. Children must have a place to clean themselves before re-entering the classroom.

Using modeling clay or other materials might be more feasible given the cleanup needs of a classroom. Scenario 3 is a good idea in that it uses arts and crafts to reflect the lessons learned on a field trip but some food cartons can be sharp or unsanitary; they must be selected carefully. In Scenario 4, rather than defaulting to the modern obsession with technology like iPads, the teacher should take measures to make the hands-on clay modeling station more attractive.

UNIT 5 DISCUSSION My earliest musical experiences involved singing in the classroom; my early childhood educators were strong singers but unfortunately I am not. My own musical limitations are my greatest concern but I hope to make use of group sing-a-longs and physical movement during music classes to address these concerns. If a parent objected I would explain that children's musical training is not simply learning notes and formal music but also involves creative musical expression.

For children ages 3-5, the "Hokey Pokey" is a wonderful way to channel this age group's abundant energy into song as they wave various body parts in and outside of the circle of fellow singers. It is also participatory, as every student can suggest a different body part to wave in and out. It also teaches about various parts of the child's body.

For children ages 5-8, more sophisticated song lyrics like "On Top of Spaghetti" helps reinforce concepts such as creative imagery, humor, and inventive use of language which will help them in their language arts classes as well as in music. Students can receive copies of the song lyrics and be asked to illustrate them as well as sing them. They can also use the format of the song (which is a rewriting of a more traditional tune) to generate other simple songs of their own making with silly lyrics.

UNIT 6 DISCUSSION Music has a very important role in a child's early development. Music can provide an important supportive role in helping children express themselves. Children can enhance their vocabulary through singing along and also making up their own songs. Singing gives students important creative tools and enables them to distinguish between sounds. Analyzing the meaning of songs can give students a greater appreciation of literature. Counting out rhythm and meter can teach children about math.

Songs can also help students memorize critical concepts in science and history and learning songs from different eras can also stimulate children's interest in the past. And making music can provide an important boding experience for the class. Even very young children can benefit from learning music like lullabies. Today, we will learn to go over the familiar lullaby "Rock-a-bye Baby." Since most of you already know this song, we will sing it together, after I sing through the first verse of the song to refresh your memories.

This is a great song to sing before bedtime because it reinforces the closeness between parent and infant through rocking and helps nurture children's physical and verbal skills, even for infants with mobility challenges. Next, we will sing the song "There Was An Old Lady That Swallowed a Fly." Every lyric of this song features a different thing the old lady is said to have swallowed: this is a great family song to sing together.

Because sometimes it is hard to remember all of the different things the lady eats, first I will sing the verse and then you can model what I say. UNIT 7 DISCUSSION The challenge of this day will be to involve the entire school in holiday-appropriate tasks without being ethnocentric. Making winter the focus of the school celebration, versus a specific holiday is an excellent way to do this. All of the classes can contribute decorations for various sections of the school: for example,.