Arts Integration: Singing a Hurricane!

Today in professional development for the Thriving Minds 2014 Dallas summer camp, which kicks off next week, I taught a model lesson to the music teachers on how to integrate music into a first grade lesson on Hurricanes.

In this video, the 44 educators were split into five groups to represent...

A: a meadow before the hurricane hit
B: the eye wall of the hurricane
C: the eye of the hurricane
D: the other side of the hurricane as it swept through
E: the meadow and the destruction left in the hurricane's wake

They were given ten minutes to work in their groups (because they were music teachers; if they were really first graders, they would be given significantly more time and teacher support/input). They were allowed 45 seconds of time to demonstrate their part of the scene. As you can see, some groups chose to sing, some chose to use props as instruments, others chose dramatic interpretation.

The lesson demonstrates how music, movement, and scientific concepts can be integrated to give children an experience so that they can relate to what otherwise may be a very abstract concept for children. If a child grows up where hurricanes don't ever occur, looking at satellite photographs of a storm may not be enough for them to grasp exactly what a hurricane is. But if they can create one in the classroom - even if it's not quite real - it gives the concept relevance for them.

As you can see, the teachers really got into it and took it way beyond the first grade level. We decided that was ok. :) Everyone got a clear view of how to scale it back or allow extra time to do it with first graders.

Note: originally we identified the form of the piece as ABCBA, because we had constructed a story, as 6-7 year olds, of a calm and peaceful meadow (section A) which then gets hit by the eye wall (section B), then the eye (section C), then the eye wall again (section B) and then when the hurricane leaves we're left back in the meadow (section A). We decided to change the form to ABCDE for artistic variety.

Public School Myths?

I plan to purchase a book today; it's called 50 Myths and Lies That Threaten America's Public Schools: The Real Crisis in Education, by David Berliner and Gene Glass. I'll post more once I've read more.

In the meantime, Edutopia pulled some interesting info from it already, in an article titled "8 Myths That Undermine Educational Effectiveness."

"Myth #1: Teachers are the Most Important Influence on a Child's Education
Of course teachers are extremely important. Good teachers make a significant difference in achievement. But research indicates that less than 30 percent of a student's academic success is attributable to schools and teachers. The most significant variable is socioeconomic status, followed by the neighborhood, the psychological quality of the home environment, and the support of physical health provided. There are others, but the bottom line is that teachers have far less power to improve student achievement than do varied outside factors."

Click to read more at Edutopia...

Here is my concern when it comes to this line of thinking: I agree that there are many, many factors that lead to student success. But when this gets published as Myth #1, that teachers are not the most important factor...I feel like some teachers (certainly not all, but I've met some) will throw up their hands and say, "You see? I am powerless to effect real change until these deadbeat parents value education, and the government gives us more funding, and this neighborhood gets better, and...."

Until all those other factors can somehow miraculously fall into place, we must continue to work toward developing a system to educate children who must thrive, despite imperfect conditions. I am hoping that this book gives some suggestions as to how we might do that, rather than simply listing myths.

What are your thoughts? Let's start a discussion. Leave a comment below!

"Race" for Employment