Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Program

Selected Models from Year One

2013 – 2014

AEMDD Program Overview The U.S. Department of Education awarded the Mount Vernon City School District, in partnership with ArtsWestchester, a four-year $1.2 million Arts-in-Education Model Development and Dissemination (AEMDD) grant to integrate standards-based arts education with core elementary school curricula in four elementary schools, grades first through sixth. The project focuses on using the arts to teach science, technology, engineering, math (STEM subjects), and English language arts.

Mt. Vernon CSD and ArtsWestchester began implementing the project during the 2013-14 academic year in grades first through third at Grimes, Graham, Longfellow and Williams elementary schools. The students will participate in the project throughout the four-years.

Participating students learn in and through the arts. ArtsWestchester Teaching Artists partner with classroom teachers and arts specialists to design residencies: multi-session, sequential arts-making workshops developed to master specific curricula content. Teachers, in collaboration with ArtsWestchester staff, selected their artists from varied disciplines including visual arts, dance, theatre, music, storytelling and film. Each residency consisted of a planning session, eight contact sessions with students, and a wrap-up session to assess the experience.

Professional development for teachers is a key component of the program, enabling educators to visit cultural organizations and to participate in activities related to the program’s goals of improving teaching and learning through the arts. Students also participate in visits to cultural institutions.

Three residency models presented in the following slides are selected from 37 residencies implemented during the spring of 2014; 44 classes of students were serviced by this program, approximately ~760 students.

(R to L) Ms. Horos, Teaching Artist Kathy Skura and Ms. Irizzary, Graham Elementary School, Mt. Vernon, NY

Residency: Creating Habitats with Fabric Arts Teachers: Ms. Hunter and Ms. Byrd, Grade 1, Longfellow Elementary School Teachers: Ms. Smith- Pluchino and Ms. McCusker, Grade 2, Graham Elementary School Teaching Artist: Jill Parry

Creating Habitats with Fabric Arts Project: Teaching artist Jill Parry guided first and second grade students to represent the flora and fauna of habitats through fabric.

Creating Habitats with Fabric Arts Academic Goal: Using non-fiction materials, conversations, and fabric arts to reinforce the following Science and ELA Common Core Standards: Science Standard 4: The Living Environment: Key Idea 6: Plants and Animals depend on each other and their Physical environment ELA-Literacy RI 1.1/2.1 - Ask and answer questions about key details in a text; Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. ELA-Literacy RI 1.7/2.7 - Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas; Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text. ELA-Literacy RI 1.5 - Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

Creating Habitats with Fabric Arts Artistic Goal: Student create works of fabric arts. Working with a new material (fabric), they use small motor skills, including cutting, pasting and sewing, to produce fabric quilt habitats and stuffed animals.

Creating Habitats with Fabric Arts Outcomes: 1. The final projects were both two- and three-dimensional, representing Rainforest,

Savanna, the Arctic, Desert, Fresh Water, Salt Water and Deciduous Forest. 2. Students were able to explain a habitat, identify the characteristics of a habitat,

and created their habitats with accuracy. 3. Students demonstrated an ability to manipulate fabric, cutting, sewing, gluing, and

to work both individually and in groups.

Residency: Measurement and Geometry with Clay Sculptures Teacher: Ms. Clayton, Grade 2, Grimes Elementary School Teaching Artist: Vicky Youngman

Measurement and Geometry with Clay Sculptures Project: Teaching artist Vicky Youngman created four ceramic sculptures with her second grade students to reinforce measurement, geometry and fractions. Students worked from visual references, built-up forms, and glazed their sculptures.

Math 2.MD.A.1 - Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes. Math 2.MD.A.2 - Measure the length of an object twice, using length units of different lengths for the two measurements; describe how the two measurements relate to the size of the unit chosen. Math 2.G.A.1 - Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces.1 Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes. Math 2.G.A.3 - Partition circles and rectangles into two, three, or four equal shares, describe the shares using the words halves, thirds, half of, a third of, etc., and describe the whole as two halves, three thirds, four fourths. Recognize that equal shares of identical wholes need not have the same shape.

Measurement and Geometry with Clay Sculptures Academic Goals: Using experiences with clay to reinforce the following Math Common Core Standards:

Measurement and Geometry with Clay Sculptures Artist Goals: Students learn to create clay sculptures and various techniques of working with clay, glazes, tools and found objects to achieve the results they wanted in their sculptures. Students demonstrate curiosity in the process and use their imaginations.

Outcomes: 1. Students completed an abstract

sculpture built from a square (right), an animal built from a truncated cone, a nature sculpture from a rectangle, and finally a human face from ovals.

2. Students were able to use a ruler correctly, understood units of measurement, and could discuss the difference between two and three dimensional shapes. Students reviewed concepts including perimeter, parallel lines, vertical and horizontal, and fractions.

3. Students understood and were able to discuss the process of creating clay sculpture, how to roll out slabs of clay to even thickness, make coils, attach pieces of clay together correctly, what a kiln is and what it does.

Measurement and Geometry with Clay Sculptures

Residency: Life Science and Bookmaking Teacher: Ms. Edmonds, Grade 3, Longfellow Elementary School Teaching Artist: Marie McCann

Life Science and Bookmaking Project: Third Grade students and Teaching Artist Marie McCann created non-fiction books about frogs for young readers using their own words, illustrations and interactive elements.

Life Science and Bookmaking Academic Goal: Using non-fiction materials, writing and the art of bookmaking to reinforce the following Science and ELA Common Core Standards:

Science Standard 4: The Living Environment: Key Idea 5: Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life. ELA-Literacy W.3.2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. ELA-Literacy W.3.4 - With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. ELA-Literacy W.3.8 - Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.

