Art, Design, and Biology

This interdisciplinary unit designed for my environmentally conscious 3rd through 8th grade level performing art students. I intend to engage my students academically and environmentally. It is important to provide relevant learning experiences that invite my students to develop their own understanding about what is going on around them through close observation of art, nature, and play This unit has three components dedicated to art, design and biology. The first part of this unit will include lyrical abstraction providing my students an opportunity to engage with environmental themes on a more emotional and subjective level. The second component of this unit will expose my students to environmental racism and exploring the benefits of nature and how plant anatomy enhances the quality of life. The final component will involve design and the use of Legos. Legos will be used for open-ended design challenges that require students to think critically about designing sustainable communities. Exposing my students to this multi-tiered unit will require collaboration, communication skills that are essential for creative problem-solving and creative expression.

The three main objectives and enduring understandings of this unit include:

1. First, I would like for my students to successfully identify and describe environmental issues through the lens of lyrical abstraction.  In order to achieve this goal, my students will engage with abstract concepts like climate change, air pollution, toxic waste and gun violence through close observation in order to deeply understand their environment.
2. Second goal is for students to understand the concept of environmental racism. Ultimately, I want my students to go beyond the emotions of anger and feeling victimized by the environmental disparities. I want them to understand our interconnectedness and become conscious activist advocating for sustainable resources in their own communities. 
3. My third goal for students is to understand and express their growth mindset regarding environmental awareness through disciplined play with the use of legos, collaboration, discussions, note taking, sketching and the significance of contributing to sustainable communities

(Developed for Performing, grades 3-8; recommended for STEAM and Science, grades 5-8, and for Visual Arts, grades 4-8)