Complete Schedule
Presentation Type
Open Access Poster Presentation
Keywords
Art in environmental education; Art in education;
Abstract
This project presents activities that support previous research suggesting the integration of art with science is beneficial to the learning and cooperative processes of children. The primary participants in this project were 23 second-grade students. The second-graders participated in a community engagement activity during which they brainstormed, collaboratively problem solved, and implemented a new plan to beautify an outdoor space at their school. The Think-Pair-Share (TPS) learning strategy was implemented to encourage peer teaching in the classroom. Students’ participation in activities was organized based upon the 5 E’s learning phases; engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate.
The results of this project support teachers integrating drawing into their curriculum as an aid for children to expand their communication skills. Participation in this project provided students with an opportunity to collaborate with peers in a joint effort to plan a butterfly garden. Through the act of improving a public space at their school, students engaged in a collaborative, proactive approach to science and art. The students’ participation in planning and cultivating a butterfly garden opened a dialogue amongst the students regarding their self-awareness of their role in the environment. Following completion of the activity, students wrote about their experiences as participants in creating a garden. These writings exhibited students’ self-awareness regarding the importance of protecting one’s environment. Students also decorated brick-sized blocks with educational information and drawings as a creative way to decorate and organize the garden space. Overall, this activity incorporated multiple lessons from which the students learned.
Start Date
4-4-2017 11:00 AM
End Date
4-4-2017 1:30 PM
Faculty Advisor
Audrey Rule
Department
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Copyright
©2017 Andrea Anderson
File Format
application/pdf
Embargo Date
4-4-2017
Second-Graders Beautify for Butterflies
This project presents activities that support previous research suggesting the integration of art with science is beneficial to the learning and cooperative processes of children. The primary participants in this project were 23 second-grade students. The second-graders participated in a community engagement activity during which they brainstormed, collaboratively problem solved, and implemented a new plan to beautify an outdoor space at their school. The Think-Pair-Share (TPS) learning strategy was implemented to encourage peer teaching in the classroom. Students’ participation in activities was organized based upon the 5 E’s learning phases; engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate.
The results of this project support teachers integrating drawing into their curriculum as an aid for children to expand their communication skills. Participation in this project provided students with an opportunity to collaborate with peers in a joint effort to plan a butterfly garden. Through the act of improving a public space at their school, students engaged in a collaborative, proactive approach to science and art. The students’ participation in planning and cultivating a butterfly garden opened a dialogue amongst the students regarding their self-awareness of their role in the environment. Following completion of the activity, students wrote about their experiences as participants in creating a garden. These writings exhibited students’ self-awareness regarding the importance of protecting one’s environment. Students also decorated brick-sized blocks with educational information and drawings as a creative way to decorate and organize the garden space. Overall, this activity incorporated multiple lessons from which the students learned.
Comments
Location: Maucker Union Ballroom
See the related published article:
Anderson, A. E., & Meier, J. A. (2016). Second graders beautify for butterflies. Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Construction, 1(2), 23-32.