Critical Thinking & the Arts The “Write” Choice

1. Critical Thinking & the ArtsThe “Write” Choice Priscilla Johnson Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary School 2nd Grade Teacher

2. Mission and Vision Mission: Dorchester School District Two leading the way, every student, every day, through relationships, rigor, and relevance. Vision: Dorchester School District Two desires to be recognized as a “World Class” school district, expecting each student to achieve at his/her optimum level in all areas, and providing all members of our district family with an environment that permits them to do their personal best.

3. What Do We Want Students to Do? Students will reflect on the goals of writing about experiences in the arts and the collaboration necessary to make such written work effective (teacher driven). Students will feel empowered to create and receive helpful critique about their art form (collaborative). Students will infuse arts and writing standards to think critically about various works of art and provide meaningful feedback (independent).

4. What about you… the teacher?YWBAT:  • Use fine art content areas to supplement CCSS. • Differentiate writing instruction through the arts to empower writers as artists. • Use prominent works of art to implement writing strategies. • Foster influential critical thinking skills. • Encourage student strengths through the arts. • Enable students to utilize speaking and listening skills through collaboration to analyze works of art.

5. The Rationale of Critical Thinking The goal of critical thinking is to reflect upon the art work or performance and provide valuable feedback. This feedback is not to be looked at as a negative critique.

6. Student Work SampleFlight of the BumblebeeRimsky- Korsakov “It sounds like people racing down the highway.” – Darius, 2nd “I hear the insects attacking a picnic.” – Victoria, 4th “The bees are frantically flying through the wind.” – Lenaysa, 4th “…because they are avoiding the rolling storm.” – Devon, 5th “I feel anxious, like I’m riding on the back of a bee with Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus!” – Robert, 3rd Program music: music that is created to express a particular story, person, place or thing.

7. Critical Response Process(Collaborative) Small Group: Describe what is happening in this “story.” • Use the 5W’s (Who, What, Where, When, and Why) Building on Other’s Talk: Take turns in your group. • Point out details that you think are important to support your statements. (Evidence) • Ask each other questions. “What makes you say that?” “How do you know?” “How can you tell?”

8. Critical Response Process(Collaborative) Final Group Reflections: What do we think it is about? • Say it in ONE statement. • Revise your statement and state it again in ONE WORD. • After the discussion, what other questions do you have?

9. Critical Response Process(Written) Statement of Meaning: • What was exciting/striking to you? • Choose your adjective The Artist Speaks: • The goals of the artist’s work/point of view. • What does this tell you about the work? Final Reflections: • How does the work make you feel? (emotional, creative) • Does this remind you of anything? • What more do we want to know? (Teacher guided questions)

10. Collaborate with your group. (Use the Critical Response Process!)

11. Student WorkSample 1

12. Student WorkSample 2

13. How You’ll Cover the Arts Standards Music MG4: Listen to, describe, analyze, and evaluate music and music performances. Dance D4: The student will demonstrate and apply critical, creative, and analytic thinking in response to dance. Visual Art VA5: Analyze and assess the characteristics and qualities of his or her own works of visual art and those of others. Drama T7:The student will analyze, evaluate, and derive meanings from improvised and scripted scenes, live theatre performances, and theatrical performances on film, television, and other electronic media.

14. “Infusion to the Core” • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.2Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.2Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

15. “Infusion to the Core” • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

16. Got Questions?

17. Contact Information Priscilla Johnson 2nd Grade Teacher pjohnson@dorchester2.k12.sc.us 843-760-9820

18. Session EvaluationParticipants are asked to complete a session evaluation for each session attended. Credit (attendance, renewal, and/or technology) will be added following evaluation completion. For each question, use 1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Neither Agree nor Disagree, 4=Agree, 5=Strongly Agree. Your responses will assist us in planning future professional development in Dorchester School District Two. • The instructor was well prepared for the workshop. • The materials for the workshop were appropriate. • The concepts presented were appropriate to my job. • I will benefit from attending this session. • I would recommend this training to others.