Art

Art is a form of communication. Learning to decipher it's meaning is like any other form of communication, studying its language. When we think of how many jobs involve the arts, it is hard to ignore the significance of the arts in society. In fact, think about how the arts have been used throughout history from cave art to a painting by Picasso to the design of your cereal box. Art differs greatly from one culture to another and therefore it is so important to use the arts when teaching. If we are studying any particular culture, students can learn a great deal from the art created by that culture. Even music is an important part of and era. Think of the people living in Vienna at the time of Mozart (1760's) compared to the people living in New Orleans in the early 1900's (The birth of Jazz).
With all the technology available today it is so easy to access music, video and art to use in the classroom. Try playing music or a video in an art station to enhance learning. Also provide many opportunities for hands on art projects that will keep kids engaged in learning. Learning any subject can be enhanced by the arts. After all, do you want to hear me talk about it or would you rather see a picture?