Very Special Arts Festival 2022 - Study Guide

STUDY GUIDE

TABLE OF CONTENTS About the Very Special Arts Festival

3

Lesson Plans Lesson 1 – Eye! Eye! Lesson 2 – How Are You Feeling?

Lesson 3 – Mindful Movement!

4-7 8-12 13-16

The Music Center’s 43rd ANNUAL VERY SPECIAL ARTS FESTIVAL WHEN Friday, April 29, 2022 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

The Very Special Arts Festival, a TMC Arts program, is made possible by generous support from: LEAD SUPPORTERS Jerry and Terri Kohl Mimi Song Special thanks to our generous supporters: Tina and Jerry Moss/Moss Foundation Ring-Miscikowski Foundation/The Ring Foundation LSMK Investments Robert Nelson Foundation The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation

PARTNERS

VSAF 2022 | 2

ABOUT THE VERY SPECIAL ARTS FESTIVAL

The 2019 Very Special Arts Festival at The Music Center. Photo by Will T. Yang.

The Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival is an annual inclusive event celebrating the artistic achievements of students with all abilities. The festival features student and professional performances, visual and performing arts workshops, and a student art exhibit created around the theme. Presented in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Office of Education, the Very Special Arts Festival is free and open to all grade levels.

This year, the festival will return in-person and offer students and teachers the opportunity to experience performances and participate in multiple art workshops.

Included in this study guide are three lesson plans that were crafted to help teachers explore various ideas related to this year’s theme “The Arts Heal L.A.”. Each lesson is standards-based and employs various aspects of Social Emotional Learning competencies. We have also provided rubrics for assessment.

Teachers may wish to incorporate some of these ideas into their existing curriculum in preparation for the festival We can’t wait to see you there!

VSAF 2022 | 3

LESSON PLANS Lessons Designed by Karla Sequeira – Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE)

TEAL Arts Integration Lesson Plan Template

LESSON 1: Eye! Eye! Lesson Title:

Eye! Eye!

Teacher Author:

Karla Sequeira

Grade(s):

K-12

Arts Discipline(s):

Visual Arts

Brief Description:

Students can use this as a calming or emotional regulation strategy. Drawing dots or eyes all over your paper can feel so freeing! As you talk about feelings, moods, emotions or expressions, students can add the eyebrows and mouths that show all kinds of expressions. Students can use this throughout the day as they check in and out with themselves. They can also use this to capture other people's (or characters in a story or movie) emotions and expressions. At the end of the class or day, they will have a collection of expressions that can be used to tell stories and support problem solving.

Instructional/Technology Materials & Resources:

Paper or notebook Pens, markers, colored pencils or crayons Drawing apps or note takers on iPads or other devices work, too (Ex. Doodle Buddy, Notability, Show Me!, Google Keep) Optional: mirror or camera on a device

Essential Questions and Learning Outcomes

How can emotions, feelings, moods, or expressions look?

What do I want my students to understand?

What do I see, notice, wonder, and appreciate about my expressions?

If my expressions had a speech bubble or could talk, what would they say or think?

VSAF 2022 | 4

Moods and feelings can change. What do I think about my page of expressions? Did my expressions change? How does that make me feel?

Key Terms:

expressions, emotions, moods, feelings, eyebrows, facial features

Instruction:

Teacher can model this by having a large paper (chart posted) where all students can see it.

Sequence of key learning activities

1. Begin with taking a breath in and out slowly. Tell students how sometimes we need to take a brain break and sometimes we need a brain energizer. Today we are going to try a calming (or regulation) strategy by drawing sets of dots or eyes all over a paper.

2. Lead a preferred type of check-in and ask students how they are feeling. Model how you are feeling and share that your eyes, eyebrows, and mouths can show others how you are feeling. Model your facial expression and say “I am feeling ______” or “I am in a _______ mood.”

3. Next draw the eyebrows and narrate how they can change the eyes to reflect a mood or feeling. Then add the mouth. Repeat “I am feeling____” or “ I am in a ___mood.”

4. Share that throughout the day you are going to add eyebrows and mouths to your sets of eyes to reflect changes in your mood and feelings.

5.

At the end of the day you will have a page of expressions that reflect your day and mood .

Assessment:

Students can share, draw, or write a reflection on their expressions. They can create social stories, comics, or problem-solution maps.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL): CASEL Competencies

Self-Awareness: Identifying one’s own emotions, Accurate self-perception, Recognizing strengths, Self-confidence, Self-efficacy Social Awareness: Empathy Self-Management: Impulse control, Stress management Relationship Skills: Communicating effectively

Cultural Relevance: How will my students connect to the content?

• • • • •

Identifying and building on student strengths Engaging students actively in the learning process.

