Optional Lesson: Career Exploration - Art Therapy

• Medical sciences
• Interdisciplinary
• Art therapy

• 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

• Medicine Careers for Kids Cards: http://amzn.com/1572814055
• Other Careers for Kids game series:

• “Art Therapist.” Explore Health Careers.http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/122/Art_Therapist
• Coloring to Heal: Art Therapy Coloring Book. Akosua Davis.http://amzn.com/1512013846
• Career Ideas for Kids Who Like… series and other career books

• Wild Science Career Series
• Scientists in the Field Series

• Locate an art therapist who is willing to come speak with the class and help lead the lesson.

1. What is Art Therapy? Explore the definition using the Explore Health Careers website.
2. Have the students come up with a list of questions for the guest speaker.
3. Introduce the class to the guest art therapist. The guest will discuss his/her career and answer the students’ questions.
4. 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).
5. Students will color pictures from Coloring to Heal: Art Therapy Coloring Book.

1. 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).
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Students will get together in groups and write a storyline involving all of their professions.They will come up with costumes and props, too.
5. Students will decide whether to produce a film or a play.
6. Students will perform their skits (or film them advance, then show them) in front of the class!

• 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.

• Students pick between completing the storytelling project or the film/play. 
• Can use a pass-fail grading system when assessing the students growth.