Blue is the Sea

In Blue Is the Sea , music educator Sofia Lopez-Ibor addresses the idea of using basic music and dance activities for arts integration in the classroom. The book features 25 selections with music, poetry, dance, and visual arts activities for preschool through middle school students. The exercises aim to strengthen intuition, observing skills, sensorial experiences and inner-growth.

This unique book includes:

• Lesson examples applicable to students of all ages
• Pedagogical and methodological ideas for teaching music and visual arts
• Games, songs, and poems with body percussion and orchestrations for the Orff ensemble
• Movement exploration and improvisation exercises
• Suggestions for illustrating texts and songs
• Graphic Notation scores
• Tips for observing art
• Examples of student art and poetry

The ideas in the book can be used by Orff practitioners, art specialists, and general classroom teachers. The visual art projects can be used in a music class as a way to introduce a theme or end a session. Most of the songs, rhymes, and dance activities are simple enough to be led by a non-music instructor. There are also models of collaboration with fellow teachers, researching, planning projects and sharing ideas.