1. Integrating Visual Arts Literacy
Skills with Social Studies Content
Joyce H. Burstein & Gregory Knotts
California State University, Northridge
March 3, 2012

2. Why Social Studies and the Arts?
 Use cultural anthropology as a lens for
teaching (Burstein & Knotts, 2011; Skelton, 2004);
 Brings expressive culture to life through the 4
art forms (Aaron, 1994; Scheld, 2011; Wenner, 1976);
 Use the visual-performing arts as a vehicle to
teach social studies concepts (Jones, 2005);
 Use of multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1989);
 Teaches participation and social skills- both
goals of social studies and the arts (Abril, 2007).

3. True Integration Guidelines
 Choose content standard(s) for History-Social
Science first
 Choose Visual or Performing arts content standard to
compliment the skill or concept being taught in HSS
 Create an objective for both the HSS content and
Arts content
 Use and teach academic content vocabulary for both
 Create performance based assessment
 Make sure the criteria is clear for both HSS and VPA
content and skills

4. 5th Grade Immigration Stories and
Mixed Media Art Style of Robert
Rauschenberg
National Geography Content Standards
#9- The characteristics, distribution, and migration of
human population on the Earth’s surface
#12- The processes, patterns, and functions of human
settlement
CA Visual Arts Content Standards
5.2.5- Assemble a found object/sculpture or a mixed
media 2D composition that reflects unity and
harmony and communicates a theme

5. Lesson Steps
 Students create questions to interview
parents and grandparents about immigration/
migration
 Teach interview techniques in class- model
and role play
 Students interview family
 Bring data to class to analyze patterns and
reasons for immigration/migration
 Write family story and record on audiotape

6. Connect Social Studies
with Visual Arts
 Introduce Rauschenberg and mixed media art- slideshow
 Students collect artifacts, photos, and writing about immigration/
migration of the family
 Use found pictures and phrases in magazines and newspapers
to express story
 Teach visual arts concept of mixed media
 Field trip to Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
 Students start mixed media piece using collected primary
sources and found art
 Create a gallery- students do gallery walk of family immigration/
migration story with audio tape playing in front of art piece
 Critique- art and social studies commentary of pieces

10. 4 Grade: Gaining
th
Perspective
 The social
influences of
art, from
Michelangelo
to Ansel
Adams

11. Short- and Long-Term
 CA H/SS Standards
 4.4.9 Analyze the impact of twentieth-century Californians
on the nation’s artistic and cultural development, including
the rise of the entertainment industry (e.g., Louis B. Meyer,
Walt Disney, John Steinbeck, Ansel Adams, Dorothea
Lange, John Wayne).
 CA Visual Arts Standards
 1.4 Describe the concept of proportion (in face, figure) as
used in works of art.
 2.5 Use accurate proportions to create an expressive portrait
or a figure drawing or painting.
 3.1 Describe how art plays a role in reflecting life (e.g., in
photography, quilts, architecture).
 3.3 Research and describe the influence of religious groups
on art and architecture

12. Lesson Steps
 Guiding Question: How has art influenced your
life and/or beliefs?
 Students brainstorm ideas of how TODAY’S art
(movies, TV, magazines) has impacted their
choices and/or beliefs
 Influence of art on society (ad campaigns for
drugs; social movements: Going Green)
 Influence of religious groups on art and
architecture: religious depictions in the CA
missions; Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel
 The first Going Green movement: Ansel Adams

13. Integration of Visual Arts
 Post small pictures on the roof of the classroom;
students try to decipher pictures
 Students pair up and draw pictures to be held on
opposite sides of the classroom (to be seen from far
away)
 Use of proportion
 Students draw and paint pictures a la Michelangelo
(precursor to photo montage)
 Ansel Adams photography (context, history)
 Students create photo montage of an issue important
to them in order to influence the beliefs of others

14. Drawing Like Mike
(A’Langelo)

15. Gaining a new perspective

16. Student GAINS
 Student
engagement
 A historical lens
 Art as influencer
 Critical
consciousness
about how art is
used to manipulate
THEIR perspective

17. CA Native American Culture
History-Social Science and Visual Arts Content Standards
 4.2 Students describe the social, political, cultural, and economic
life and interactions among people of California from the pre-
Columbian societies.
1.Discuss the major nations of California Indians, including their
geographic distribution, economic activities, legends, and
religious beliefs; and describe how they depended on, adapted
to, and modified the physical environment by cultivation of land
and use of sea resources.
 Diversity of the Visual Arts
3.2 Identify and discuss the content of works of art in the past
and present, focusing on the different cultures that have
contributed to California's history and art heritage.

18. Lesson Steps
 Do a KWL to access prior knowledge about CA
Indians
 Model photoanalysis process using visual evidence to
draw conclusions
 Students analyze images of CA Indians to identify
and analyze cultural artifacts
 Teacher teaches lesson on visual arts elements and
principles: line, color, form, pattern, in relationship to
cultural aspects of regional tribes in CA (e.g.
Chumash, Yokut, Miwok, Cahuilla, Yurok, Pomo)

19. 4th Grade: Analyzing Native
American Art

20. 2 Grade: Critical
nd
Consumers
 H/SS:ECONOMICS
 2.4.2: Students understand basic economic concepts and their
individual roles in the economy and demonstrate basic economic
reasoning skills by understanding the role and interdependence of
buyers (consumers) and sellers (producers) of goods and services.
 VPA: ARTISTIC PERCEPTION & HISTORICAL/CULTURAL CONTEXT
 2.1.3: Identify the elements of art in objects in nature, the
environment, and works of art, emphasizing line, color, shape/form,
texture, and space.
 2.3.3: Identify and discuss how art is used in events and celebrations
in various cultures, past and present, including the use in their own
lives.

21. Lesson Steps
 Display advertisements, brochures, and movie
posters on front board
 Ask students to choose an ad and write down
how they feel about it and why the ad made
them feel that way (evidence-driven)
 Discussion of consumer/producer; advertising
 Get in teams of two and design a product to
advertise
 Create brochure to advertise product (draw,
write, montage of existing images)
 Present product to persuade people (use of
language)

22. Integration of Visual Arts
 What are advertisers doing to highlight the
product? (line, color, shape/form, texture, and
space)
 Arts vocabulary can be introduced here or
reinforced from previous lessons, depending
on familiarity with the art concepts; no need
to highlight ALL concepts if this is an
introduction of terms (space and color!)
 Examples from ads, posters, and brochures

23. Work groups of ad sales

24. Color & Space to motivate the
Consumer

25. Student Gains
 Student Engagement
 Becoming a Critical
Consumer
 Critical consciousness
about how art is used to
manipulate THEIR
perspective
 Debate and Persuasive
Language

26. Let’s Get Started!
Primary Source photographs – using
visual cues
8th grade: Learning about the Depression
Visual Art – utilize visual literacy skills
6th grade: Ancient Egypt
 Historical Inquiry – integrating the
visual arts in order to gain access to
history/social studies content

29. THANKS
Joyce H. Burstein:
Joyce.burstein@csun.edu
Greg Knotts:
Greg.knotts@csun.edu
Find Reclaiming social studies for the
elementary classroom at
www.kendallhunt.com