Creating environments of enrichment rather than remediation.

Developing a sense of community, self-determination, trust, and democracy.

Providing affirmation, mutual respect, and validation.

VSAF 2022 | 5

•

Other Considerations: Please include accommodations/ modifications for differentiation

Extensions: How can the lesson be expanded?

Honoring students’ voices and creating environments where student voice permeates classroom instruction.

Some students may need prompts or reminders throughout the day to add to their eyes. For some, they may be more independent and can fill up the paper quickly. Students may want to use different colors and make bigger faces. Make accommodations as necessary.

More SEL (Writing): • Throughout the day, pick a few of the expressions and add speech bubbles that express how they feel, what they are thinking, or questions they have.

Music: •

Add some music. Create a playlist of different songs (ex. some fast, some slow, different genres). Play and pause throughout the day and ask how the music makes students feel.

Visual Arts • Introduce different types of artwork and after sharing a little about each one, have students draw expressions as to how each work of art makes them feel. https://artsandculture.google.com/ Theater •

Invite students to act out one of their expressions or many of them. Students can guess the emotions. You can also present miniscenarios and have students act out the faces or “freeze them” to make a tableau.

Please fill out all standards related to the lesson.

CA Arts Standards:

Visual Arts (Third grade used as an example and includes standards for extension activities) 3.VA:Re7.2- Determine messages communicated by an image.

3.VA:Cn10- Develop a work of art based on observations of surroundings.

Theater 3.TH:Pr6- Share small-group drama/theater work, with peers as audience.

Integrated Content Area(s):

SEL braided with visual arts and with extension activities can be ELD and ELA ( Speaking and Listening)

VSAF 2022 | 6

Common Core State Standards:

(Third grade used as an example)

English Language Arts ELA Eng. Lang. Developm. ELD Mathematics Math

ELD Part I: Interacting in Meaningful Ways: Exchanging information and ideas Contribute to class, group, and partner discussions, including sustained dialogue, by following turn-taking rules, asking relevant following turn-taking rules, asking relevant questions, affirming others, and adding relevant information ELA Speaking and Listening CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1.D Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

Next Generation Science Standards: NGSS

N/A

Notes:

N/A

VSAF 2022 | 7

LESSON 2: How Are You Feeling?

Lesson Title:

How are You Feeling?

Teacher Author:

Karla Sequeira

Grade(s):

K-12

Arts Discipline(s):

Visual Arts

Brief Description:

Students will check-in, name how they are feeling, and use items they find around them to create a feeling plate. They can also create another feeling plate after naming how they want to feel.

Instructional/Technology Materials & Resources:

Paper plate, 6-10 small random items found around the house or in a drawer (ex. hair ties, twist ties, yarn, buttons, magnets, sunglasses, rubber bands, pens…), Post-it or small piece of paper, mirror (optional) Optional: device with camera, access to Padlet, Flipgrid, or Google slides

Essential Questions and Learning Outcomes

What do feelings look like?

What do I want my students to understand?

What do I see, notice, wonder, and appreciate about my feeling plate?

How does it feel to see my plate?

Can art change how I feel? How?

Key Terms:

feelings, see, notice, wonder, appreciate, art gallery

VSAF 2022 | 8

Instruction: Sequence of key learning activities

Checking-in 1. Begin with a check-in where there is an opportunity to see expressions and/or words. Ask “how are you feeling?” Think about using a Mood Meter, Emojis, or any other visual. You can modify this part by asking students to draw in the air how they are feeling.

Naming Our Feelings 1. Students can name their feelings by saying, “My name is ___. I am feeling ___ and that’s ok.” Naming your feeling and saying it out loud can be validating and allows students to feel seen and heard.

2. After they have named their feeling (or feelings), they are invited to

make their feeling face in a mirror or they can take a picture of themselves. Have them write down their feeling word on a small piece of paper or Post-it.

Go on a Hunt!

1. Go on a mini scavenger hunt for six to ten small items you have in your space. Items can be in a drawer, in your backpack, on your desk, and if you are at home, get creative! This gets students moving and provides a brain break/energizer. If you would like to gather items and have them available, that works, too. (Validation is super important here as students may ask “Is this okay to use?” All items work as long as they can fit on or near their plate. I have seen students use items they have in their desks, pencils boxes, and backpacks. During Distance Learning, students looked in drawers, used recycled items, and even used items from the pantry and refrigerator!)

Create a Plate 1. Prompt students to place the items on the plate to create a feelings face. No glue required! They can arrange and rearrange items to create a face that reflects how they are feeling.

2.

Students can take a picture and upload to a Padlet, slides, or Flipgrid and now it becomes an art gallery of feelings. Have them look at all of the feeling plates in the gallery.

