Patricia A. Morrison
The objective of each lesson in this unit is to learn chemistry its methods, definitions and concepts by way of an in-depth analysis of
The Blacksmith's Shop
in order to emphasize the interrelatedness of science and the arts, to encourage accurate writing and creative thinking, and to discourage the compartmentalization of knowledge. The methods used will include class discussion combined with question and answer sessions, brainstorming, lectures, demonstrations, lab experiments, interdisciplinary activities with the visual arts department, videos, and trips to the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery Conservation Laboratory.
Interdisciplinary activities with the visual arts department are always collaborative efforts based on a clearly designed criterion sheet with focused critical areas that will be graded. This allows all students, even those with minimum artistic ability, to be successful in completing a project designed to deepen both an understanding of chemistry and an appreciation of art. After I introduce the science related to a topic, such as the electromagnetic spectrum and color theory, the art teacher illustrates how these concepts relate to paintings and helps the students create an individual work of art. In the case of color theory, she will discuss and illustrate the color wheel and the three primary dimensions of color hue, value and saturation. Then she will teach students two simple brush strokes, enabling them to create a painting that clearly exemplifies the use of primary pigments to make secondary pigments and demonstrates the distinction between value and saturation. After explaining the affect of adjacent colors on each other, the art teacher will join the class to discuss Wright's use of color in
The Blacksmith's Shop
.