TIPS Social Studies and Art Volunteers

The TIPS Social Studies and Art process integrates art with social studies in the middle grades. The process brings volunteers (parents, other family members, or members of the community) to the school on a regular schedule to introduce artists and art work to students. For example, when students study American history in social studies, they see and learn about American artists. World history lessons are linked to the work of artists from around the world. Government and citizen participation topics are linked to art work on themes of government and citizenship.

TIPS Social Studies and Art Volunteers works as part of a comprehensive program of school, family, and community partnerships and is an example of a Type 3—Volunteering activity. This process establishes a teacher-volunteer partnership to enrich the social studies curriculum for students.

How Does TIPS Social Studies and Art Volunteers?

Volunteers introduce a new print to students each month from October to May. Over three middle grades (e.g., 6-8 or 7-9), students are introduced to the work of at least 24 artists with different styles, media, and topics, and who lived at different times and in various places.

Presentations by parents or other volunteers about each art print require only 20 minutes of class time. Each presentation includes:

Research for the presentations may be conducted by parents who cannot volunteer at school but who want to contribute time and ideas to improve school programs. Discussions include anecdotes and interesting information about the artist and artwork that should interest middle grade students.

Why Implement TIPS Social Studies and Art?

TIPS Social Studies and Art is designed to increase students' knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of art, and to demonstrate connections of art with history, geography, and issues of importance to society. The TIPS process helps to solve three common problems in the middle grades:

The process is adaptable to other grade levels, other social studies units, and other subjects (e.g., art may be linked to English literature, foreign language classes, or other subjects).

Prototype presentations in American History (14 artists), World Cultures (14 artists), and Government and Citizen Participation (12 artists) are available, along with a manual that outlines how teachers and parents may organize, implement, and evaluate the program. The presentations were designed by parents and other volunteers in partnership with teachers and researchers, tested by middle grade teachers, and evaluated in research. Prototype worksheets for students to use on field trips to art museums, sample quizzes to assess students' knowledge and reactions to the program, and questionnaires for teachers and volunteers about the program are included in the manual.

How Do You Implement TIPS Social Studies and Art?

The implementation process follows 10 easy steps.

  1. Select a teacher-coordinator. This may be the chair of the social studies department, a team leader, or a social studies teacher who is committed to implementing an interdisciplinary program.
  2. Select a parent-coordinator. This person will coordinate the schedules of parent volunteers and help train the volunteers. There should also be an Assistant or Co-Parent Coordinator who will assume the job the next school year or at a later time. These parents may be members of the Action Team for Partnerships (see definition) (ATP) or other volunteers who do not serve on the ATP.
  3. Teachers select the art prints to be presented and discussed by the volunteers.
  4. Order the prints that fit the social studies curricula in grades 6-8 or the middle grades in your school. Prints that are drymounted and laminated may be obtained for reasonable costs from Shorewood Fine Art Reproductions. (Call 1-800-677-6947 for their catalogue, or find selected works at www.nygs.com.) There must be enough prints for the monthly rotations among teachers.
  5. Recruit volunteers to make classroom presentations once a month from October to May.
  6. Train the volunteers so they are comfortable about making presentations to students in class. The manual guides this training. The orientation session for volunteers is about an hour.
  7. Schedule monthly presentations at mutually convenient times for the volunteers and the teachers. Volunteers should meet with the same classes each month.
  8. Coordinators check with volunteers and teachers after the first visit and periodically through the year to see that the program is working as planned.
  9. Teachers evaluate students to determine the benefits of the program for increasing knowledge of the artists and artwork, and for improving students' understanding, appreciation, and criticism of art. Sample pre- and post-tests are in the manual.
  10. Make necessary improvements in the implementation process and continue the program.

Sample Activities

Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci

Order Materials

TIPS Social Studies and Art Volunteers

Research & References

  1. Epstein, J. L. & Dauber, S. L. (1995). Effects on students of an interdisciplinary program linking social studies, art, and family volunteers in the middle grades. Journal of Early Adolescence, 15(1), 114-144. (Abstract)
  2. Epstein, J. L. & Salinas, K. C. (1991) TIPS Social Studies and Art Volunteer Manual. Baltimore, MD: Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships, Johns Hopkins University.

Also See:

  1. Epstein, J. L. (2001). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. See pp. 543-562, Organizing productive volunteers in the middle grades. Boulder CO: Westview Press.
  2. Epstein, J. L., Sanders, M. G., Simon, B. S., Salinas, K. C., Jansorn, N. R., & Van Voorhis, F. L. (2002). School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action (2nd ed.). See pp. 313-324, TIPS Volunteers in Social Studies and Art. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.