3.

When they are done, ask how they want to feel and have them create another feeling plate. They can take another picture and upload it to the gallery.

Using and modeling “I see, I notice, I wonder, I appreciate” language is key. Ex. “I see you are using a button, I wonder what you’re going to do with it? Show me.” “I noticed you found lots of items. How did it make you feel to go on the item hunt?” “I wonder what kind of face you’ll create. Tell me

VSAF 2022 | 9

about it!” “ I appreciate that you shared your art with me. If your feeling plate could talk, what would it say?”

We tend to give our opinions and answer for them when it comes to art when we say, “I love it!” or “You made a flower!” Kids do not have the opportunity to respond or share after those comments. By using “I see, I notice, I wonder, I appreciate…” you are opening up conversations and not making assumptions.

VSAF 2022 | 10

Assessment:

Students can write or draw their reflections on their art experience using the following questions: What kind of plate did you create?

How did making your plate make you feel?

If your feeling plate could talk, what would it say?

How does looking at a gallery of feeling plates make you feel?

What could we call our gallery? Give it a title.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL): CASEL Competencies

Cultural Relevance: How will my students connect to the content?

Self-Awareness: Identifying one’s own emotions Social Awareness: Taking others’ perspectives Self-Management: Using planning and organizational skills Relationship Skills: Communicating effectively • • • • • •

Other Considerations:

Identifying and building on student strengths Engaging students actively in the learning process.

Creating environments of enrichment rather than remediation.

Developing a sense of community, self-determination, trust, and democracy.

Providing affirmation, mutual respect, and validation.

Honoring students’ voices and creating environments where student voice permeates classroom instruction.

Please include accommodations/ modifications for differentiation

Use check-in/out systems that work for your students. Modify the lesson to meet student needs. If they are not able to locate the 6-10 items, provide a grab bag. Assist with the project as needed and use your discretion and expertise.

Extensions:

SEL:

How can the lesson be expanded?

Lesson Details

•

Create speech or thought bubbles for each feeling plate. Cut out paper, write the text, and snap a picture!

• Think about doing this activity as a pre and post. Maybe check in before an activity like math or writing, and then after to see how they feel after the activity.

Language Arts/ELD: • Pick a character from a story. Ask students to create a feelings plate based on how the character feels and the beginning and at the end of the story.

Please fill out all standards related to the lesson.

VSAF 2022 | 11

CA Arts Standards:

(Kindergarten used as an example) K.VA:Cn10 - Create art that tells a story about a life experience.

K.VA:Cn11K.VA:Cn11 - Identify a purpose of an artwork.

K.VA:Re7.2- Describe what an image represents.

Integrated Content Area(s):

SEL and with extension can be ELD and ELA

Common Core State Standards:

For extension activities: (Kindergarten used as an example) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3-With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

ELD Part I: Interacting in Meaningful Ways: Interpretive 5. Listening actively to spoken English in a range of social and academic contexts

English Language Arts ELA Eng. Lang. Developm. ELD Mathematics Math

Next Generation Science Standards: NGSS

N/A

Notes:

N/A

VSAF 2022 | 12

LESSON 3: Mindful Movements!

Lesson Title:

Mindful Movements!

Teacher Author:

Karla Sequeira

Grade(s):

K-12

Arts Discipline(s):

Dance

Brief Description:

Students will “introduce” themselves to their “partner” (scarf or tissue). They can identify how they are feeling before they begin dancing (using a Mood Meter or check-in of your choice). They will dance, mirroring movements or creating their own, and describe how they are feeling after dancing.

Instructional/Technology Materials & Resources:

Small, light scarf (like a handkerchief), tissues, a playlist of songs (have some calming and some energizing songs)

Essential Questions and Learning Outcomes

How does it feel when you dance to a fast or upbeat song?

What do I want my students to understand?

How does it feel when you dance to a slower-paced song?

How does it feel to have a partner when you dance?

What did you see, notice, wonder, or appreciate while you were dancing?

Key Terms:

movement, feelings, mirror, choreography, playlist, reflect, tempo, improvise, body, action, space, time, energy

Instruction:

Checking-in 1. Begin with a check-in of your choice. Students can jot down or name how they are feeling.

Sequence of key learning activities

Meet Your Partner 1. Give each student a scarf or one tissue. Tell them that this will be their dance partner and have them greet their partner. You can model phrases and different ways to say “hello!” \ 2.

Ask why their partner is a delicate scarf or tissue. Why do these items make good dance partners? (Prompt them to talk about how you should treat others, be mindful, careful, respectful, and empathetic). Talk to them about how these two items flow and have movement.

