Transforming the Curriculum through the Arts offers something to every teacher who is concerned about the lack of creativity and imagination in today’s curriculum. There is much evidence to suggest that the Arts can make a unique contribution to the lives of young people, their learning and their ability to be creative and imaginative thinkers. Transforming the Curriculum through the Arts supports this idea by presenting the Arts as being central to children’s development and as such provides a much-needed framework for arts–enriched learning and teaching strategies across the primary and middle years curriculum. /divBased on current national and international research, this book presents a well-grounded rationale for embedding the Arts into the curriculum. Key learning areas are addressed in meaningful, relevant, interesting and creative ways. Innovative exemplars, many written and implemented by practising teachers, are clearly demonstrated.

This textbook highlights the unique role that quality Arts processes and experiences can and should play across the curriculum to ensure that all learners’ creativities and imaginations flourish. It provides much-needed strategies, units of work and practical resources in six arts disciplines – visual arts, literature, drama, music, dance and media arts. It is a must-read for those keen to develop research-informed, integrated, arts-rich learning and teaching strategies while also exploring each discipline. Alongside the ‘four Cs’ (critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity) the authors propose four additional ‘Cs’: curiosity, compassion, connection and courage as much-needed 21st century capabilities. The book speaks to the current debates on STEAM vs. STEM education, and provides an important framework for preservice and experienced classroom teachers, including arts specialists.

"A comprehensive look at how the arts (broadly conceived) can improve teaching, learning, and curriculum for all students, written in accessible language for non-academics and non-experts. It contains many evocative examples to illustrate the power of the arts to change education"--

This book provides inspiration and practical guidance for teaching with works of art in order to deepen engagement and improve student learning.

This handbook provides teachers with a framework for implementing inquiry-based, substantive art integration across the curriculum, along with the background knowledge and models needed to do this. Drawing on ideas from Harvard Project Zero, the authors make a clear and compelling argument for how contemporary art supports student learning. The text features subject-specific chapters co-written by teaching scholars from that discipline. Each chapter includes examples of contemporary art with explanations of how these works explore the fundamental concepts of the academic discipline. The book concludes with a chapter on an integrated, inquiry-based curriculum inspired by contemporary art, including guidelines for developing art projects teachers can adapt to their students’ interests and needs. This resource is appropriate for art teachers, as well as subject-area teachers who are not familiar with using contemporary art in the classroom. “I am so excited about this book! The visuals alone are enough to clue teachers in on ways that Contemporary Art can blow their curriculums open to become engaging, relevant vehicles for their students to ride across the 21st century. From the first scan, readers cannot help but see the power of Contemporary Art in transforming classrooms and learning.” —From the Foreword by Lois Hetland, professor and chair of art education at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and co-author of Studio Thinking 2 “Art-Centered Learning Across the Curriculum well surpasses its goal to demystify contemporary art for K–12 teachers. In this important text, the authors present a direct challenge to educators and public education reformers of all stripes to embrace the arts and design practices across disciplines as a potent means for building beautiful minds, not merely as a tool for beautifying dingy school corridors. This new book serves as a primer for fashioning the kinds of integrated curriculum frameworks required for success in today’s global knowledge economy.” —James Haywood Rolling Jr., chair of art education and a dual professor in art education and teaching and leadership, Syracuse University

Recognising performance and accountability pressures on schools, Inspiring School Change shows how a commitment to the arts in education can meet core school agendas of pupil and parent engagement, attainment, improved teaching and inclusion. Schools are under pressure to develop their students’ creativity and to improve their cultural education. This book fills a gap by marshalling the arguments and evidence for a form of education in, through and with the arts that moves beyond individual projects to become central to teaching, learning and school reform. When the arts are taken seriously, schools become different - and better - places. Using research evidence to promote greater awareness of the capacity of the arts to promote educational change, this text captures four key themes that run through all of the chapters: • Inspiration - sharing experiences and the way they happened, documenting inspiring pedagogy by understanding the reason it was done, the factors and the people involved in making it work. • School change - the need for schools to better prepare young people for the lives they will live in the twenty-first century; to engage young people more effectively and so educate them better, and the recognition that in an unequal society schools can contribute to making things fairer. • Creative arts - demonstrates, through international research, how the arts can facilitate whole school learning, meet core agendas, such as attainment, inclusion and promote lifelong learning. • Transforming education - marshals the arguments and evidence for a form of education in, through and with the arts that moves beyond individual projects to become central to teaching, learning and school reform. Tackling the hot topics of parent and pupil engagement, standards and accountability in a fresh way, Inspiring School Change offers those engaged in the research and practice of improving teaching and learning with insight into the educational value and possibilities of arts-based teaching and an arts-rich curriculum

Research shows that thematic teaching across the curriculum significantly increases student engagement. This book gives examples of how teachers can enhance their current lessons and studio activities by organising them around meaningful, universal themes like identity, conflict, and relationships.