Creative Connections with Eric Carle

Teaching at an arts magnet school is one of the most fulfilling things I have ever been able to do. Not only am I blessed enough to be teaching children (my passion) but I'm able to do it in a school that is aligned with one of my lifetime passions--the arts! Throughout my teaching career, I've always worked to incorporate art into my daily lessons. However, it is here at the Academy for Academics and Arts that I am challenged to push further and deeper into arts integration to connect rigorous core curriculum lessons with arts standards in order to reach every student's creative and unique learning styles, levels, and interests.

This year, I knew I wanted to guide an Eric Carle author study and explore his illustration techniques in literature and art, but I wanted to find a deeper connection to the curriculum. I found just that in our Science Standard 7.) Identify geological features as mountains, valleys, plains, deserts, lakes, rivers, and oceans. Eric Carle's stories and illustrations are full of plants and animals so this would be the perfect fit to integrate AL Visual Art Standard

1.) Apply a variety of procedures, methods, and subject matter in the production of two-dimensional works of art, including landscapes, still lifes, and relief prints.

Thanks to our amazing media specialist, Brenda Levert, we were able to read the stories and study the illustrations in each of the Eric Carle books in our school library. We also simultaneously studied geological features of the earth and I introduced landscapes through google and bing. After a few days of learning, we were able to begin sketching and labeling our landform landscapes.

Students begin sketching their landform landscapes.

Once our drawings were completed and accurately labeled, we watched a slideshow on the Eric Carle illustration process and a slideshow on his tissue paper painting technique. Students then made a plan and began their work. I started the process by instructing small groups of students at my table. After I taught a few groups, they were able to help other groups get started.

Students carefully trace, cut, and glue tissue paper.

Students were guided by their original drawings to trace shapes using colored tissue paper. They glued these onto a clean piece of cardstock to create their landscape designs. After the glue dried, students then used watercolors to paint over the tissue paper and add to the landscape. Look at these amazing finished products!

 This arts integration lesson lasted about 10 days and allowed students to use learned knowledge to creatively problem solve, plan, and execute unique works of art integrating science, visual art, fine motor skills, and more! This is why I love the arts--students gain so much from the process and in turn have so much pride in the product!

 We also had an exciting December Winter Celebration complete with pajamas and tacky sweaters! Students had Christmas and winter themed stations before the afternoon party. Students designed cards, scratch-art reindeer, and mini-masterpiece ornaments.

 We've also gotten really involved in our Math practices. I'm so proud of how hard the students are working to take ownership of their own learning. They make sense of problems, teach lessons, choose correct tools/manipulatives, and attend to precision daily!