STEAMed Magazine January 2016 | Page 19

Art and creative writing collide
Art and reading rule
number of shaded bars in their bar graphs reflected the same number as star stickers in their artwork enabled them to realize the connection between their art and their graphical representation of their art .

Art and creative writing collide

Students were next challenged to view their artwork , put on their writer ’ s thinking caps , and to record their answers to the following two prompts : ( 1 ) On a starry night I see … and ( 2 ) On a starry night I feel … ( figure 6 ). Students replied that on a starry night they would see “ shooting stars ”, “ a pretty moon ”, “ really big trees ”, and “ planets ”, while they would feel “ sleepy ”, “ scared ”, “ wonderful ”, and “ like Luke Skywalker ”. This brief creative writing activity gave the children an additional opportunity to experience how art can inspire one ’ s perceptions and feelings .
Figure 6

Art and reading rule

The classroom teacher ended this integrated math , language arts , and visual arts lesson by reading the very fitting and beautifully illustrated Eric Carle book , Draw Me a Star ( figure 7 ). Students listened intently as they learned about an artist who painted “ a good star ” and then “ traveled across the night sky .”
Figure 7
STEAMed Magazine
19
January 2016 Edition