Integrating biology subject lessons into a high school visual arts classroom

Abstract

Students at Thunder Ridge High School in Idaho Falls, Idaho were having difficulty integrating compelling subject matter into their artwork, often copying ideas from Google or Instagram. Topics in biology were introduced to create inquiry surrounding the selection of subject for student projects. The literature base for this project strongly supports the integration of art and science as a means of building relevance and interest among students in science and art topics. This study was developed to determine if student work improved when provided artistic subject in biology topics compared to projects where students developed artistic subject independently. Students in either Art 1 or Ceramics 1 visual arts classes were expected to complete four projects over the course of a trimester. Students created two projects related to subjects in biology and two projects were developed by students independently. Qualitative surveys and interviews were employed alongside quantitative project rubrics and biology content assessments to determine the effect on student perceptions and performance during biology and art integration.