What to do with donated items is a dilemma that all art teachers face. As I looked through the three boxes in front of me, I came up with three options:

1. I finally toss these boxes in the trash.
2. I keep storing them for an amazing project in the future.
3. I decide the future is now and let students show me the creative potential these items hold.

I took a deep breath and chose the third option. I decided we would use the items to tackle one of the most difficult concepts for students to display visually: rhythm and movement.

Preliminary Music Exercises
I began by asking students to delve into an exploration of how artists show rhythm and movement in their work. To do this, I tapped into a world many students have in their ears all day: music. Students were asked to connect different random songs, played through the class speakers, to images of art displayed around the room. They had to choose which randomly selected songs connected best to which of the artworks shown. This generated discussion and specific descriptions of both the art and the music.