My students are really interested in science and I always love when I can connect an art lesson to things they talk about in their science classes. This unit came about because on a day when I was absent last month, one of our Science teachers subbed for my classes (we have quite a few part-time teachers at our school and teachers will often fill in for each other when there are absences.)
The students went to the Science room for their art class and they used microscopes to look at a variety of interesting things. They divided their paper in half. On one half, they drew what they saw through the microscope. On the other side, they drew an artistic interpretation of what they saw.
When I returned to school, we looked at a slideshow of artwork that was inspired by bacteria, cells, viruses and other microscopic things. This slideshow has 30 slides featuring artwork from more than 10 different artists who were inspired by microscopic things. Included are paintings, fibers, mixed media and even ceramic. Small amounts of age-appropriate information and thought-provoking questions are included to prompt discussion about the artwork.
We then used pictures of cells and other magnified things to inspire us to draw and paint an abstract image. Here are a few of the artworks.
This is not the first time I have taught a project inspired by microscopic things. A few years ago we made fabric and fiber microorganisms for a local art show. These were so awesome!
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It’s so wonderful when things like this can work together in a lesson! Great job!
I totally LOVE this lesson, Marcia! I grew up in a science-y household, always doing experiments, and science classes were my favorites next to art. So I’ve been really saddened to discover that, with the increased focus on math/language literacy above all else, schools around me have significantly lost class time for science and social studies. Science is what makes things work; kids have to actually THINK in science classes, and it really breaks m heart to see this loss.
Anyhow – fabulous project; I will be pinning!
By the way, I once planned a paper-mâché project that got derailed due to some necessity; we were going to build a fun take on viruses and germs. Maybe I’ll pull this idea off the back burner…
Thanks, Phyl! Our Science teachers do a lot of observation and drawings/diagrams. The crossover between art and science can be really great. I’d love to see some papermache germs!