MindMap Gallery teacher's toolkit 2024
This mind map comprehensively presents three art forms: "visual arts, dance, and music". "Visual arts" explains the types and creative techniques of visual arts; "dance" discusses the expressiveness and diversity of styles in dance; "music" focuses on the elements of music composition and performance techniques. These offer rich perspectives for appreciating and understanding art.
Edited at 2024-08-11 17:08:07Teacher's toolkit 2024 Victoria University Primary School and ELC
Drama
The Kennedy Center
Summary A vital free resource for a wide range of educational programs to integrate art forms into the classroom. Great tool for planning lessons that include performing arts such as dance, drama, visual arts, media arts and music.
Strengths - A wide range of arts-centric resources as well as non-art subjects like maths, history, science, cultures, are available. - Instructions and ideas for teachers on conducting inclusive art-integrated classrooms to cater to learners of all abilities (Dieterich, n.d.). - Articles on developing social skills, life skills, mindfulness, self-development in students through art is available (Simpson, n.d.).
Weakness - Navigating through the website can be overwhelming due to the large number of contents (The Kennedy Center, n.d.). - Activities are aligned with the U.S. curriculum, not ACARA, so teachers may need to adapt them accordingly.
Examples - Students analyze the personality traits, actions, and motives of the characters in a story plot (Scissors, 2011). - Drawing and pantomiming the meaning of words from Shakespeare's plays (Bauernschub, 2021).
Reader's Theater Scripts and Plays
Summary A collection of dramatic scripts that can be used in classrooms of kindergarten to grade 3. The scripts can be easily read out by students using expressive voices and gestures.
Strengths - The printable format of the screenplays is ready for enactment, saving educators time in planning the lesson (Teachers Heart, n.d.).
Weakness - Teachers may need to refer to the corresponding story books or videos before using the scripts from the website. - Not all the links in the website are redirecting to the corresponding scripts. - The resources are drama scripts and not integrated with the arts, so the teacher would have to modify them to incorporate other subjects (Swallow, 2006). - Most of the scripts in the collection does not use drama literacy concepts, such as expressions, tone, voice, and types of acting. Therefore, these resources are suited for a drama teacher or someone with prior training in drama, rather than a generalist teacher.
Examples - The story of chicken little can be dramatised by handing out the prints of the script to the class and assigning them characters available in Swallow (2005). - The screenplay of Tacky the Penguin, which emphasizes the concepts of inclusion and acceptance, is available in Teachers.Net (n.d.).
Improv Encyclopedia
Summary A comprehensive resource dedicated to improvisation theater including games, excercises, and techniques.
Strengths - Improv games can be used to develop skills such as communciation, teamwork, concentration and problem-solving. According to Donovan and Pascale (2013), "In improvisation, students build dramatic scenes by creating the drama in the moment, without reading from a script". - The website has numerous games that can be executed at the beginning of classes to maximize student engagement.
Weakness - The website does not have any images or videos. - The website has many advertisements, which can make navigation through the website difficult.
Examples - Audience warm-up games, as listed in Improv Encyclopedia (n.d.), can be used to promote the active participation of students in classroom. - The Alien, Tiger, Cow game in Improv Encyclopedia (n.d.) is used to ensure collaboration and fun in classroom.
Drama Trunk
Summary A collection of free PDF versions of drama games and activities that can be easily used by educators in classroom.
Strengths - The website has listed games and activities that are ready to be implemented in the classroom. - The activities and games mentioned are described sufficient enough for both beginners and experienced drama teachers.
Weakness - Majority of the game and activities listed on the website are paid. - The website is not interactive and has restricted access unless the activity sheets are paid for.
Examples - Forty-five free drama games and excercises that can be easily integrated in classroom is available in Drama Trunk (n.d.). - Forty-six free drama games and activities for primary aged children can be easily integrated in classroom is available in Drama Trunk (n.d.).
Visual Arts
National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)
Summary The National Gallery of Victoria's "Teachers & Students" section offers a variety of educational resources, including lesson plans, virtual excursions, and professional development opportunities. It supports educators in integrating art into their curriculum and provides students with interactive learning experiences.
Strengths - The website offers tailored lesson plans, exhibitions, and tours to help teachers foster creativity and innovation. - The website is designed for easy access to teachers, parents and students. - The activities are aligned with victorian curriculum.
Weakness - The website's abundant content can feel overwhelming for teachers as well as parents.
