Susan Riley | April 2011

West Side Shifts Lesson

There’s a TON of contents covered in this arts integration lesson plan of the week.  There’s music, dance, drama, theatre, literature and math all in this one lesson plan.

I was inspired to write this one by a teacher I just met from North Carolina.  She is facing what a lot of teachers are facing right now: the reality of teaching classes that she doesn’t specialize in.  With cutbacks in teachers, materials, and funding, we are all being asked to teach more than ever before.  This wonderful teacher was explaining to me that she was a drama teacher by trade, but was being asked to integrate music into her curriculum.  She was attending the MENC conference to get some ideas on how to make this work.

What dedication!

After thinking about this dilemma over that weekend, I came up with lesson plan that addresses a bunch of contents and is a project-based unit rather than just a simple lesson.  Thanks to all of you for the dedication to your craft!

West Side Shifts Lesson Plan

About the Author

Susan Riley is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM. This is the world’s largest online resource for educators interested in integrating the arts. She has presented at events and authored articles for many educational organizations including The US Department of Education, Palmetto State Arts Education, Edutopia, Education Week, Americans for the Arts, ASCD, and NPR. She regularly presents at national and international events each year. She is the author of three books and is a sought-after collaborator for innovative educational projects around the globe. Susan brings creativity, practicality, dedication and passion to the education landscape. She is well-respected for her pioneering work in the fields of Arts Integration and STEAM education with a standards-based approach. As an educator who taught for 10 years in public schools, as well as served in central office leadership, she understands the fast-paced change, challenges and promise of 21st century schools. As an entrepreneur, she has successfully taken what was once a simple education blog and developed it into a rapidly-growing and highly-respected educational institution. Her team of 15+ teachers, leaders and coaches support over over 500,000 educators each month worldwide. Susan holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the prestigious Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ and a Master of Science in Education Administration from McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. She lives in Westminster, MD with her husband and daughter. Email Susan