Marie Bashkirtseff [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The visual arts include illustration, costume design, film-making, painting, graphic design, photography, set design, and more (Jensen, 2001). There is evidence for visual art (namely painting and carving) existing as long as 30,000 years ago (Valladas, Clottes, Geneste, Garcia, Arnold, Cachier, & Tisnérat-Laborde, 2001). For context, that's about the time when Neanderthals became extinct (Nuwer, 2014). Visual art has had a place in every culture ever since. 
By Contemporary museum of calligraphy (Contemporary museum of calligraphy) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Benefits

The visual arts can:
  • Promote self-expression
  • Encourage creativity
  • Improve fine motor (see calligraphy practice at left) and spatial reasoning skills
  • Strengthen memory
  • Increase vocabulary and language skills
  • Improve reading and math scores
  • Aid with organization (particularly with visual learners)
  • Improve self-discipline and work ethic/commitment
  • Foster teamwork (Jensen, 2001)
​Rico Shen [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Classroom Implementation

Visual arts can be integrated into the curriculum in subtle ways, such as with graphic organizers or visual vocabulary words (see sample lesson plan). They can also be more directly integrated, such as by using student art as an inspiration to a writing piece or by having students make a model of a concept.
Last updated: 01/2016