A critical evaluation of the creative arts work we taught in school

1. A critical evaluation of the creative arts work we taught in school

2. An overview of the creative arts we taught in school We decided to teach an art and a dance lesson to a mixed class of Year ones and twos. We planned our lessons around the year groups’ current topic of Jack and the Beanstalk.

3. Lesson One- ArtCreating a giant beanstalk What We Did: The children used printing techniques and collage materials to make the giant beanstalk and individually made leaves using oil pastels and collage materials. • Prepared a wide range of appropriate resources • Set up work stations outside • Asked open questions • Used nature as a stimulus • Offered appropriate support as needed • Enabled freedom for creativity

4. Resources Used: • A1 sheets of white paper with the beanstalk outline • A4 sheets with leaf outline • Green, yellow, white and brown oils pastels • A variety of green paints • Sponges • Scissors • Textured collage materials • Glue • Aprons • The natural environment

5. A critical analysis of our lesson What we thought went well: • Children were engaged in the activities • They enjoyed the variety of resources and opportunity to use their choice of materials • They were keen to share their ideas and discuss techniques with each other • Children took inspiration from the surrounding trees • Each child used their own ideas and creativity to produce an individual leaf • The children enjoyed the freedom of making a mess What we would like to improve: • Weather appropriate resources such as heavier pots and paper weights • A larger space • A starter activity such as a discussion • A stimulus such as the beanstalks they have been growing

6. Lesson Two- DanceCreating a Jack and the Beanstalk motif What We Did: • Arranged the resources in an outdoor environment • Provided theme-appropriate warm up and cool down activities • Enabled freedom for creativity • Offered opportunities for performance and peer modelling • Asked open question to stimulate thinking and share ideas

7. Resources used: • The beanstalk with the leaves attached • Tambourine • Growing beans • Large open space • The natural environment

8. A critical analysis of our lesson What we thought went well: • The use of growing beanstalks, the art beanstalk and nature provided appropriate stimulation • Initial questioning triggered thoughts, ideas and excitement • The warm up activity prepared children’s bodies and minds • The natural environments’ sounds and smells brought the theme to life • The opportunity to experience different roles, model individual ideas and perform to their peers • No set music allowed the children to create their motif within natural sounds • Some unexpected and inspired motifs were developed through the children’s own individual creativity What we would like to improve: • More time may have allowed opportunities to include more characters • Pictures from various parts of the story could have been used as stimuli for group sequences • If we had more time and technical facilities we would have liked to film the motifs and put them together to the Jack and the Beanstalk story