Season 2 of “Take the Stage” just launched on PBS LearningMedia, and HISD elementary teachers are using the interactive lessons to get their students excited about learning through fine arts.

The partnership aligns with HISD’s strategic plan commitment to provide equitable opportunities and resources at every school by enriching classroom curriculum using singing, dancing, acting, and visual arts.

“Take the Stage” is a free educational online media platform produced locally and is accessible to students and educators across the United States. The episodes range from a variety of subjects, and the lessons and activities are all student-led. The new season even features HISD student actors from Wharton Dual Language Academy and Kinder HSPVA.

“I like that it’s kiddos my students’ age interacting with the students and leading the show so they can see that they can take ownership of their learning,” said Brandon Luna, third-grade teacher at Scarborough Elementary School.

Throughout the lessons, students get to dance to better understand force and motion, draw plot elements of a story, and act out animals from different environments.

“I like the acting portion because I believe if you can act it out, it’s more likely to stick with you,” said Luna. “The acting also lets them put emotion to words and vocabulary that they’re learning.”

All of the videos are closed captioned and available in both English and Spanish, making it an excellent resource for Dual Language campuses like Scarborough.

Every lesson also aligns with state and national education standards and can be viewed at www.pbslearningmedia.org.

Learn more about “Take the Stage” at www.takethestage.tv.