Unit Topic and Rationale Introduction

The science and art unit touched on many relevant topics regarding the sun, stars, and moon in relation to art education for fourth and fifth graders in the state of Colorado. Students were able to comprehend, reflect, create, and transfer throughout the creative process during the entire unit. Through various forms of the critique process, multiple processes and philosophies of art, and the different characteristics of art, students gained a better understanding of science and how it can relate and reflect artwork. 

Through our three different assignments on cyanotypes, paper/water marbling and monoprinting students made connections with the formal and sensory qualities of art. They made art that communicated the sun, nebulae, and supernovas in their own expressive points of view. They were able to experience how artists and scientists, and other viewers respond to works of art using their own personal thoughts and feelings, demonstrating how critiques are used when discussing work. Through various discussions and examples of various artistic works and real pictures from space students could make connections to the art world.

Lesson Descriptions

Cyanotype Prints (Sun)-Exploration of sun rays/textures of planets, personal grounding, materials & techniques, art history, assessment & evaluation.

We wanted to show students how science and art could be related. First we had students explore out in nature and find materials that they would want to transfer in the cyanotype process. Students explored how  ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide react when painted on a piece of paper and placed out in the sun. Students learned more than just what happens when the sun reacts to create the cyanotype they also learned what can happen if it is an overcast day. Students cyanotypes did not react well when it was an over cast day and ended up washing straight off the paper, but they learned what could have changed to make for a successful cyanotype. With that change in mind students were reintroduced to the project and we tried again on a more sunny day and the work was much more successful.

Paper Marbling-   Expressive features and characteristics of art- Materials & techniques, assessment & evaluation.

Students were introduced to Nebulae and what they may look similar to in the art and design world. We had students plan a nebula that was theirs. The idea was "If you had a nebula what would be in it? What would it be like (colors, weather, etc.)?" After students brainstormed their ideas on what their nebula would be they sketched it in their sketchbook. The next day we had students experiment with paper marbling and had another station where students could design specific shapes and forms using construction paper, foil, markers, and colored pencils. Students had so much fun exploring the marbling process that we didn't get time to add our specific forms and shapes until the next class. In that next class we also had the students do a token activity where they were split into 4 groups with 4 cards that symbolized something they loved, found to be really creative, something they could connect to, and something that must have taken a long time. The students were very interactive during this discussion of the art and were excited to share where their tokens were placed and why.

Monoprinting-(Supernova) Conceptual, ideation, aesthetic, transfer, materials & techniques. When students were introduced to the supernovas they saw a video that really drew them in and was the source to their idea "You are looking through a telescope one day and you discover a supernova! What does it look like? Is there anything in it?". As soon as students were introduced to that idea and saw the video on supernovas some students didn't even need their play-sheet to come up with ideas. That first day students were drawing their ideas in their sketchbook and as some finished up we introduced monoprinting to the students. Some students started exploring monoprinting while others started the next class. For students who were done we introuced new materials such as acrylic, oil pastels, watercolors, and watercolor pencils. For our final class we had students cover their supernovas with a plastic cover to protect them and we also encouraged them to cut up past monoprints to add onto their final supernova. 

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Prepared Graduate Competencies

The PGCs that are touched on in this unit are concepts that touch on all the standards (Comprehend, reflect, transfer, and create). In this unit were exploring science and art and design, to be more specific we were exploring the stars, moon, and sun with art and design. We wanted to explore art that could reflect what the supernovas and nebulae could look like, but also some science to it. So when creating supernovas and nebulae we had the students learn about the colors of supernovas and nebulae and how certain colors are certain temperatures. We also had students do more than just replicate what something looks like we also wanted to implement science into the how its made factor. So we taught students about the sun and how they are able to create with the assistance of the sun in their cyanotypes. Our hope is with this unit, our students will leave the classroom with a level of depth and a concept of science and art and design that will help them in their education in the future and promote lifelong learning and connection. We hope that our unit will help them learn that art can be connected to more than just creating and making art, and that art can be stretched among multiple subjects such as science.

• See oneself as a participant in visual art and design by experiencing, viewing, or making.

•  Visually and/or verbally articulate how visual art and design are a means for communication.

•   Practice critical and analytical skills by using academic language to discuss works of art and visual culture. 

• Critique connections between visual art and historical and contemporary philosophies.

• Interpret works of art and design in the context of varied traditions, histories, and cultures.

• Create works of visual art and design that demonstrate increasing levels of mastery in skills and technique.

• Allow imagination, curiosity, and wonder to guide inquiry and research.

• Participate in the reciprocal relationships between visual art and communities.

• ​Persist in the creative process and innovate from failure.