Welcome to Beautiful Science
where projects are always creative!
where projects are always creative!
Letter to Teachers
Project-based learning changed my life. In middle school, I was fortunate enough to attend a charter school in which textbooks, standardized tests, and homework were nowhere to be found. Instead, Horizon Charter School in Chandler, Arizona believed in blending cross-curriculum learning opportunities through project-based instruction. Although every team project that we did was incredibly fun, it was packed with teachable moments. For these reasons, I have created this website as a means to replicate the same approach, to create projects that blend multiple subjects in a fun, meaningful process. The project modules found within this website are aimed at environmental science teachers that want to incorporate a visual art component to their curriculum. The Module Maker is set up to determine a unique list of projects based on the data inputted by the teacher. The whole scope of this professional project was to offer educators a fresh approach to teaching science while blending other college readiness, and life skills into the process. I hope you enjoy the website!
Matt Kauffmann
Project-based learning changed my life. In middle school, I was fortunate enough to attend a charter school in which textbooks, standardized tests, and homework were nowhere to be found. Instead, Horizon Charter School in Chandler, Arizona believed in blending cross-curriculum learning opportunities through project-based instruction. Although every team project that we did was incredibly fun, it was packed with teachable moments. For these reasons, I have created this website as a means to replicate the same approach, to create projects that blend multiple subjects in a fun, meaningful process. The project modules found within this website are aimed at environmental science teachers that want to incorporate a visual art component to their curriculum. The Module Maker is set up to determine a unique list of projects based on the data inputted by the teacher. The whole scope of this professional project was to offer educators a fresh approach to teaching science while blending other college readiness, and life skills into the process. I hope you enjoy the website!
Matt Kauffmann
ABSTRACT
Kauffmann, M. (2014). Beautiful science: Project-based learning with a formula. (unpublished master's professional project). Sierra Nevada College,
Incline Village, Nevada.
Incline Village, Nevada.
This project seeks to provide secondary environmental science teachers with the necessary resources to incorporate visual art assignments into classroom curriculum through a Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach. This website exists for educators to create lesson modules based on their unique location and budget limitations. By following the prompts in the "build" tab, a unique module will be created that fits your needs.
A central aim of this project is to instill a sense of ownership that students have for their communities. In a similar PBL lesson incorporating visual arts, researchers found that “when intrinsically motivated, students tend to employ strategies that demand more effort, process information more deeply, and use more logical information-gathering and decision-making strategies than students who are extrinsically oriented” (Herron, Magomo & Gossard, 2008, p. 44). Working on a project in small groups, students gain cross-curricular skills relevant to arenas beyond the classroom.
The geographic home of this project is South Lake Tahoe, a perfect launch point for motivating students to take an active interest in their environment. In a 2011 study, researchers studied the benefits of adopting an integrated curricular program (ICP) with problem-based learning methods to “integrate environmental issues with curricular scientific topics to increase students' interest, motivation and awareness towards scientific and environmental matters” (Gutierrez-Perez & Pirrami, 2011, p. 270). The Tahoe basin is in a constant state of change with numerous environmental factors permanently affecting the area. Through the use of visual art projects and media-heavy teaching strategies,
the hope is that more students will want to participate, educate and motivate others to keep their community clean, all through the use of art!
A central aim of this project is to instill a sense of ownership that students have for their communities. In a similar PBL lesson incorporating visual arts, researchers found that “when intrinsically motivated, students tend to employ strategies that demand more effort, process information more deeply, and use more logical information-gathering and decision-making strategies than students who are extrinsically oriented” (Herron, Magomo & Gossard, 2008, p. 44). Working on a project in small groups, students gain cross-curricular skills relevant to arenas beyond the classroom.
The geographic home of this project is South Lake Tahoe, a perfect launch point for motivating students to take an active interest in their environment. In a 2011 study, researchers studied the benefits of adopting an integrated curricular program (ICP) with problem-based learning methods to “integrate environmental issues with curricular scientific topics to increase students' interest, motivation and awareness towards scientific and environmental matters” (Gutierrez-Perez & Pirrami, 2011, p. 270). The Tahoe basin is in a constant state of change with numerous environmental factors permanently affecting the area. Through the use of visual art projects and media-heavy teaching strategies,
the hope is that more students will want to participate, educate and motivate others to keep their community clean, all through the use of art!
Rationale
Project Based Learning (PBL) techniques have long been used in a variety of arenas to motivate and empower students to take an active
approach in learning. While PBL methods in science classrooms typically involve a blend of two or more subjects into the project, rarely do they incorporate visual art challenges. From my experience, there seems to be a lack of art in many PBL assignments. According to the National Art
Educators Association, students of all ages benefit from comprehensive, balanced, and sequential learning in the visual arts (National Art
Education Association, 1994). The introduction of more visual art elements to science-centered PBL lessons will help broaden possibilities for
projects, while creating a balanced approach to the task by integrating a creative component. Hall, 2005 investigated the benefits of visual art
inclusion in a biology classroom by having students include a hand-drawn model of the immune system to coincide with the regular lesson.
