There is no denying that the NCLB Act has increased most every school system’s view on language arts, reading, and math. These two subjects have been labeled time after time as being the core subjects. So what label does that leave for everything else? I am not exactly sure.
I do know that the idea for science and social studies in the lower grades is usually to be taught in the form of a reading or math lesson. Therefore the students are receiving a touch of the subjects wrapped up in the subjects that are believed to be really important.
Some schools have had to make sacrifices to meet the tough demands that have been put on the reading, language arts, and math curriculums. They have had to give up subjects and extra enrichments such as music and art.
Chevy Chase Elementary School is one school that feels that it has given more than its share when it comes to sacrificing art. The school, like many others in Washington and the nation, has cut down on art time to make more room for increased reading and math classes.
To show that the school still believes that art is important, it recently held an event that it called Big Draw. During the Big Draw, the students took part in a three-hour drawing event.
Some students designed postage stamps, others designed buildings, and some even studied elevations by drawing segments of a cut bell pepper.
One former teacher, who took part as an observer at the event, says that he is glad to see this happening. When he was teaching he says that he got frustrated with the continuous questioning on how every lesson tied into reading or math.
Possibly every thing does not have to have a stated objective. In some cases, children need the experience simply for the sake of the experience itself.