Classroom and Reinforcement Activities
These lessons should take four 45-minute class periods for six weeks, and my assistant will teach them daily at the elementary school. Prompts and activities might include Costa’s (and/or Bloom’s) levels of questioning to assist and engage students in formulating and identifying higher-level questions. The goal is to support students’ entry into art competitions. By asking higher-level questions, students deepen their knowledge and create connections to the material being presented. My goal is to develop my students through various forms of engagement in a holistic manner.
By incorporating photography and artistic techniques with scientific exploration, students would better understand how these fields inform and enhance each other, preparing them for careers that bridge the gap between art and science. The excitement has already begun, as I am collaborating with the science department. They have expressed how visual aids and manipulatives enhance and reinforce learning by deepening comprehension. They also expressed how our cross-curricular work will significantly assist with state testing.
The books I recommend include Experience Science, published by Savvas Learning, John Ruskin and the Victorian Eye edited by Susan Casteras, Of Green Leaf Bird and Flower: Artists’ Books of the Natural World edited by Elizabeth Fairman Endless Forms: Charles Darwin Natural Forms and The Visual Arts edited by Diana Donald and Jane Munro andSeeing Science How Photography Reveals the Universe by Marvin Heiferman, along with various articles and videos. These are all parts of the goal to enhance, reinforce, and build intrinsic motivation, such as when Darwin was deeply indebted to the visual dimension of his inherited scientific traditions.
Darwin owned a copy of the seventeenth-century naturalist Jan Swammerdam's Book of Nature, in which a bee's eye was dissected, drawn under the microscope, and engraved with astonishing fidelity (fig.2, Page 3, Endless Forms by Charles Darwin, Natural Forms and The Visual Arts). We collaborated with our science department and viewed specimens under the microscope. The students could see details that they can cross-reference with the elements and principles of design. Next was “Seeing Science: How Photography Reveals the Universe” by Marvin Heiferman.
They research all projects that, in some way, allow for a scientific process of learning the visual arts. At that time, photographs were immediately deployed to help answer the most practical and existential questions: What is that? Where and who are we? What happens next?9 This is where we utilize Costa’s levels of Questioning.10 Photography was deputized as one of science's most trusted agents, essential to enhanced viewing and making "the invisible visible, the evanescent permanent, the abstract concrete." Thus, this remains true today.
Lesson 1: Through the Lenses
First, the student will be introduced to various artists. The Pre-Raphaelites, a group of young artists in England during the nineteenth century, sought to create paintings that were highly detailed, vibrant, and rich in narrative content. They painted Nature, including flowers, trees, and rivers, with careful detail. John Ruskin was a man who lived a long time ago (1819-1901), and he enjoyed drawing, painting, and learn about nature. We are in a rural community, and these lessons will be ideal. Ruskin believed that the beauty of plants, animals, and rocks was very special and important. By examining nature closely, people can learn to draw (or take photographs) more effectively and gain a deeper understanding of the world. He would study flowers or insects and then draw them in his sketchbook. He believed that art and science could work together—when we see something in nature and try to pull it, we are both an artist and a scientist. The goal is to observe in more detail and create artwork using macro and micro lenses.
Week 1
We will observe objects from nature (leaves, rocks, animals, landscapes, etc.) by utilizing the Elements of art, Principles of art, and the Components of photography. All student work is research-based, and blended learning will be used throughout the six-week process. This is my approach to applying the scientific method in the visual arts. Additionally, taking notes helps identify what they have learned with critique sheets, and then summarizes them. Research is critical to our visual arts program. We need background knowledge to support compression and creativity.
Week 2
Students will pair-share using blended learning, which will facilitate data gathering based on various artists and sample images for study purposes. They will use laptops to explore their interests and then record specific information to review while creating their artworks. Additionally, students will brainstorm ideas about potential artworks to create. We will then have an open discussion, where all students can share their viewpoints in a constructive manner. This effort aims to ensure everyone has a voice and can be heard. This is not a debate, but a dialogue. Also, starting with their artwork.
Week 3
The students will use a Mind Map, which is a tool for recording the exploration of ideas and learning through the duration of a lesson or unit. What makes this instructional practice powerful is that it automatically differentiates instruction based on students’ prior knowledge and experiences, while guiding the educator’s next steps through students’ natural curiosity. Simultaneously, they will continue to work on their artwork and research. This will always be part of my lessons. I have this rooted in my curriculum, with a focus on spiraling it weekly.
Week 4
Students will create a Portfolio, which is a summary of all their work. This process is more important than the product itself. These are process notes (data collection, referencing, and the science in art). Additionally, they will continue to work on their artwork and research.
Week 5
They will continue to work on their artwork, research, and utilize blended learning, while also fine-tuning and adding details through peer teaching.
Week 6
Then they will give presentations (with sentence stems that I create) that help with public speaking and building leadership. Students will also do a Gallery Walk. This will allow students to view each other’s artwork and learn how to use a Critique sheet, enabling them to constructively critique their peers' artworks.
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