ATHENS, Ga. – University of Georgia art professor Joseph Norman will talk to Chase Street Elementary School students about artwork they have created in response to his drawings. The school assembly will cap a five-week program in which students explored the power of words and visual images using examples of Norman’s work for inspiration. Norman will speak to the students on Friday, March 5, for 40 minutes beginning at 10 a.m. in the Chase Street Elementary School gym.
Richard Siegesmund, a professor of art education at UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art, and Chase Street Elementary School art specialist Krista Dean coordinated this arts-integration program. The program is part of the UGA-Clarke Schools Partnership, a five-year initiative led by UGA’s College of Education, involving both Chase Street and Gaines elementary schools. The effort represents UGA, the school district and the community working together to raise test scores, enhance parental participation and develop newer, better ways of teaching diverse student populations through a broad range of programs, including mentoring, recreation, art and language education.
The five-week program is taught by a unique pairing of preservice art education students from the art school with preservice elementary education students from the education college. Together these teams teach in pre-K to fourth grade classrooms.
Not only do the students at Chase Street learn about the power of words and visual images, but the future teachers from UGA also get to see the power of combining art with core language learning, according to Siegesmund.
“Art gives students something to talk and write about,” said Siegesmund. “General classroom teachers need to know how to take advantage of students’ interest in making visual art and use that interest for accelerating acquisition of language skills. While the UGA students hone their skills for teaching art lessons, the children of Chase Street Elementary are the beneficiaries of rich and robust learning opportunities.”
Chase Street School is located at 757 N. Chase Street in Athens. The artwork and writing created by the participating students will be on display in the gym throughout the assembly.
