STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEET Creativity and the Curriculum: What Do You Think? Read the following scenarios and answer the questions on creativity and the curriculum that follow, using the information prese

STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEET

Creativity and the Curriculum: What Do You Think?

Read the following scenarios and answer the questions on creativity and the curriculum that follow, using the information presented in Chapter 2.

Mr. Castiglione was concerned about the lack of creativity his students demonstrated in both their art and creative writing.  He purchased a book of creative activities and, using suggestions from the book, began engaging his students in activities for 30 minutes each Friday afternoon. One week, the class brainstormed to name as many types of birds as possible.  Another week, they thought of ways to communicate with an alien.  Another Friday, they made all the pictures they could think of out of squares.  After several weeks, Mr. Castiglione began to question whether these activities were a good use of class time.  He had seen little evidence of improvement in students’ art or writing.

1.    Were the activities Mr. Castiglione chose divergent, or convergent?

2.    What was wrong with his approach?

3.    If the activities were divergent, why didn’t they increase the students’ creativity?

4.    Explain how you could modify Mr. Castiglione’s curriculum to better encourage the students’ creativity.

5.    Write a short description of an integrated curriculum unit for either art or language arts that Mr. Castiglione could use with his students.

6.    Why, in your opinion, was Mr. Castiglione’s application of creative activities less than successful with his students?

7.    Does Mr. Castiglione’s experience remind you of any personal experience in your life as a student or in your work as a teacher?  Be specific in your reply.