OZ Arts STEAM Fusion
OZ Arts is proud to partner with the Metro Nashville Public Schools STEAM Initiative to develop a series of arts-integrated lessons designed to spark creative thinking and explore the cross-discipline value of the arts. Initially conceived as an in-school program, OZ Arts STEAM Fusion is embracing virtual platforms to deliver online content that celebrates a multi-genre approach to learning. While available to students of all ages, OZ Arts STEAM Fusion is geared toward elementary and middle school curricula and standards.
A quick overview of the full STEAM Fusion library catalog is available to download below. Additionally, each activity is accompanied by an educator’s guide, complete with discussion questions, a list of materials needed, and applicable Tennessee state standards.
Join OZ Arts Teaching Artists in this virtual hub of short, hands-on activities. Dive into surprising takes on poetry, visual art, music, and dance through a unique STEAM lens designed for a 21st century exploration of creativity and expression.
Video Library
COLOR WHEEL ARTIFACTS
Maddie Hicks
Grade 12
What is the feeling of orange? Does purple make you think of friendship? Maddie takes you on a colorful journey through memory, reflection, and meaning artifacts. Create a personal color wheel, complete with complimentary, primary, and analogous colors. But here’s the catch: your colors are represented by objects that convey key moments and events from years past. Use the principles of color theory to design your very own map of emotion. Friendship, family, hobbies, books, food, and more will feature prominently in this layered activity.
GUIDED GEOMETRIC DRAWING TO MUSIC
Lexi Rodriguez
Grades 7 & 8
Using one art form to inform another, Lexi takes you on an abstract drawing journey. Instead of thinking “what should I draw?”, tap into an instinctual response with instrumental music as your guide. Play with shape, color, texture, and lean into the conversation between melody and line. This meditative exercise allows you to open your senses and dabble in the intuitive and creative process.
POETRY & CHOREOGRAPHY
(ft. Amanda Gorman poem)
Joi Ware
Grade 12
Did you catch Amanda Gorman’s inauguration poem, The Hill We Climb? A rising star in the literary world, Amanda Gorman’s poetry speaks boldly and bravely to the present moment. In this activity, Joi Ware combines the art of choreography and movement with the words of another poem by Ms. Gorman, Talking Gets Us There. By physicalizing the ideas expressed in words, we better understand the complexity within a literary work. Joi highlights the poem’s call to speak truthfully and openly with one another in an effort toward a more equitable and anti-racist society.
DANCING THE BODY SYSTEMS
Joi Ware
Grades: Middle School
True dance is an artform, but biology is essential for a body to exist in space and time. While leading you through a series of movements, Joi explores the respiratory, muscular, nervous, and circulatory systems as they relate to the body and skills of a dancer. Carve out a small space of your own, wear comfortable clothes, and see if you can find the many connections between choreography, movement, and all the internal activities coursing through our bodies that keep us going.
ALUMINUM BOAT CHALLENGE
Lisa Reed Preston
Grades: Upper Elementary School
Using the basic principles of engineering design, your goal is to design and build an aluminum foil boat. Your boat design is entirely up to you, but you’ll want to consider a design that could hold as many pennies as possible. How does that objective change your design plans How many pennies would you like your boat to hold before it sinks? Lisa walks you through this project and you just might be surprised by the results!
DIY SOUNDSCAPES
Madeleine Hicks
Grades: Elementary School
When we see a play in a theater, sound can be a design element that is often overlooked; but sound is very important to the telling of a story. The right soundscape can tell an audience where they are, what time of year/time of day it is, and even set the mood. Join Maddie as she leads you through a DIY soundscape expedition. Using household items and easy-to-find containers, try your hand at a sound design that could trick even the most expert of listeners.
SCIENCE OF SCULPTURE
Lexi Rodriguez
Grades: 4, 5, and 6
Experiment with making sculptures out of papier-mâché! It’s a fancy looking word, but it means paper pulp or literally “chewed paper.” Don’t worry, you probably have everything you need right in your own home. Step into the kitchen with Lexi and check out the differences between two recipes. Experiment on your own, and mold your pulpy mixture into animals or masks, let them dry and voilà!
CHOREOGRAPHY IN CONVERSATION
Joi Ware
Grades: 8-10
Love to express yourself through dance and movement? Step into the choreographer’s shoes. Design your own dance that articulates the relationship and conversation between two characters. Professional dancer Joi Ware leads this creative exploration that’s sure to keep you on your toes.
PERFORMING A PICTURE BOOK
Madeleine Hicks
Grades: 8-10
You’re never too old for story time! Did you know that a picture book can be the perfect tool to practice your public speaking skills, poise, and character building techniques? Maddie Hicks presents the power of a good story, well told. Sharpen those storyteller skills, and wow any audience, big or small.
