Where art and music are often considered areas of enhancement in other philosophies of education, at Park Street School the disciplines of art and music, Spanish, science and physical education are integral parts of our core curriculum. Various topics of study are integrated as much as possible across all these disciplines.
Making connections across subject matters helps us learn.
Seeing facts from different angles or disciplines helps us recognize those facts more readily. It also deepens our ability to think and process information.
Take, for example, our unit in fourth grade on Medieval Europe. Not only do we learn about the decline of the Roman empire, the rise of nomadic tribes in Western Europe in history and study Europe’s geography and topography, but we also examine the features of Gothic architecture, looking at the Chartres Cathedral and Notre Dame. Not only do we read “The Sword and the Stone,” “The Lady of the Lake” and “Saint George and the Dragon” in Language Arts, but we also create rose windows, using our math skills and the principles of design we’ve learned in art class of rhythm and movement, balance, unity and emphasis and proportion.
While we discover how important plot and setting are for storytelling in the development of our writing ability, we are also introduced to the Gregorian chant in music, looking at images of old manuscripts, and defining terms such as monophonic, melisma, syllabic and a capella. And while we examine the judicial system of the Middle Ages and learn of the beginning of the trial by jury, we also listen to Simon and Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair” and discuss the role of bards and minstrels in passing down music to our generation. By making connections, we begin to see the principles of rhythm, balance, pattern and unity not only in visual arts, but also in the written word and through music.
