Steam curriculum: Arts Education As An Integral Part Of Interdisciplinary Learning

Epilogue 
In today’s continually evolving society we need future leaders who are equipped 
to solve problems with innovative solutions, collaborate with other experts, discover new 
processes, and utilize technology to its greatest extent. As stated in Chapter 1, there has 
been a decline in students who choose to pursue STEM careers but the STEM jobs are 
growing. In order to resolve this issue, K-12 schools need to make changes to their 
curricular approaches. Oftentimes students are not aware of the importance of the content 
that they are provided in school. Students are completing tasks and moving on without 
truly comprehending information or realizing the purpose of the topics in the school 

---

RUNNING HEAD: STEAM CURRICULUM PLAN
76
curriculum. In a traditional secondary school setting, each course operates independently 
from the students’ other courses and each department works in isolation from the others.
A STEAM curriculum and STEAM teaching practices is a viable solution to this 
problem in education. Cross-curricular lessons and art integration are not new concepts. 
STEAM takes integration to the next level by changing the perspective of one discipline 
being supplemental to the other; instead the disciplines are of equal value and are given 
an equal share in the objectives, learning activities, and assessments. Furthermore, 
STEAM promotes collaboration, problem solving, and thought processes that transcend a 
solitary discipline. By presenting interdisciplinary topics to students, they are forced to 
take on new perspectives and employ skills from more than one content area. Instead of 
receiving tasks to complete, they are encouraged to navigate their resources and 
recognize the authentic application of the tools provided to them.
Ultimately, STEAM brings art education into the STEM conversation. The arts 
are not typically viewed as an essential component to education. With a STEAM 
approach, the arts are given a chance to demonstrate their value and contribution to 
contemporary curriculum and instruction. All STEAM educators can cultivate creativity 
by facilitating interdisciplinary thinking and skills. The arts already promote creativity, 
critical thinking, and problem solving. When the processes of the arts are combined with 
STEM there is an even greater opportunity for success and transfer of skills to future 
studies.
The process of reading through and studying the literature pertaining to STEAM 
education has influenced my perspective on curriculum and instruction. Prior to my 
investigation of STEAM curriculum I had only been exposed to integrated art lesson 

---

RUNNING HEAD: STEAM CURRICULUM PLAN
77
plans that touched on other subject. This experience has shown me that those lessons are 
merely superficial as they gloss over supplemental subject matter. In contrast, a true 
STEAM lesson plan will interconnect multiple disciplines to create a true integrated 
product. As an art educator I hope to use these concepts and practices from the research 
to focus my curriculum on higher order thinking skills such as creative problem solving. I 
desire to have projects that are meaningful to my students and contribute to their future 
endeavors beyond secondary education. Art education should not be simply learning the 
proper techniques, history, and principles. The arts should encourage exploration and 
transferrable skills that have an authentic application.
Although there is still an argument for ‘art for art’s sake’, I want my students to 
be cognizant of all of the roles that art plays in various fields and careers. Math and 
science are not devoid of art; art is not an isolated subject. The God who created the 
heavens and the earth designed the most complex masterpieces that are perfect examples 
of how math, science, and art are intertwined and dependent on one another. As I delved 
into the curricular goals of art and STEM courses I was able to see the overlapping 
concepts. The culminating process of creating unit plans from these goals reminded me of 
how God’s intricate work intentionally combines beauty and logic. It is through my work 
as an educator that I can acknowledge His great work and glorify Him. 

---

---

---

References
 
Auger, W. F., & Rich, S. J. (2007).