Integrating Science and Art

What do science and art have in common? Plenty! The achievement chart for the Ontario grade 1-8 Science curriculum is very similar to the achievement chart for the Arts. Both of these areas of the curriculum allow for curiosity and experimentation. Planning summative assessments that use critical and creative thinking are a fantastic way to bring these subjects together in a way that makes learning feel like a celebration.

When integrating science and art there is also a great opportunity to explore the worldview of Indigenous peoples and learn about two-eyed seeing. We can invite a guest to share arts and crafts and explore the relationship between science and art. For example, I have a beautiful talking stick created with guidance from a Métis artist. During the process she taught us about the important role of water and the gifts of the earth. On another occasion, my students painted stones that were added to a memorial at a First Nation school with teachings about mother earth and the impact of residential schools on generations of Indigenous children.

Here are some suggestions for science lessons using different mediums in art.

Draw, Sketch, Paint

Whether it’s pencil, charcoal, watercolour, acrylic or pastels, there are opportunities in every science unit to create scenes and/or diagrams of the subjects we study. Painting trees in every season, making a pastel scene of a habitat with animal silhouettes cut out and glued on top, or doing a star filled sky with planets and comets. These materials are the most common in our schools and you just need some paper or sketchbooks to get started. One of my favourite things about sketching is you can easily do this outside!

Sculpt

One memorable lesson I’ve done a few times is to create sculptures using cardboard in grade 3 science. We used plenty of masking tape and learned about creating a sturdy, solid base. Then students were able to paint their creations as well. Castles, towers, hockey arenas and more have been created this way. We have also used plasticine in a CD case, with inspiration for author/illustrator Barbara Reid to do studies of natural phenomena like clouds, flowers and planets. Sculpting with air-dry modelling clay is another wonderful medium to use. Creating a diorama can use a variety of materials together to demonstrate learning. Using natural materials to create designs and models gives us more reasons to get those kids outside to build a positive relationship with the environment.

Digital Art

Going back quite a few years we got permission to use Minecraft education and grade 7 students created a digital model of the school yard with the design of the new outdoor classroom included. The students did an amazing job and added in all kinds of details of wildlife, plants and playground equipment. We have used more basic software like Paint and Kidpix (that should be nostalgic for you teachers who were in elementary school in the early 2000’s!). Whatever drawing software is available, there will be students who absolutely love it.

Photography

This is another favourite medium for getting kids outdoors to make scientific observations. Whether you are comparing types of leaves, soil, rocks or habitats, a picture is worth a thousand words. Based on some past experiences, I do recommend putting some limits on the number of photos allowed! Putting the photos into a slide deck makes it easy to share the work with each other.

Multimedia and more

Combining mediums to create brings so much fun and higher order thinking into play. Could we create art that also incorporates electrical circuits? Could we paint paper mache planets in a solar system model? How about a mural or a collage that explores the impact humans are having on the natural environment?

Famous Artists who Study Science

We are not alone integrating science and art. Our students may be interested in learning about artists who also contributed to the world of science including: Leonardo Da Vinci, Beatrix Potter, James Audubon, and Frederick Banting.

Make a Day of It!

If our schedule allows, it’s always exciting to dedicate a day to a culminating task and have it completed in time for an art/science show for other students to view. We can integrate more learning by writing advertisements for the show and consider adding peer evaluation to the assessment.

Happy Creating!

Brenda

*Photo credits: B. MacNaughton