Examples - Discover the dynamic potential of positive and negative space through a technique called nōtan as described in National Gallery of Victoria (n.d.-a). - Using inquiry skills, students explore how arts influence change in the world as detailed in National Gallery of Victoria (n.d.-b).
LiveAbout.com
Summary A collection of resources, articles, and tutorials on topics such as drawing, painting, art history, and techniques. It caters to artists of all skill levels, providing inspiration, tips, and detailed guides to help users improve their craft and deepen their understanding of visual arts.
Strengths - The website provides images to elaborate on the activities. - The activities are easy to follow and detailed enough. - Various techniques of painting, drawing and sketching are explained in detail to deepen the understanding.
Weakness - The advertisements in the website can be very distracting and confusing for teachers, parents and students.
Examples - Teachers can use the activity of contour drawing activity with eyes closed, as mentioned in South, H. (2021).
The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM
Summary Offers a collection of lesson plans that integrate visual art with various educational topics. The lessons are designed to engage students by combining artistic techniques with academic content.
Strengths - The lessons are aimed to foster creativity, improve art skills, and deepen comprehension of academic concepts. - The lessons have detailed instructions, examples and expected outcomes. - By following the lessons teachers can integrate art into their curriculum and make learning more dynamic and engaging.
Weakness - Although most of the lessons are detailed enough , few activities do not have enough depth for advanced students.
Examples - Use pollock technique to learn the science concerpts of force and motion as described in Arts integration. (n.d.-a). - Learn maths, data collection, graphs and colors through the lesson mentioned in Arts integration. (n.d.-b).
Teach Beside Me
Summary The website offers a variety of art projects that incorporate scientific and maths concepts. The projects are designed to make science, maths and other subjects more engaging for kids by combining it with artistic activities.
Strengths - The lessons includes detailed instructions and a list of materials needed. The projects are intended to be accessible and fun. - The lessons encourage kids to experiment and learn in a creative context.
Weakness - While the projects are fun and visually appealing, the scientific explanations provided may be brief or simplified. - The implementation of project may require raw materials that could make the activity less feasible in classrooms.
Examples - The experiments, images and outcomes are mentioned in Teacher Beside Me. (2023).
Media Arts
ABC iview
Summary The ABC iview app has educational documentary series that explores various aspects of animal life, environment, science, arts etc.
Strengths - The online app is a free service and is user-friendly. - The app is available on multiple platforms including smartphones, tablets, browsers and smartTVs.
Weakness - The platform lacks interaction amongst the students, teachers unless it is played in a classroom and discussed.
Examples - The educational documentary series and shows are available in ABC iview. (n.d.).
Free Play Music
Summary The website Freeplay Music provides a vast library of royalty-free music tracks that educators, students can access and use them in their projects.
Strengths - The website has an abundant collection of music across different genre and mood. - Navigation through the website is relatively easy, - The content in the library is regularly updated.
Weakness - There are newer music apps that have more functionality compared to this.
Examples - Teachers can play soundtracks from this platform during classroom activities.
Scratch
Summary Scratch is an online programming platform that can be used to create animations using simple cursor movements.
Strengths - The scratch interface is user-friendly and visually engaging for all ages, - There are many free tutorials and resources available to create projects.
Weakness - Teachers need a minimum knowledge of block programming or scratch to guide students.
Examples - Teacher can add simple characters that moves back and forth, add sound, backgrounds as shown in (Scratch, 2023).
Piccollage
Summary This is a versatile app designed where students can creatively express their ideas through collages, combining photos, texts and stickers.
Strengths - This app can be used for creating visual summaries of lessons, develop multimedia presentations, or crafting personal projects. - PicCollage facilitates collaborative projects where students can work together, promoting teamwork. - This app does not require advanced technical skills.
Weakness - Some students might find the stickers, fonts, designs very distracting compared to the educational content.
Examples - Teacher can refer to the example in Engage Their Minds. (2014, October 16).
Music
Classic for Kids
Summary The website provides educational resources such as lesson plans designed to introduce classical music to students through engaging and age appropriate activities.
Strengths - The lesson plans are designed to cover different composers, musical styles, and suitable for various classrooms settings. - Includes interactive and creative activities, such as listening exercises, musical games, and hands-on projects that help students engage with classical music. - Samples of music and recordings are used in lessons, allows students to listen and analyse them.