POETRY OF CAREER EXPLORATION
Cameron Mitchell
Grades: Middle School
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” You’re probably tired of this question. But what happens if you think outside the box? Sure there’s doctor, lawyer, professional athlete, actor, but did you know within these fields are careers such as neuroscientist, entertainment lawyer, occupational therapist, and cinematographer? Cameron encourages you to research your profession of interest and use that research and vocabulary to construct a poem. You might uncover the heart of a new career possibility!
ENERGY OF DANCE
Joi Ware
Grades: 1–4, 6
Joi walks you through an example of choreography. No dance experience needed, these movements are suitable for any level. As you learn the steps, you’ll consider the relationship between dance and energy and how science can be found in the most creative places.
SILENT FILM
Lexi Rodriguez
Grades: 6
Multimedia arts are a wonderful way to communicate an idea or concept through story and sound. Learn more about the power behind a silent film and how it can be a tool to deliver all kinds of information in a memorable and playful way.
WRITING YOUR SOLAR SYSTEM
Madeleine Hicks
Grades: 5, 8
Using the solar system as inspiration, Maddie takes you on a creative writing journey that explores your relationship to the people and the world around you. Simple writing prompts are designed to get your imagination spinning.
ZINE WORKSHOP
Madeleine Hicks
Grades: 5, 8
Building on Writing Your Solar System, Maddie launches you into outer space to create your very own, personal art zine. With yourself as the sun, your zine can depict your entire universe of friends, family, character traits, and hobbies. There’s no wrong way to make a zine!
WORD BY WORD
Cameron Mitchell
Grades: 3
DIY fridge poetry without the magnets! Create your own individual word lists and build poems by arranging your words into surprising phrases and memorable lines. Move the words around and see the poem reveal itself!
PENDULUM PAINTING
Lisa Reed Preston
Create an abstract painting by experimenting with the science of a pendulum. Using household materials, set up your own pendulum with a purpose. Enjoy the weighted design created by your unique contraption and delight in what it might become.
ALBUM BIOGRAPHY
Lexi Rodriguez
Grades: 6, 7
Albums tell a story through art, photography, music, and lyrics. Biographies tell the story of a historical figure who made an impact on a field or discipline. Can you combine the two? Select a scientist or historical figure to research and tell their journey through music and art.
PHYSICALIZING CLIMATE CHANGE
Joi Ware
By combining a journal entry, a contemporary issue/concern, and physical movement, Joi shows you how dance is so much more than a series of steps. Writing, science, psychology, and communication are all integral to an artistic presentation.
TINY DANCER
Lisa Reed Preston
Grades: 6, 8
With nothing more than wire, magnets, and a single battery, create a closed circuit that turns potential energy into kinetic energy and watch your tiny dancer spin round and round.
BEYOND THE ELEMENTS
Cameron Mitchell
Grades: 7, 11, 12
DIY magnetic poetry without magnets. Create your own individual word lists and build unexpected poems by arranging your words into phrases that attract and/or repel. Surprise yourself!
Teaching Artists
Madeleine Hicks
Madeleine Hicks is a Nashville based Multimedia Artist and Children’s Librarian who frequently works in theater, filmmaking, and puppetry. She is passionate about using the arts and education as tools for empowering kids to develop into life-long learners and creators.
Cameron L. Mitchell
Cameron L. Mitchell is a Memphis native. After studying in Japan, Cameron found a passion to engage the community through transformational poetry. Catch him mentoring poets for SouthernWord, or acting in plays like “Ghost,” at The Nashville Children’s Theater!
Lisa Reed Preston
Two-time Teacher of the Year, Lisa Preston has a passion for individualized, hands-on, real-world learning. For nearly a decade, she worked in urban public schools promoting inquiry and problem solving in middle school Math and Science classes.
Lexi Rodriguez
Drawing inspiration from her mother, a social worker, and her grandmother, a former church pianist, Lexi cultivated a love for the creative arts. With an 18-year career in piano and community music-making she also takes time to write stories. When she’s not working she loves to watch scary movies, eat spicy foods, and play weird, new instruments!
Joi Ware
Joi is a native of Dallas, TX where she began her dance training. She is a recent graduate of Point Park University where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Sports, Arts, and Entertainment Management. Joi is currently a dancer with New Dialect, a contemporary dance company in the area.
OZ Arts STEAM Fusion represents an ongoing partnership with both PENCIL and Metro Nashville Public Schools. The program is supported in part by Advance Financial, The Memorial Foundation, Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro Nashville Arts Commission, and The Nashville Predators Foundation
