Optional Lesson: Career Exploration - Art Therapy
Grade Level: K-6
Suggested Time: 60 mins
Overview
Students will examine careers in Medical Science, and learn directly from an art therapist. They will work through various career books to create a job of their own. Then, they will work together to create costumes representing their chosen careers, and write and produce a play or film!
Vocabulary
- Medical sciences
- Interdisciplinary
- Art therapy
Objectives
- Students will learn about careers in medicine and related fields
- Students will learn about the interdisciplinary field, art therapy
- Students will explore their own interests, develop team skills, and have fun!
- Students will become more comfortable with writing, presentation, and interdisciplinary activities
Required Project Materials
Sports Careers
Technology Careers
Art Careers
Media Careers
Multimedia Resources
Optional Multimedia Resources
- Wild Science Career Series
- Scientists in the Field Series
Before the Lesson/ Background Information
- Locate an art therapist who is willing to come speak with the class and help lead the lesson.
The Lesson
Part 1: Art Therapy
- What is Art Therapy? Explore the definition using the Explore Health Careers website.
- Have the students come up with a list of questions for the guest speaker.
- Introduce the class to the guest art therapist. The guest will discuss his/her career and answer the students’ questions.
- Show the speaker the Art Therapy Coloring Book and have him/her explain the context for its use (let her/him know about this question in advance).
- Students will color pictures from Coloring to Heal: Art Therapy Coloring Book.
Part 2: So Many Careers!
- Students will explore the Medicine Careers for Kids cards and do the activities. They should integrate the other game cards based on interests (art, technology, media, etc).
- Working through the Career Ideas for Kids series, students will select the one that interests them the most and do the activities in the book.
- Each student will develop a character that has a specific career, or come up with an interdisciplinary career that is a combination of two or more. The other series are good for this.
- Students will get together in groups and write a storyline involving all of their professions.They will come up with costumes and props, too.
- Students will decide whether to produce a film or a play.
- Students will perform their skits (or film them advance, then show them) in front of the class!
Accommodations
- Provide a picture and short description of Art Therapy and what it is.
- Have grips when students color the Coloring to Heal: Art Therapy Coloring book.
- Have a rubric or steps on how to complete the storytelling and the film or play.
Modifications
- Students pick between completing the storytelling project or the film/play.
- Can use a pass-fail grading system when assessing the students growth.