Recently my class did a unit on dinosaurs. Along with reading about dinosaurs and discussing them, we also took a trip to the Peabody Museum to look at the skeletons of these fascinating creatures. My students were truly intrigued by these skeletal structures and asked endless questions of the proctor about what these creatures had really been like and why they had become extinct. Our guide patiently informed the students of what we know of dinosaurs, such as their size and that some walked upright, and also what we don't, such as the color of their skin and why they became extinct. He also showed us an artist's interpretation of what the world of the dinosaurs was like. The award winning mural on the wall showed many of the dinosaurs set in a world that was probably the setting of that time.
Inspired by the mural, when we returned to class, we decided to make one of our own. As my students created dinosaurs and landscape for our mural I was excited how many incorporated what they had learned into their artwork. It not only lent itself to beautifully detailed artwork, but also solidified the facts and concepts that my students had learned during the unit.
Because of the obvious amount of knowledge this hands on experience gave my students, I realized that art was not only worthwhile for arts sake. It also gave my students a medium to express what they learned. I realized that not only did this type of project give them a wonderful product but also allowed them to solidify their learning. It was this project that made me realize how powerful an art and anatomy unit could be for my students. The human body and its diversity and possibilities have always been a favorite exploration of artists. When I realized how meaningful artistic activities could be with a unit on science I realized how to approach final projects in an anatomy course. I thought that combining looking at art and giving the students an opportunity to create their own drawings and sculptures would really give a whole understanding of anatomy.
At the end of this unit I list some of the resources for art that I found useful. I am careful to choose art that is appropriate for students to use. I try to keep away from nudes, as I found ,and I am sure many early childhood teachers will agree with me, that nudity is simply too distracting. Nudity in our culture is simply too taboo. At the same time, I do not necessarily shy away from art that is in some way gory or frightening. I feel that looking at these pieces will not have the same emotional effect on students as they might otherwise once they are immersed in a unit about anatomy. I also find that many students will find examining things they are fearful of a useful way to conquer those fears. The fact that some of these pictures and paintings may disturbing will allow us to examine why they are as such, and make them a little more conquerable. In the end, I suggest when exposing students to art, simply use your judgment. Teachers are the best assessors of what their classroom community can and cannot handle. Make sure that you have looked carefully at the art you choose to use in order to best judge whether it is your best choice for your particular class. I usually do some research on the artist's intent and the history of the piece so that I can talk about these briefly as well.
For each body system I suggest using only a few pieces of art for examples of how people have depicted them. While I would definitely use more than one piece for comparisons sake, I wouldn't use more than three or four pieces for each system. In this way, students will be able to really examine and get to know these pieces. It also can be quite overwhelming to young children to have more than a few examples of anything. Art is something that many of them will have very little frame of reference for. Asking them to use this medium as a way to look at a scientific concept is, while rewarding, challenging. I would choose two or three pieces to use for each system. . In the lessons portions I illustrate more concretely how I would use art when explaining the circulatory system. You will an example of how, for each system, I would try to pick pieces that were in great contrast to one another. This way the students could see how differently artists perceive things. I hope it would also give them a freedom in their own artistic expression, as they may see that many interpretations and styles are viable in art.
A note about the student's journals and the artwork: As students work in their journals you may see students try to copy the artwork. I would not discourage this type of exploration. Copying art can be extremely useful for learning artistic technique, plus it may help students to more fully understand how the artwork ties into the rest of the unit. Instead celebrate your students' curiosity, it shows they are enjoying this new medium of expression!