Life Science and Bookmaking Artist Goals: To design and create a book in support of their narrative by relating imagery to text and adding appropriate interactive elements.

Life Science and Bookmaking Outcomes: 1. Students conducted research and took notes about frogs. 2. Students used the information gathered to created text in their own words

and illustrations resulting in a book for young readers about frogs. 3. Students created interactive elements in their books, incorporating hopping

origami frogs, pop-up pages, and a “fortune-teller” quiz into their books.

Spring 2014 Residency Outcomes: Based upon evaluations following each residency, teachers were asked their perceptions regarding reaching the program’s academic and artistic goals. 1. Of the 22 of evaluations received, 100% teachers believed that academic

goals were met always or most of the time. 2. Of the 23 of evaluations received, 100% teachers believed that artistic

goals were met always or most of the time.

“The arts residency was designed to enhance the language arts/science instruction taking place in the classroom. My students were transported to the habitats they were studying through sounds, drums, and movement…This was a great experience for me and my children…I will be able to implement some of the arts integration strategies myself going forward.” - 1st Grade Teacher, Williams Elementary School

Professional Development

Goal 1: Provide exposure to cultural organizations and institutions. Goal 2: Model using exhibitions and objects as a jumping off point for teaching common core subjects both in the classroom and through field visit experiences.

Tour of the Hudson River Museum (above) and storytelling workshops by Teaching Artists Amalia Hoffman (right).

Goal 3: Provide hands-on workshops exploring art mediums and technology to generate new ideas for integrating the arts and technology with core curriculum into their own classrooms.

(Above) Teacher learning to use stop action animation.

Professional Development Outcomes: Based upon evaluations following each professional development session: 1. Teachers were asked if they would integrate their gallery experiences and/tours

into their subject area lessons in classrooms - 98% indicated they agreed or somewhat agreed.

2. Teachers were asked if they would integrate their hands-on workshop experience into their subject area lessons in the classrooms - 98% indicated they agreed or somewhat agreed.

“…These [professional development] workshops expand my knowledge of resources and bring a new light to my lessons! Thank you!” - Teacher, Grade 1/2, Graham Elementary School

Field Visit to STEAM Exhibition

Goal: To provide field visits to arts and cultural institutions throughout Westchester creating opportunities to reinforce core curriculum through guided gallery and hands-on informal learning experiences.

Students with Kathleen Reckling, Gallery Director

In June, groups of second and third grade students from Grimes and Graham Elementary Schools visited the STEAM exhibition at ArtsWestchester. Tours explore interactive artworks and technology, storytelling and portraits, and using everyday objects to create art. This is the first several field visits planned for the AEMDD program.

Exhibition concepts were reinforced through a hands-on workshop with Teaching Artist Marie McCann. Students created their own “selfies” –

portraits using pencil, marker and watercolor.

Work will continue through 2017 with 74 additional residencies each year, along with expanded opportunities for professional development and field trip experiences.

(Above) Fish prints with Teaching Artist Joe Mullins.

Participating Mt. Vernon Principals and Teachers

Graham Elementary School Dr. Natasha Hunter-McGregor, Principal Lisa Defrenso Renee Buggie- Brown Suzette Francis Denise Grant Angela Hall Jo-Ann Hogan-Torregrossa Amanda Horos Tara Irizarry Alisa Lentini James Lento Michele Lish Mary Ann McCusker Tracy Kayser-Messing Donna Smith- Pluchino

Grimes Elementary School Dr. Frances Ann Lightsy, Principal Laurel Brown Tina Ciccone Janeen Clayton Cynthia Freeman Anthony Ferrante Christine Francis Stephanie Harris Carrie Jones Krystyn Petrucelli

Participating Mt. Vernon Principals and Teachers

Longfellow Elementary School Mr. Jamal Doggett, Principal Daniele Byrd Stephen Coyne Tonia Edmonds Melissa Giannelli Melissa Gleason Landa Hunter Nicole White Lee Linda Murray Laura Colletti Rodriguez Lisa Pizzolla Susan Thornton-Smith Pamela Tumminello

Williams Elementary School Mr. Ernest Gregg, Principal Michael Bader Tashi Campbell- Tulloch Patricia Caruso Lisa Celzo Rachelle Copeland Ayanna Creighton Antonella Dell-Carpini Nicole DeMaio Lori Gill Diana Ippolito Nirmala Lewis Latoya McNair Keith McCall Carol Sindell

Participating ArtsWestchester AEMDD Teaching Artists

Marion Jones Archer Cornell Carelock Miguel Cossio Andrea Elam Amalia Hoffman Frank Ingrasciotta Erica Itzkowitz (left) Andrea Kantrowicz Ann Ladd Marie McCann Donna Miskend Joe Mullins Suzie Myers Stuart Nager

Jill Parry Marc Pollack Matteo Pungello Belle Ritter Patricia Runcie Kathleen Yacoe Skura Tova Snyder David Surface MJ Territo Jeannie Thomma Vicky Youngman

Mt. Vernon CSD and ArtsWestchester AEMDD Administration 2013-2014

Mt. Vernon CSD AEMDD Team Dr. Judith Johnson, Former Interim Superintendent of Schools Gertrude Karabas, Assistant Superintendent Joseph McGrath, Executive Administrator for Technology Sherry Ward, Work Study Coordinator ArtsWestchester AEMDD Team Janet Langsam, CEO Joanne Mongelli, Deputy Director Jessica Cioffoletti, Associate Director of Arts in Education Felicia Liss Block, Arts in Education Jessy Mendez, Coordinator, Arts in Education