Art and Math Integration: Art Projects That Build Math Skills

For a lot of people, math is dry, tedious, and unappealing.  Making math into a creative exercise not only makes it more fun but also helps math become more meaningful for students. In this class, students will complete simple art projects to gain understanding in various math concepts.

Each class will begin with a brief lesson to introduce the topic. I will explicitly teach the math concept and allow students opportunities to demonstrate understanding through practice problems and discussion.  Because this class is built for students of varying ages, I will scaffold the material to meet their level as appropriate.  After the lesson, I will introduce and artist and guide the students through a simple art project that builds on the concept learned. Students have the option to make these drawings as simple or complex as they wish. Class time may vary slightly based on students' projects. 

Students should bring required supplies to each class. If students don't have materials, they may participate as they are able and review the video to complete the project. Younger students may benefit from having an adult available to help.

1. Polygon Self-Portrait (Defining Polygons & Identifying Polygons by Number of Sides) (Pablo Picasso)
2. Geometry Cottage Drawing (Geometry Vocabulary: Line Segments, Rays, Points, Angles, etc.) (Thomas Kinkade)
3. Fibonacci Golden Spiral Art (The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Spiral) (Fibonacci)
4. Symmetrical Mandala (Types of Symmetry) (traditional Asian art)
5. Mondrian Math Grid (Fractions) (Piet Mondrian)
6. Da Vinci's Golden Ratio (ratio and proportion) (Leonardo da Vinci)
7. Perspective Architecture Scenes (exploring one-point perspective) (Johannes Vermeer)
8. Pop Art Patterns (repeating patterns) (Andy Warhol)