Background Essay: Integrating the Arts across the Curriculum

Arts integration is an important way to enhance student learning and comprehension. Studies in neuroscience have found strong links between arts education and cognitive development (e.g. thinking, problem solving, concept understanding, information processing, and overall intelligence). Since many schools have decreased the instructional time for art and music, it is important for teachers to intentionally plan for the integration of the arts in content areas. This lesson plan provides teachers with essential questions to consider in order to plan for this integration.