Data in the Elementary Art Classroom
Finding and analyzing data are important steps in using analytical thinking to make decisions. Educators can use data for instructional purposes to engage students in problem-solving and critical thinking. This list presents the potential use of the collection, analysis, and application of data by teachers and students in the elementary art classroom.
Collecting and Analyzing Data
One data set that I searched for was raw data on the historical location proximities of Native American tribes. In the elementary art classroom, this data would be useful in an interdisciplinary unit on the lives of various tribes from our area (culture, customs, traditions, society, and art forms). After students complete their research, they can create their own art inspired by the tribe they studied and present their findings to their classmates in a form of peer teaching. Then, the class can compare and contrast the different elements discussed, and analyze the data, research, and findings. Though I was unable to find raw data, I was able to find interactive maps already created. This link contains a map of native peoples’ lands throughout the world. This could also be a great opportunity for students to find and appreciate indigenous artists and their art.
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Another interesting application for data use in the art classroom is analyzing the use of color in famous artworks. This Tableau link contains a visual illustrating such data through Vincent Van Gogh's painting, The Starry Night. This could be an interesting interdisciplinary unit on learning percentages through the avenue of art appreciation.
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During my research, I was so excited to discover that there are artists who interpret and visualize data to make art! Artists like Nathalie Miebach, use art mediums to visualize sets of data, such as weather patterns, to create colorful sculptures! Each piece of data is represented with a different color bead or material. Composers even interpret the data into songs that are performed alongside the sculptures. Miebach’s pieces from her Weather Score Project can be found via this link. She describes this project as “a collaboration between science, data, musical performance, and sculpture”. This would make a very interesting abstract art project for my fifth-grade students. For example, students can collect data from classmates on an area of interest, such as pizza or sundae topping preferences. Then, they could code the data into a visual medium such as a different pipe cleaner or bead color, or various brushstroke directions for each different set of data. Students would be creating a sculpture or painting presenting the data they found but in an abstract interpretation. The piece entitled Harvey Twitter SOS would make for a phenomenal interdisciplinary, music, art, and science lesson chock-full of opportunity for open-ended discussion.
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I was able to find raw data via the Chicago Data Portal (CDP), on the public art found throughout the city of Chicago. This link will take you to the interactive map showing the locations and names of each sculpture. I was able to access the CDP’s excel data document to create the visual below, which shows the various artists who created pieces of public art in Chicago. The larger the circle in the interactive visual, the more present that artist is in the data. This data would be simple for students to analyze and interpret. I would create a project for students to research an artist then find other classmates who might have similar themed art or art in the same park. After grouping together, students can create a brochure for tourists to locate public art throughout Chicago. They could include the name of each artwork, a description of and drawing or photo of each art piece, the artist’s name, the address, etc. This would make for a great addition to my unit on art and careers.
Conclusion
Data supporting best practices in teaching is most important for teacher decision-making. It is also important for teachers to be able to use data as a resource to support and enrich student learning. Modeling data’s use in an interdisciplinary application is an ideal way for students to see and understand its various uses and its value for life-long learning. The process for data-driven decision-making can be discussed for practicing metacognition and critical thinking skills. This data drove me to make decisions about lessons I plan to use. I was not expecting data to excite my decision-making, but even data can be an interesting medium in the art classroom!
