J. Adam Fenster/The Gazette During a symmetry project Monday, 7-year-old John Warlow, a second-grader at Bel Pre Elementary School uses a mirror to trace the other half of a butterfly wing on a piece of paper that eventually will be transferred to clay.

The assignment in front of him didn't seem like the math problems he encountered in his second-grade class. It was a picture of half a butterfly and Wardlow knew he had to use his knowledge on symmetry to complete his project.

Wardlow said he knows that symmetry means shapes and sizes of figures should be the same on both sides of a central dividing line. Unaware of where he got the knowledge to create the project, he was excited that his drawing was complete and ready to be colored during the next class.

"We like drawing," said Wardlow. "We have fun in art."

While students likely view art class as a break from core classes, Peter Plant, an art teacher at Bel Pre, said art enhances students knowledge of what they already learned in class and helps them apply that knowledge to hands-on projects.

In an effort to raise an appreciation for art and what it can offer, Bel Pre recently held its first Gallery Night, an evening showcasing the artistic achievements of students at the school. Sculptures, painting, drawings and collages were featured to show parents, students and other teachers that art is a fun and valuable learning tool.

"Art doesn't exist in a vacuum," Plant said. "The kids are hopefully seeing the connection and seeing that artists do use these things."

The hallways of the school serve as a gallery. Strips of black, yellow and green construction paper that resemble kente cloth is displayed next to paintings and pastels that mimic those of famous artists. Mexican art pieces made of colorful yarn dangle from the ceilings and lead down the hall.

"It honors the students' works, and gives them more of a reason to create their work," Plant said. "And it beautifies the school at the same time."

Plant said he works with teachers' curriculum so he can integrate art into the subjects they are learning. For example, during African American History Month in February, students read about the various African cultures and their experiences in America. Plant decided to highlight Ghana and students made kente cloth pieces with colors woven together with construction paper. Students even took lessons from math to identify patterns in the cloth.

"Art integrates different parts of the brain," Plant said.

Rania Leakan, a second-grade teacher at the school, believes teaching children with art offers a "holistic approach" that captivates them and enhances their interest in other subjects. Art is as important as the other necessary classes like math or science, she said.

"You can't do something with them without an art project," Leakan said. "It would be an empty learning experience."

Art also offers a sense of freedom, added Leakan who said that students aren't limited to a right or wrong answer with art. The subject offers open-ended questions

She said students made American Indian crafts when learning about American Indian history and were able to absorb more information because they were more interested in the meaning of their creations. "They were able to come back and use what they learned," Leakan said.

Sandra Benitez, 7, of Silver Spring sat in the second-grade class designing her butterfly project with stars, circles and squiggly lines. She said she has taken lessons from other classes into her art class.

"When we did patterns on fish, we had to use different colors and count them," Benitez said.

Playing with different materials and creating things is what Benitez likes best. Earlier in the school year, Benitez said she made Native American rattles with papier-mache and learned a dance like the folk tales she read about in class.

"I like art class," Benitez said. "[In the other classes], we don't use fabric or paints, or get to move around."

Teacher Verna Washington said she incorporates art in her lessons as much as she can. She said it is important to use tools that captivate children and fosters excitement in learning.

To help them with a division problem, Washington has used tree branches made of construction paper to help them divide a cluster of caterpillars. Using the methods has helped them figure out patterns and a tallying concept.

"It just makes learning more fun," Washington said.