Nature Art
Science Art
Scientific Illustration
Natural Science Illustration
What do you call art that gets people thinking about nature and the environment?
Today I am going to use the label “natural history art” because it is nature that professor, Ashley Campbell, emphasizes in Avenues to Inspiration: Integrating the Life and Work of Nature Artists Into Middle School Science.
In her article, Campbell (2011) suggests several ways teachers can use art as a learning tool to connect with students whose reaction to the word “science” is less-than-positive.
Campbell (2011) suggests introducing students to the work of nature artists such as Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) and John James Audubon (1785-1851). She provides suggestions about how teachers can use the work of nature artists to teach students about biological processes, local plants and animals, and occupations in the fields of life science, physical science and art.
She also offers suggestions about how teachers can create a “Science & Art” (Campbell, 2011) component in their classrooms and how they can keep this component fresh and engaging from September to June through the use of themes and interactive activities.
To learn more about Ashley Campbell’s ideas, visit your local college library to get a copy of her article.
Literature Cited
Campbell, Ashley. 2011. Avenues to inspiration. Science Scope. 35(2): 24-30
Teachers, Here’s Another Idea!
Participate in conversations with artists and educators right here on this website. Since 2007, ArtPlantae Today has been where artists, naturalists and educators have learned from people who use art to bring attention to plants and to important issues in botany education. We learn from a different featured guest each month. Would you like to join us?
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Before you go, however, meet this month’s featured guest Heeyoung Kim. Heeyoung is a botanical artist, teacher and advocate for America’s prairies. Today she tells us how she creates art with a message.
ArtPlantae Today 