Discipline-based art education, or DBAE, is one of the most common approaches taken to curriculum design and lesson planning in art classrooms in the US (Bertling and Moore, 2021). And, in order to avoid assigning projects that have superficial, loose connections to other disciplines, it’s important to consult resources that can inspire meaningful lessons.
A free, open-access, and student-centered resource is PBS Newshour’s Student Reporting Labs. In this program, students across the nation work together to research, write and produce media about current events and the important issues facing students in the US (About Student Reporting Labs).
Teachers can use the Student Reporting Labs (SRL) to discover what interdisciplinary topics or themes are relevant to students, or they can incorporate SRL videos into their presentations and lectures, stoking creativity and presenting accessible, responsible information from students to students.
About Student Reporting Labs. (n.d.). PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs. Retrieved July 7, 2021, from https://studentreportinglabs.org/about/
Bertling, J. G., & Moore, T. C. (2021). The U.S. K–12 Art Education Curricular Landscape: A Nationwide Survey. Studies in Art Education, 62(1), 23–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/00393541.2020.1858007
