Arts Integration is a research-based curricular strategy and has been utilized in classrooms for more than 30 years.  It is grounded in solid pedagogy and numerous studies have supported its effectiveness.

But the perils of using arts integration fall in confusing using the arts in service of another content area with true integration. Here’s a set of key features to look for in authentic arts integration:

Standards-Based Foundation
One of the hallmarks of Arts Integration is that it is grounded in connected standards.  When you’re creating or teaching a lesson, ask yourself: what standards am I address in both the content and the arts area?  If you can’t identify both, it’s not arts integration.

Teaching in and through the Arts
When you’re working in an arts integration lesson, you’ll feel like the line between the content and the arts is blurred.  That’s a good thing!  In arts integration, the arts are an avenue through which students apply and connect the previously taught content.  The arts are not servicing the content.  Instead, both the content area and the arts area are interconnected.