Classroom Tools: 

Lesson Plan: Artists as Pioneers

Artist and craftspeople are often the first to record, explore and discuss many of the most profound elements of science and mathematics.  For a local example, work by Gibbs Ronsovall among the permanent collection at the Kentucky International Convention Center show seemingly abstract shapes that multiply and expand out from small to large in varied but consistent patterns. The work perfectly captures the essential principles of fractal geometry. Patterns like this can be found in nature, such as the branches on the trees in the park and the rivers that collect as they meet up with the Ohio. Mankind has observed these patterns for thousands of years, but it was not until 1978 that mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot realized these images were not arbitrary but instead formed intricate patterns. Today, these self-repeating, but increasingly smaller and smaller images, are called fractals and are part of a new branch of mathematics called fractal geometry. In recent years we have found many practical uses for these patterns. They have enabled cell phone designers to create smaller and smaller antennas that now fit inside the phones, but before these patterns were used functionally they were observed, recorded and reproduced in new ways by artists. Artists are often the first to pioneer a new discovery simply by observing it and incorporating it into their work.

Questions to ask your students:

In the art you viewed today what elements, observations or visual tools did the artist use that refers to mathematical principles?

Fractal Geometry has been used in the patterns and inspiration for textile designs dating back long before it had a name or field of study. Where else can you find fractal geometry in art?

What other fields of study do artists use to create work or convey a message? Where did you see artwork that explored any of the following subjects and fields of study; Linguistics, Sociology, Psychology, Mathematics, Biology, Health Sciences, Language Arts, or your favorite subject?

Locations to visit on the Hop: All Galleries

Standards:

LA: Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.

LA: Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

MATH: Draw, construct, and describe geometrical figures and describe the relationships between them.

SCI: Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

SCI: Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.

VA: Compare and contrast contexts and media in which viewers encounter images that influence ideas, emotions, and actions.

VA: Generate a collection of ideas reflecting current interests and concerns that could be investigated in artmaking.

Additional Resources: 

Muhanad Ali Center – https://www.metmuseum.org/learn/educators/lesson-plans/science-and-the-art-of-the-islamic-world

Kentucky Science Center –  http://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/classroom_resources/curricula/art_science2/lesson01.html

Lesson Plan: Explorers, Inventors, Activists, and History in Downtown Louisville 

The Historical Marker Database ofers “Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History” about local events and notable landmarks all over our city.  Find the illustrated searchable online resource of local historical information found on geotagged roadside and other outdoor markers and monuments on The Historical Marker Database https://www.hmdb.org/ to begin this lesson. While on the Hop you can find over 45 of these unique Historical Markers from Main Street all the way Down to Broadway on the Historic Marker Walking Tour of Downtown Louisville. Ask Students to take a rubbing of their findings and research the subject further from the classroom.

The Historic Marker Walking Tour of Downtown Louisville will take you on a walk of through the history of our rich heritage as a city brought together by adventurers, entrepreneurs, and artists. Founded by George Rogers Clark in 1778 there is much to be seen along this walking tour. Take it in a section at a time or make a day of it.

The Thomas Alva Edison House is just outside the Downtown area. Find this Crayola Thomas Alva Edison activity for creative learning.

https://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/thank-you-thomas-lesson-plan

Standards
LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly about their findings and experience using the rubbings as an illustrative exhibit.

LA: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

MATH: Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction of miles and distance between rubbings along the map.

MATH: Understand distance and appropriate units of measure for time (the dates on the historic markers) and space (the distance between markers).

MATH: Use measures of distance or time using either finite terms or comparative terms understanding properties of operations to add and subtract.

MATH: Use place dates and time to explore understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic.

VA: Students will initiate making works of art and design by experimenting, imagining and identifying content. The student may make rubbings of not only map marker text but also interesting textures, sculptures, bike rack artwork, manhole covers, or other safe to rub surfaces.

Art History : Rubbing, a modern revival of an ancient art, is the technique of transferring an embossed or engraved design from an existing textured surface onto a sheet of paper by rubbing over the paper with a special wax or crayon (colored chalks or charcoal are also used occasionally) while the paper is pressed tightly against the textured surface.

Summary: The Historical Marker and Arts in Downtown field Trip plan is an arts-infused, hands-on history lesson a Kentucky History for your class, group or community education center. This program should effectively enhance visual literacy, historical literacy and critical thinking skills. It can help your class achieve distinguished rankings on the Arts and Humanities program review and it meets the current and incoming social studies standards. This program is designed to be standards-based and a fun way for your students to learn. Students can utilize techniques of the investigator, historian, archaeologist, architect, geographer or environmentalist. It is an opportunity to teach students about environmental responsibility or to enrich the subject area you are teaching in. Creating a field trip that will benefit your students’ lives, enhance their skill and knowledge, and ensuring that they are safe will require preparation and organization. This lesson will guide you through the organization process to provide structure, safety and success for your class field trip. It will be necessary for a teacher to somewhat adapt the offered guidance to a specific subject area, field trip situation, and the individuality of a specific class.

Follow-up questions to prompt students to make observations and listen to presentations.

1. What clues does this marker provide about local history?
2. In what ways do these markers (pick 2) relate to one another?
3. If you could change one thing on this marker, what would it be?
4. Pretend you are an archaeologist in the future who is observing this marker. What would you be able to conclude about the culture of the past?
5. Expand the title or name of this marker into a detailed caption (sentence or paragraph) in your Field book.
6. Describe the setting in which you might have found this marker in the time it preserves.
7. Which marker will be of the greatest value in a hundred years? Why?
8. List the key elements in  or on the marker in the order of the story told.
9. Which marker took the most time and effort to produce? Is it art?
10. Pretend you are a character from this marker. Tell us as much as you can about your life.
11. What does this marker tell us about the people of its historic time’s attitude toward…?