Students create art inspired by extracurricular lab investigations Tess Hegedus, Verónica A. Segarra, Tawannah G. Allen, Hillary Wilson, Casey Garr, and Christina Budzinski e developed an integrated science-and-art program to engage science students from a performing arts high school in hands-on, inquirybased lab experiences. The students participated in eight biologyfocused investigations at a local university with undergraduate mentors. After the laboratory phase of the project, the high school students were charged with generating ideas and producing original science-inspired art to strengthen their science communication skills and comprehension. A culminating exhibit allowed the student artists to share their scientific insights.

October 2016

25

Introduction

Interdisciplinary approaches to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education can foster deeper, more meaningful engagement with content (Honey, Pearson, and Schweingruber 2014; NRC 2012). Eighteen empirical studies conducted since 2000 indicated that infusing the arts into educational experiences may benefit youths’ social and emotional development (Menzer 2015). Additionally, arts integration can lead to long-term retention of content (Rinne et al. 2011) and increased student interest, engagement, and motivation (Smithrim and Upitis 2005). With those results in mind, we set out to help honors biology students connect science concepts with the arts, expanding STEM to STEAM (with the added A for “arts”). Our university team partnered with a high school biology teacher and 36 of her students to whom we made available eight science-focused investigations (Figure 1) during a half-day event at the university. The investigations and associated arts integration presented cell biology through a very different lens. We attempted to design informal learning experiences (Bell et al. 2009) that would allow students to create physical and conceptual models aligning with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (see box, p. 31).

About the program

Concepts covered in the eight stations included photosynthesis, feedback mechanisms and homeostasis, cellular division, DNA, and heredity (see Figure 2 for a sample investigation protocol; others are available online; see “On the web”). Students generated artwork that highlighted some of their favorite science concepts and presented them at an exhibit to their families and the general public at a local community library. The program had three phases: (a) mentor-guided, inquiry-based science experiences, (b) research-inspired art production, and (c) a culminating art exhibit.

Phase One: Mentor-guided, inquiry-based science experiences

On a Saturday morning, undergraduate biology majors (“bio buds”) guided the high school students in investigations that included a variety of microscopy-focused activities such as human cheek cell harvesting, mounting, and staining; leaf stomatal imprints; and wet mounts of lake water using depression slides (Figure 1). The bio buds answered questions and shared stories about their personal pathways to biology. Safety equipment (goggles, gloves, lab coats) was provided at the various

FI G U R E 1

Lab station activities. Station

Description

Cheek Cell Microscopy Students harvested their own cheek cells and stained them with dyes (food coloring, methylene blue) to perform microscopy and visualize subcellular structures like the nucleus. Safety note: Here, and in the DIY DNA activity below, students should handle only their own cheek cells, used cotton swabs, and slides and dispose of materials in a biohazard bag or bleach solution.

26

Lake Water Microscopy

Students used a depression slide to visualize under the microscope living organisms in lake water like phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Germ Art

Using artistic traces, students inoculated/streaked Eosin methylene blue (EMB) agar plates with three different types of nonpathogenic bacteria: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. Each grows differently on EMB plates. E.g., E. coli grows to have metallic green sheen, and S. aureus does not grow at all.

Muscle Fibers at Work

Electrodes and Biopacs were used to explore skeletal muscle strength and physiology during different activities like arm wrestling.

DIY DNA

Students isolated genomic DNA from their own cheek cells. Students harvested their DNA and captured a sample in a necklace they could wear after the lab.

Sensory Overload

Students explored their five senses: vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. More specifically, students explored concepts like adaptation to low light, peripheral color blindness, and concentration of touch receptors.

Plants 101

Students generated leaf imprints, ultimately allowing them to visualize stomata on the underside of leaves.

Power to the Patient

Students used stethoscopes and pressure cuffs to measure blood pressure with the subject at rest, while lying down, and after mild exercise. In doing so, students explored the concept of blood pressure, circulatory system, and arteries.

The Science Teacher

The Art-Science Connection

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE AUTHORS

For example, one student posted to her mentor on the forum: “I think I have decided that I want to do either a monologue or a musical theatre number on the different tastes (salty, bitter, sweet, and sour). I’m thinking about making a video portraying each taste as a person. Do you have any tips to make it as informing and entertaining as possible? I really appreciate your help and am very excited to make this idea happen!” Students’ chosen art projects included theatrical monologues, original musical scores, dance routines, and two- or threedimensional mixed-media art. Some students worked on collaborative projects that infused elements from several experiments. “My project is coming along very well,” one student blogged to her bio bud. “I have teamed up with three biology/band classmates to write and play a song. The song has F IGUR E 2

Cheek Cell Microscopy, a sample protocol to guide a lab activity. Mounting human cheek epithelial cells on a microscope slide for visualization. Materials: At the Power to the Patient lab station, students check blood pressure with pressure cuff and stethoscope.

