Social Studies

World Rhythms & Culture: Travel the Map Through Traditional Music & Dance (K-12)

by Mandy McGee | Creative Movement/Dance, Elementary School, Heritage Months/Celebrations, Lafayette Parish, Middle School, Paula Calderon, Single Session, Social Studies

Step off the map and into motion! In this high-energy, immersive arts session, students take a kinetic journey around the globe—exploring diverse cultures, languages, and traditions through the universal power of dance, music, rhythm, and storytelling. Rather than just studying a map or memorizing vocabulary, in this session students embody the concepts. They will move through global dance forms, practice world language phrases through rhythmic call-and-response, analyze how geography shapes cultural expression, and collaborate on original movement pieces that honor global traditions. With a dash of folklore, history, and prop work added to the mix, this session is rich in options and opportunities. Prepare for a lesson with cross-curricular connections between Social Studies, World Languages, Geography, and Global Studies standards that also fosters empathy, cultural awareness, and creative collaboration. This session can be tailored to align with specific world regions, language immersion units, or school-wide multicultural celebrations, so please check in with the artist if you would like to customize.

Patriotism: Historical Events (9-12)

by Mandy McGee | High School, Holidays, Jan Fontenot, School Celebrations/Events, Single Session, Social Studies, St. Landry Parish, Visual Art

Your history, your heritage, your time to explore artistic composition! Students will be their own creative founding fathers and mothers when they design a piece of art that incorporates American historical events or symbols. And yes, this session can be customized and linked to various lessons and events.

Patriotism: Class Flags (K-2)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, Holidays, Jan Fontenot, School Celebrations/Events, Single Session, Social Studies, St. Landry Parish, Visual Art

Move over, Betsy Ross! Students will show their classes’ patriotic pride and become visual artists in this session where classes will create a class flag using the basic elements of line, pattern and repetition. This session can be customized to relate to various themes and events, so let your vision fly!

Quilting Louisiana Culture (1-4)

by Mandy McGee | Creative Movement/Dance, Elementary School, Iberia Parish, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, Michael Crotty, Single Session, Social Studies, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Vermilion Parish, Visual Art

In this cross curricular arts-integrated lesson, students will explore the rich cultural heritage of Louisiana through the lens of quilt-making. Students will learn about the historical and cultural significance of quilts in Louisiana communities, and identify influences from African American, Creole, Cajun, and Native traditions. Students will discover how quilts tell stories of family, place, and identity, while making Social Studies connections. Then the class will pivot to visual arts – students will design their own quilt squares using patterns, symbols, and colors inspired by Louisiana landscapes, traditions, and festivals. Finally, dance will be incorporated! Students will bring their quilt stories to life by creating movement sequences that represent stitching, patterns, and the themes within their quilt squares. We will use elements of folk dance and creative movement to reflect unity, diversity, and storytelling. This lesson fosters collaboration, creativity, and cultural understanding all the while addressing Louisiana Student Standards in various disciplines.

ADDITIONAL ARTS IN EDUCATION RESOURCES