Assignment: The Impact of Human Expression on Culture

Introduction

Provide a brief introduction of your own culture.

Personal Reflection (Part I)

Reflect on your own culture and how its art, music, and dance have become important to understanding yourself and others. Consider the following questions:

1. How has your own creativity been enhanced as a result of learning about your culture and the culture of others?

2. How can you make sure the young children you work with remain connected to their own culture?

3. What creative opportunities can you provide for young children to assure they can participate in your program as well as develop an understanding of the cultures of those in their class?

4. How will you involve families to support your effort in the classroom as well as in the home?

Strategies for the Creative Arts (Part II)

This section will highlight three specific activities, one each for art, music, and dance. You will write a paragraph about a developmentally appropriate activity which best represents the inclusion of artistic expression for a mixed age, culturally diverse population. First, write a paragraph about an appropriate art activity using the guidelines listed here.

• Use essay style (do NOT write a lesson plan) to briefly describe the activity.

• Include an explanation of how it will meet children's developmental needs, abilities, and interest levels.

• Explain the pedagogical significance of the activity.

• Use a minimum of two sources to strengthen your paragraph as you apply research to what you have learned.

After completing your paragraph on the art activity, follow the same guidelines above to create the music and dance paragraphs.

All three activities should focus on the opportunity for children to explore and express themselves and NOT on activities which are highly teacher-directed with expected final results.

Conclusion

Share concluding thoughts in a final paragraph for this project.