Interdisciplinary Learning in the Studio

I tell my students that "back in the day," when the art teacher thought up the projects and the students carried them out, teachers were often asked to design interdisciplinary projects. Art projects connected to math often resulted in a quiltmaking project, ancient Egypt anyone? Sarcophagus covers or canopic jars were served up. You get the idea.

Exciting use of materials in this piece that visually describes a panda and its habitat. (by L, grade 7)

 What I especially love about our learner-directed program is that the artroom has really and truly transformed into a community studio. Kids know what is here and how to use it. They come during study hall, after school, and at lunch to use their studio.

The students who made this model (work-in-progress) arrived in the studio with a bucket of dry plaster and a plan to "build a bomb." I was able to shift their material-choice to plaster gauze instead, after explaining how their plaster-in-a-bucket works.

In this construct, interdisciplinary work is learner-designed, such as the mixed-media panda habitat above (for a science project), or the atomic bomb model ( for a social studies unit) that doubles as an excuse to learn about building an armature and using plaster gauze. Schools and schooling in the future, according to some who attended the National Art Education Association Fellow's Forum on "The Future of Art Education," will be interdisciplinary.
Tah Dah!