Arts integrated lessons for your grade 7-12 classroom

ARTrageous Online! supports core curriculum learning for 7-12th grade students by introducing students to passionate and accomplished "thought leaders" in our community. They are artists, scientists, authors, activists, mathematicians, engineers, teachers, and creatives who have ideas and experience worth  sharing. Vibrant video presentations, activities, and lesson plans support arts integration in English, Science, and Social Studies.
Our hope is that the passion of these leaders will inspire students and enhance their online learning experience.
Current ARTrageous Units
  • Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin 
  • Marian Howe-Taylor - The Beloved Community Project
  • Scott Hampton - Kite Making
  • Noemi Hernandez-Balcazar - Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead  
  • Pilar Pobil - Art, Culture and Identity  
  • Zach Frankel - Utah's Waterways  
  • Nalini Nadkarni - Treetop Canopy Science and Conservation   

Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin 

Born in Baltimore, Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin has been delighting audiences as a singer since she was a young girl belting out songs to please her grandmother and lady friends.  In this unit, Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin talks about how her career as an artist took shape. She had always been told to ‘stay in your lane, and just entertain.’ Once she defined what success was to her, she began to cross lanes, overcome fear, and gracefully speak her mind. 
Marian Howe-Taylor - The Beloved Community Project
Marian Howe-Taylor grew up in Boston, and raised in a family that was active in the Black civil rights movement, starting in the early 1960’s. In the following three modules, students will learn how Marian uses storytelling, film, and poetry in her activism.  Her stories of black heroes round out our history books. With love and humor, she finds allies, and starts important conversations in her effort to build a “beloved community”– one that is civil, equitable, and harmonious.
Scott Hampton - Kite Making
​Utah kitemaker Scott Hampton shares his passion and skill for kite making– a true nexus of art, science and math. Raised as an “army brat” and moving from school to school, he recounts how he rose in the ranks from a checked out student doodling in class to becoming a visual arts teacher and kite maker, wowing festival crowds with his unique and colorful life-like figure kites. 

Noemi Hernandez-Balcazar - Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead

Noemi Hernandez-Balcazar grew up in Mexico City where she developed a lifelong love for art and celebrations, such as Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos. Now an artist and educator in Salt Lake City, she shares her insights into this iconic Mexican celebration. Her first-hand knowledge provides a pathway to appreciating art, food, folklore, music, history, and Mexican cultural values.

Pilar Pobil - Art, Culture and Identity

Spanish artist Pilar Pobil shares how her unique works of art reflect her life journey from her birth in Mallorca, Spain where she endured the Spanish Civil War, to Salt Lake City, where she married and raised her family. At 94 years old, Pilar continues to create art, write, and encourage others to follow their passions in life.

Zach Frankel - Utah's Waterways

Water conservationist Zach Frankel grew up paddling rivers. His love for water and nature evolved into his lifelong dedication to protecting the health of Utah rivers, lakes and streams. For 20+ years now, Frankel has been working to increase public awareness about water use, overconsumption and projects that dry up our lands; and encouraging all of use to get out into nature and enjoy the adventures our waterways offer.

Nalini Nadkarni - Treetop Canopy Science and Conservation 

Salt Lake biologist Nalini Nadkarni shares her personal journey of becoming a treetop canopy biologist. At a young age she faced a career crossroads. Her decision led her out of Paris and deep into the tropical rain forests. In this unit, Nalini reflects on how she makes big decisions, when to take the leap, and how she found her life's work, up in the treetops, the vantage point where she sees the world, big and small.

ARTrageous is funded in part by: