Summary: Synchronizing Art and Science Activities

In recent years there has been increasing attention to the role of the arts in education. Some educators have argued for the inclusion of art with STEM subjects now promoting  STEAM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math). There have been a number of long term studies that have established the benefits of more art activities in the school day justifying this inclusion.

 Some current approaches integrate art into science or science into art.  A quick internet survey of activities that integrate art and science indicates insufficient time is allotted for art skills  and expression and development of science concepts.  A report by Hetland and Winner(2001) summarized various research on the impact on students learning regarding transfer of skills and knowledge from the arts to other subjects. Significantly, they advocate for art education as a separate undertaking in itself, because "The primary justification for art education should remain the intrinsic importance of the arts and the skill that they develop." ( p15). Likewise science educators recognize that an in-depth investigation is necessary for students to fully grasp basic concepts. 

These considerations lead to a need for an  in-depth approach where skills and concepts can be developed in an authentic manner while there is still an integral connection between art and science. One possible approach is to explore and investigate a common phenomenon, artifact or an organism where there are parallel synchronized investigations in the art and science class. Light and shadows, mirrors, mobiles or pond organisms among others are examples where there can be synchronized investigations. 

Leonardo DaVinci is an exemplar for this approach. Walter Isaacson in his biography of DaVinci points out that at times DaVinci gave his full attention to exploring a phenomenon such as air and water movement without regard to its artistic import .But later these exploration would shape how he painted natural scenes.

 This synchronized approach would have a structure where students in science classes explore the properties of light developing physical science concepts and in art explore properties of light to create drawings, painting, sculptures that express their affective reaction. The explorations in art can result in a personal connection to the phenomenon adding to the students’ motivation. In science the investigation can lead a deeper understanding of a part of the natural world.

In other parts of the website there is an extended and in-depth development of a rationale for this approach and its pedagogical implications. There are also outlines of investigations showing how Art and Science activities and how they can be synchronized.  There is a link to relevant published science curriculum.