Weakness - The focus of the lesson plans is classical music which might not interest all the students and teachers. - Teachers not trained in music can find the lessons difficult to execute.
Examples - Play different music from the website to introduce music literacy such as rhythm, melody, harmony.
Edutopia
Summary The webpage describes how music can be effectively integrated into language arts. Music can be used to teach various language arts concepts, such as rhythm in poetry, themes in literature, and vocabulary development.
Strengths - The website includes clear and actionable strategies that can be implemented in classroom. - Music can increase student engagement and motivation, especially for students who are less enthusiastic about traditional language arts lessons. - The article suggests using a variety of musical genres and styles, which can help cater to diverse student interests and cultural backgrounds.
Weakness - Teachers need additional preparation time if they are not musicians. - The strategies in the website could be effective for older kids than younger kids and diverse learners.
Examples - Using songs to memorize such as to remember country names, elements in chemistry.
PBS Learning Media
Summary The website shows the connection between music and mathematics, providing educational resources that demonstrate how these two disciplines intersect.
Strengths - The lesson plans teach mathematical concepts through music, illustrating how patterns, rhythms, and structures in music relate to mathematical principles. - The lessons includes videos and interactive tools that help students to visualize the mathematical concepts. - The lessons have step-by-step instructions which can help teachers who are not proficient in math or music.
Weakness - Although the approach is engaging, students who are not interested in music might not feel engaged in the lessons.
Examples - The interactive music experiments in (Google, n.d.) can be an enriching experience for students as well as teachers.
ARC Education
Summary The website comprises of music-related educational resources designed to support teachers in delivering music education. These resources include lesson plans, activities, and assessment tools tailored to different grade levels and aligned with the Victorian curriculum.
Strengths - The lesson plans in the website are aligned to the Victorian curriculum. - Lesson plans and activities are well-structured, providing clear guidance for teachers on how to implement music education in their classrooms.
Weakness - The website is not interactive due to which it could affect student engagement when the learner has different learning style.
Examples - Ask students in the classroom to discover, play, perform different music pieces to foster creativity in music.
Dance
Dance Teach Ideas
Summary The website offers lessons that integrates dance into various classroom activities to enhance learning and engagement.
Strengths - Provides diverse range of ideas for integrating dance into various subjects. - The webpages are visually engaging and well-organized. - The website includes additional resources and practical tools for teachers.
Weakness - Need account or subscription to access lesson plans.
Examples - Teachers with no background in dance can use their skills in yoga or martial arts to intiate dance integration in their classes.
Bangarra Dance
Summary The website offers educational materials designed to integrate dance and Aboriginal culture into classroom learning. It aims to enhance students' understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures through the art of dance, fostering cultural appreciation and engagement.
Strengths - The resources are well-crafted and designed to be engaging, incorporating dance and cultural education in a meaningful way. - The website has lesson plans, teaching guides, and educational activities that incorporate dance and cultural studies. - There are interactive resources such as videos, digital content etc.
Weakness - The focus is specifically on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and teachers would need to acquire knowledge on them. - The topics of indigenous cultures can be sensitive to some students, hence teachers need to be aware of the cultural diversity in the classroom.
Examples - Teachers can access learning in Bangarra Dance. (n.d.) to gain professional learning.
KET Education
Summary Website provides educators with guidance and tools for incorporating creative dance into their teaching. It wil support teachers in integrating creative dance into their curriculum, promoting physical activity, creativity, and self-expression among students.
Strengths - There are resources for educators to incorporate creative dance into their curriculum. - The resources include practical and actionable strategies, including lesson plans and activity ideas, which can be directly applied in the classroom. - The website has videos and worksheetsto support active learning.
Weakness - The website's contents and layouts are outdated.
Examples - Activities such as dancing the water cycle illustrate dance movements that correspond to different stages like evaporation, precipitation, and condensation (KET Education, n.d.).
BYU
Summary The website focuses on the integration of movement and dance in educational settings. It provides resources where movement and dance are incorporated into educational practices to enhance learning and support student development.
Strengths - The website has visual aids, videos to demonstrate the implementation of dance in the classroom. - The website is accessible easily and includes references, best practices.
Weakness - The website is not interactive and could benefit from an improved interface.
Examples - Teachers could use the lesson plans as mentioned in Cravath, E. (n.d.).
NOTE: Click + url to go to website.
References