The task of combining Spanish class and art class together seems a daunting one at first. The goal is to maximize use of Spanish/exposure to Spanish and its cultures by both you, the art teacher, and the children to achieve optimum integration.
Start dialoguing with the present art teacher to see how to "sneak" Spanish into the art curriculum, the ordinary classroom routine, and the classroom itself so that the art curriculum objectives will be satisfied, but the Spanish ones will be as well.
Here are some possibilities:
- labeling of classroom objects and materials in Spanish and English
- having color chart with Spanish labels for colors
- concentration on work of Spanish artists. For example, our wonderful art teacher uses Picasso and has children view paintings from his blue period. Then children then create masterpieces of their own using crayons and other
media in blue. She also uses Miró and the children create mobiles in his style.
- concentration on handicrafts related to Spanish culture areas in your curriculum (arpilleras, molas, rainforest animals, sombreros, animals of the desert, rainsticks, etc.)
- playing Spanish songs during time children are actually producing art projects (cutting, pasting, etc.) so that the song and concepts will be learned and reinforced during the other classes
- using simple commands in Spanish for routine of class - i.e. "Pass the paper." "Look here."
- sources for ideas? use the library and Internet resources to integrate curriculum. Start with the
- teaching children this simple rhyme by yours truly with "ar" verbs to
start/end every art class. Accompany each line of the rhyme with gestures.
Nos gusta pintar.
Nos gusta dibujar.
¡Nos gusta escuchar ... en la clase de arte!
Nos gusta cortar.
Nos gusta colorear.
¡Nos gusta trabajar ... en la clase de arte!
Look for other appropriate short rhymes in Días y días de poesía by Alma
Flor Ada, ISBN: 09178-37878,available from Hampton-Brown.
In addition, a Pablo Picasso unit is an opportunity to:
Learn/review body parts: I used two or three examples of Picasso's very abstract paintings of the human figure, along with a picture of the artist himself. Then I would hang up a very large piece of drawing paper and blindfold one child. As I held up a body part, the children would give a
command to the child (i.e. Juan, dibuja las orejas como Picasso../ John, draw the ears like Picasso.) As children came up adding more body parts, we had our own abstract drawing in the style of Picasso.
Learn/review the geography of Spain: Since he was born in Málaga. We talked about its location and relative distance to Madrid, the mountains, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, France, Portugal, etc.
Learn/review the vowels (and consonants): Pablo Picasso was the first child of José Ruiz y Blasco and María Picasso y López. He was christened with the names Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula, Juan Nepomuceno. Depending on the skill level of the children, students can (1) write his name and those of his parents part by part through dictation [Listen, write, listen again and
check], (2) Eliminate just the vowels (or consonants) in each name part and ask the children to fill in the blanks as you pronounce the name part correctly, (3) Create an incorrect name part and ask the children to make it right.
Learn/review colors: Use one of his masterpieces to teach colors. Have children name to which period certain painting belong -- blue or rose period.
Interestingly, one of Pablo's first words was "piz". I would have the children guess what he meant. (lápiz). The children liked to see a picture of him as a child, too.
The following link provides children with the opportunity to "color" a black outline Picasso painting:
