8: Integrating Art Across the Curriculum

Ladybug Learning

One morning, while working at a school with a group of 4½-year-olds, Mai enthusiastically ran up to me and exclaimed, “Look! I have ladybugs on my shoes!” Indeed, she did! Her white canvas shoes had cute little beetles embroidered on them. My co-teacher, Mark, and I valued emergent curriculum, and I briefly deferred to him to model curiosity. I said, “I wonder if we have any pictures of ladybugs in the classroom…” to which he replied, “I’m not sure, but I do have a book about ladybugs. I’ll bring it to circle time today.”

This small moment sparked several days of joyful exploration and discovery. In an emergent curriculum approach, learning isn’t confined to a single week or predefined theme. A topic might last a few days or extend across several weeks, depending on the children’s interest and engagement. The goal is to explore deeply and meaningfully across multiple areas of the curriculum before moving on.

Mark and I used our planning time to search the school library and prop bins for materials that could support this budding interest. Then, together with the children, we created a topic web to brainstorm ways to build on Mai’s excitement about ladybugs. The topic web below is what we came up with:

In a topic web, teachers record children's responses to things like:

• What do the children already know?
• What would they like to find out?
• Who do they think they can talk to?
• What places could they visit to learn more? 

Visual Art

Example Prompt (Teacher): “Hmmm, I wonder if we could use this red and black paint to do something that reminds us of ladybugs?”

Children might respond by painting dots, wings, or creating a design. Be careful not to limit their choices—while red and black may be relevant, children should have access to a variety of materials with different colors, textures, weights, and forms. The focus is on modeling curiosity and divergent thinking. Provide the materials, ask thoughtful questions, and then step back to observe what emerges.

Mathematics

Children naturally quantify and categorize as they engage in art.

Example:
“How many black dots should go on this ladybug wing?”
“What shape is a ladybug’s body?”
Children might begin to sort, count, compare sizes, or make patterns using dots, wings, or materials. These are foundational math concepts like one-to-one correspondence, patterning, and spatial awareness—all embedded in playful, meaningful work.

Life Science

Children learn scientific principles as they develop scientific thinking. The opportunities to hypothesize, predict, observe, question, discuss, and explain are endless.\

Example:
As children create ladybugs, they might ask:
“Why do ladybugs have spots?”
“What happens if we mix red and white paint—can we make pink ladybugs?”
You might bring in real ladybugs or books, prompting questions like: “What do they eat?” or “Where do they live?” These moments allow children to make hypotheses and test ideas through observation and exploration.

Language Arts

Art provides children with a way to show what they know before they have the words to express it fully. Since young children often lack the words to describe their ideas and thoughts, art allows them to represent what they know nonverbally or visually. With encouragement, they may also choose to talk about their creations. Children interpret their artwork just as adults read words from a book. Sometimes, children enjoy having their titles or storylines printed on their pictures.

Example: A child draws a ladybug on a leaf and tells a story: “This one is flying to find its family.” You might scribe their words underneath their artwork or invite them to dictate a story. Children can “read” their pictures and each other’s, engaging in narrative building, sequencing, and vocabulary expansion.

Social Studies

Art helps children explore their identity, relationships, and the world around them. Creating self-portraits and human figure drawings enhances their awareness of themselves, their body parts, and others. Children take on and identify with the role of artist. Art introduces history and culture because artists and their various styles have existed since prehistoric times. Different cultural groups have their own unique art forms.

Example: When a child shares, “Lama’s grandma gets them from the flower store,” it opens up space for discussion about families, gardens, stores, roles, and community.
You might also explore how ladybugs are understood or symbolized in different cultures, or examine how different artists represent insects or nature in their work.
Through role play or art-making, children take on the role of “artist” and develop a sense of belonging and cultural awareness.

Technology

Technology can enhance creativity when used thoughtfully and with a focus on the human touch.

Example: Children might use a digital magnifier to look closely at a real ladybug’s body, then use a drawing app or digital pen to recreate what they saw.
Teachers might project a photo of a ladybug for close study or use a tablet to photograph children’s work and document the process.
In each case, the emphasis is on technology as a tool for reflection and representation—not a replacement for hands-on experiences.

"Nature photographer" by Nicki Dugan Pogue is licensed under CC BY 2.0