Through surveys completed at the end of the year, students who participated in the visual arts component of the lesson demonstrated a
greater understanding of the content. Another example of a successful science and art pairing is evident in the study conducted by Medina-
Jerez, Dambekalns, and Middleton, 2012 in which the complex, detailed paintings of artist Alex Grey were used during a study of organelles. Through the creative approach of adding a unique twist to the original teaching content, students demonstrated an increased level of interest.
With the expanding adoption of Common Core practices across the nation, the need for students to be prepared in more than one thinking style is imperative. According to research, “students today learn more effectively in pedagogical practices that emphasize holistic thinking, active learning, visual media and problem-solving” (Lee & Breitenberg, 2010. p. 54). When traditional teaching practices are used, such as direct instruction, students are exposed to the fundamental concepts, but little is achieved in regards to expanding their problem solving abilities. The students miss out on a major component required for real-world projects, creative approaches to working. When PBL opportunities are presented and coupled with a visual arts component, the lacking element of out-of-the-box creative thinking is fulfilled.
With technology use being woven into an increasing number of school curriculum models, a natural link can be observed. There is a connection between the appeal that a visual interface has for students, and their ability to attain a deeper level of knowledge. The North Carolina School System is one example of a successful virtual campus in which game design has been used to link math classes with computer graphics components (Ernst & Clark, 2012). Students struggling to understand abstract ideas are able to see a visible model of their work represented as a computer-rendered image and consequently, the student's understanding and retention of course material was greatly improved.
In an experiment with advanced digital photography students, a project was merged with a chemistry lesson. Students learned about the chemical processes required for developing film before digital cameras existed. The results indicated that students gained a deeper understanding of the chemistry involved in photo printing through the darkroom, thus scoring higher on an assessment given at the end of the chemistry lesson (Kariuki & Hopkins, 2010). From my experience as an educator in the arts, I can attest to the visual connection many students want to make to course material of science lessons. Through the proper implementation of PBL assignments, students of various learning styles will be able to understand advanced scientific concepts by correlating them visually with project based modules including an art component.
approach in learning. While PBL methods in science classrooms typically involve a blend of two or more subjects into the project, rarely do they incorporate visual art challenges. From my experience, there seems to be a lack of art in many PBL assignments. According to the National Art
Educators Association, students of all ages benefit from comprehensive, balanced, and sequential learning in the visual arts (National Art
Education Association, 1994). The introduction of more visual art elements to science-centered PBL lessons will help broaden possibilities for
projects, while creating a balanced approach to the task by integrating a creative component. Hall, 2005 investigated the benefits of visual art
inclusion in a biology classroom by having students include a hand-drawn model of the immune system to coincide with the regular lesson.
Through surveys completed at the end of the year, students who participated in the visual arts component of the lesson demonstrated a
greater understanding of the content. Another example of a successful science and art pairing is evident in the study conducted by Medina-
Jerez, Dambekalns, and Middleton, 2012 in which the complex, detailed paintings of artist Alex Grey were used during a study of organelles. Through the creative approach of adding a unique twist to the original teaching content, students demonstrated an increased level of interest.
With the expanding adoption of Common Core practices across the nation, the need for students to be prepared in more than one thinking style is imperative. According to research, “students today learn more effectively in pedagogical practices that emphasize holistic thinking, active learning, visual media and problem-solving” (Lee & Breitenberg, 2010. p. 54). When traditional teaching practices are used, such as direct instruction, students are exposed to the fundamental concepts, but little is achieved in regards to expanding their problem solving abilities. The students miss out on a major component required for real-world projects, creative approaches to working. When PBL opportunities are presented and coupled with a visual arts component, the lacking element of out-of-the-box creative thinking is fulfilled.
With technology use being woven into an increasing number of school curriculum models, a natural link can be observed. There is a connection between the appeal that a visual interface has for students, and their ability to attain a deeper level of knowledge. The North Carolina School System is one example of a successful virtual campus in which game design has been used to link math classes with computer graphics components (Ernst & Clark, 2012). Students struggling to understand abstract ideas are able to see a visible model of their work represented as a computer-rendered image and consequently, the student's understanding and retention of course material was greatly improved.
In an experiment with advanced digital photography students, a project was merged with a chemistry lesson. Students learned about the chemical processes required for developing film before digital cameras existed. The results indicated that students gained a deeper understanding of the chemistry involved in photo printing through the darkroom, thus scoring higher on an assessment given at the end of the chemistry lesson (Kariuki & Hopkins, 2010). From my experience as an educator in the arts, I can attest to the visual connection many students want to make to course material of science lessons. Through the proper implementation of PBL assignments, students of various learning styles will be able to understand advanced scientific concepts by correlating them visually with project based modules including an art component.