VSAF 2022 | 13

The Playlist 1. Go back to your check-in and talk about how our feelings and moods shift. Honor all feelings, moods, and emotions. Share how sometimes movement and music can be a way to shift your mood.

2. Share your playlist with the students (songs that you have ready) and that you are inviting them to follow or mirror the movements you do as the music plays.

The Dance 1. Begin your first song (can be fast or slow) and start moving! Have students mirror your movements. You can bring in the elements of dance (body, action, space, time, energy). https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-foreducators/classroom-resources/media-andinteractives/media/dance/do-you-wanna-dance/) 2. Then invite them to come up with their own movements and choreography.

3. Invite a volunteer to come to the front and dance so that the group can mirror their movements.

4. Pause the music (you do not have to dance to the whole song) and have students reflect on how that dance made them feel. They can jot down thoughts, share, sketch…

5. Pick your next song and make sure it is a different tempo than the last song. Mirror, have students choreograph, and have other students lead. Have students choreograph a beginning, middle, and end of a dance routine.

6. Reflect and write about the experience.

Assessment:

Students can write or draw their reflections on their dance experience using the following questions: • How did you come up with your dance movement?

• Did you find that your movements changed with the slow versus the fast song?

• How did your dance moves change from the beginning to the end of the dance?

• What words can you use to describe what it felt like to mirror someone else’s movements?

• What words can you use to describe what it felt like to choreograph your movements?

• What songs would you put on your dance playlist?

VSAF 2022 | 14

Social Emotional Learning (SEL): CASEL Competencies Cultural Relevance: How will my students connect to the content?

Self-Awareness: Identifying one’s own emotions, Self-Confidence Social Awareness: Taking others’ perspectives, Empathy Self-Management: Impulse control, Stress management Relationship Skills: Communicating, Social engagement • • • • •

Other Considerations: Please include accommodations/ modifications for differentiation

Extensions: How can the lesson be expanded?

Engaging students actively in the learning process.

Creating environments of enrichment rather than remediation.

Developing a sense of community, self-determination, trust, and democracy.

Providing affirmation, mutual respect, and validation.

Honoring students’ voices and creating environments where student voice permeates classroom instruction.

Use check-in/out systems that work for your students. Modify the lesson to meet student needs. If students are sensitive to music, think about instrumental music, or sounds of the ocean/nature. If students have sensory needs, they can dance with other items like stuffed animals or squishy toys. Another thought is to give them a more direct prompt such as “draw in the air or paint your name.” They can move to the music and move their arms and hands to “paint.”

Theater: • After each song, right before the pause and reflect, have your students “freeze” and create a pose or tableau. This is great for regulation!

Language Arts/ELD: • Create a mood/feeling word wall. On index cards or on a Jamboard (any digital app), write/type feeling words.

• Write journal reflections on how you felt before the dance and after. Compare and contrast.

• Discuss the beginning, middle, and end of your dance routine. Sketch what happened and tell your dance story.

Lesson Details CA Arts Standards:

Please fill out all standards related to the lesson.

Dance (First grade used as an example) 1.DA.Cr1- a. Explore movement inspired by a variety of stimuli (e.g., music/sound, text, objects, images, symbols, observed dance, experiences) and identify the source.

1.DA.Cr1- b. Explore a variety of locomotor and nonlocomotor movements by experimenting with and changing the elements of dance.

1.DA:Cr2- a. Improvise a series of movements that have a beginning, middle, and end, and describe movement choices.

Integrated Content Area(s):

SEL Theater, Language Arts, and ELD with extensions

VSAF 2022 | 15

Common Core State Standards:

For extension activities: (First grade used as an example)

English Language Arts ELA Eng. Lang. Developm. ELD Mathematics Math

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.3

Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.

ELD Part I: Interacting in Meaningful Ways: Collaborative Exchanging information and ideas with others through oral collaborative conversations on a range of social and academic topics Part I: Interacting in Meaningful Ways: Interpretive Listening actively to spoken English in a range of social and academic contexts

Next Generation Science Standards: NGSS

N/A

Notes:

N/A

VSAF 2022 | 16

The 2019 Very Special Arts Festival at The Music Center. Photo by Will T. Yang.

THE MUSIC CENTER 135 N. Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 972-7211 musiccenter.org education@musiccenter.org CONNECT WITH US @musiccenterla

EDUCATION STAFF Keith Wyffels Associate Vice President, Education Susan Cambigue-Tracey Director of Special Projects Patrice Cantarelli Associate Director, School Programs Rada Jovicic Program and Events Manager Ebony Ruffin Manager, Professional Development Juan Sanchez School Programs Coordinator Monk Turner Manager, Music Center On Tour Vincent Lopez Coordinator Sydney Ko Coordinator

VSAF 2022 | 17