Otay Ranch Academy for the Arts

Arts Integration finds a natural connection between the curriculum and the art form. The teacher teaches both the arts objective and the curriculum objective side by side enabling students to make connections between them and the real world.

Arts integration is a seamless blending of the content and skills of an art form with those of a co-curricular subject. Most of us have the experience of working on an art project for school that adds to our understanding of a concept. But the art could easily be removed with little or no impact on the curricular objective. In arts integration, the skills and objectives are blended in a way that makes it impossible to separate the two. Students are able to understand the concept of verbs, not simply because they have worked on worksheets and answered questions in books, but because they have experiences with verbs. For example, students understand that actors and dancers need verbs to create movement and actions. They understand through experience that adverbs tell us how we will move through space.
“Arts integration is highly effective in engaging and motivating students. It supports the academic achievement and improved social behavior of students while enhancing school climate and parental involvement.” Artseveryday.org

Our state mandated objectives remain the core of our focus. But an arts integrated format understands that these objectives mark the beginning of learning, not its end. Objectives are
established and assessed in both the art form and the other subject area, and the students’ understanding of the content progresses over time. The arts require us to deepen our understanding and mastery of subject. Just as a musician may work on a single piece of music for years in an ongoing attempt to refine their skills, a student will continue to work and refine their understanding of objectives. Those objectives may be understood, but the process allows the student to test, refine, apply and naturally deepen their comprehension.
“It enlivens the teaching and learning experience for entire school communities. At its best, arts integration is transformative for students, teachers, and communities. The imaginations and creative capacities of teachers and students are nurtured and their aspirations afforded many avenues for realization and recognition.” Artseveryday.org