1. Microscope slides and coverslips 2. Flat toothpicks 3. Food coloring

stations as needed and hallways had hand sanitation stations for use as students transitioned between activities. The high school teacher was present to observe students’ progress and engagement. Each student was given a lab booklet with instructional protocols for each station in which to record their findings, drawings, and observations. Students rotated among the stations at their own pace. Some students had never before used a microscope. Observing daphnia moving under the lens, one student exclaimed, “I can see its heart beating!” Other students believed that the daphnia would touch their eye if they got too close to the eyepiece and jumped back dramatically when the daphnia moved under the lens. The event concluded by midday. Students left with their lab booklets full of sketches, notes, and observations of the day’s activities.

Phase Two: Research-inspired art production

In Phase Two, students were given eight weeks to develop an art project to communicate science concepts they had learned during Phase One. For help, they could interact with their assigned undergraduate “bio buds” via an online forum. The students checked on the progress of bacterial growth cultures, sought advice about concepts to pursue artistically, and asked about choices of media that might capture the essence of their chosen science concept. These interactions were voluntary and unprompted. Ten of the 16 bio buds chatted with their mentees online during the art development phase with 35 total posts logged.

Procedure to view human cheek cells under a microscope 1. Using the broad/flat end of a clean toothpick, gently scrape the inside of your cheek. Stir the scrapings into a drop of food coloring or dye on a clean microscope slide and add a coverslip on top. Dispose of used toothpicks. 2. Draw the excess sample from under the coverslip by gently touching and pressing a piece of tissue paper to the top of the coverslip. 3. Use the microscope to search your slide for cheek cells near the central edge of the area colored by the dye. 4. Because the cells are almost transparent, decrease the amount of light entering the objective lens to increase the contrast. Find the cells using the low-power objective of your microscope; then switch to the high-dry objective (40×) for detailed study. Many of the cells will be wrinkled or folded due to their thin, flexible nature. 5. Can you find the nucleus, a centrally located spherical body within the cytoplasm of each cell?

October 2016

27

two parts, the lake and heartbeat. The lake is smooth and pretty but builds suspense to incorporate the things that we found in the lake water when looking under a microscope. The heartbeat portion incorporates taking our blood pressure and hearing a heartbeat along with the change in heartbeat when put under certain circumstances, like exercise. I do not have any questions right now but I will let you know if that changes.” Like the Saturday lab event, most of the time dedicated to developing artwork also took place outside of school and was voluntary. Students could have chosen to conduct an independent service-learning project instead, but none did. If the project had been part of the standard honors biology curriculum rather than an introductory outreach event, the student booklets could serve as a formative assessment tool. Additionally, the integrated science and art products might also be assessed for the disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and practices conveyed. The creative manner in which the art was applied to science concepts could be included in these assessments to evaluate the fluency, flexibility, elaboration of ideas, and originality in design indicative of creative thought and expression (Cramond et al. 2005; Torrance 1979). FI G U R E 3

Plant-infused collage.

Phase Three: Culminating integrated art exhibit The culminating science-inspired art exhibit, held in a community library, was attended by students, their families, and the public. The exhibit showcased a variety of visual products and performances. Around the room, easels held original art, such as a collage of microbes or a depiction of a jaguar assembled with plant parts, a painting inspired by observations of leaf structures under the microscope during the Plants 101 lab activity (Figure 3). “I painted this because I wanted to show how nature itself is art,” the student wrote in a caption. Another work showed the muscular anatomy of the lower extremities (Figure 4). It was inspired by the Muscle Fibers at Work lab activity and illustrated the “lactic-acid buildup during rigorous exercising and what your muscles look like from the inside.” Also on display were an anatomically representative heart clay sculpture, embroidered petri dishes, and a plant cell pillow complete with organelles composed of different fabrics (Figure 5, p. 30). The Germ Art lab station inspired the petri dish embroidery. “If those dishes are the frames,” the student artist wrote, “the thread in the cloth could be the bacteria inside of the dishes.” Students also expressed their science understanding through dance, original compositions with musical accompaniment, and song. One group performed a mitosis song that began: “Let’s gather around the cell membrane and sing a little song, A M-I-T-O-S-I-S, cell division song, This song comes with phases, but it doesn’t take that long, Learn all about it, if you just sing along…” The song highlighted each phase of mitosis. Another student performed a dance that conveyed the fluid movement of organisms in lake water. Two other songs were parodies. “My D-N-A,” inspired by the DIY DNA lab station about genetics, was sung to the tune of the Village People’s “YMCA.” “The idea of information spread throughout your body to help continue life, but also to spread new life, is very intriguing,” the author of the parody said. Another pop classic, “Hello” by Adele, was parodied in a song, “Cell-O,” highlighting three female vocal artists’ experiences with cheek cell harvesting. The parody began with, “Cell-o, it’s me. I was wondering, cause my bones broke, if you would like to divide, To mend my bone back into place, They say dividing is supposed to heal ya, But, I ain’t done much healing...” During the performance, classmates spontaneously chimed in on the chorus, “Cheek cells, cheek cells, cheek cells,” lending support and camaraderie to the event.

28

The Science Teacher

The Art-Science Connection

FI G U R E 4

Acrylic painting of lower extremity muscular anatomy.

Conclusion

Students communicated their ideas about science concepts in uniquely creative ways. Modeling concepts artistically in this collaborative endeavor, which took place largely outside of the traditional classroom setting, enabled students to see science in a new light. Likert-style pre- and post-surveys of the students demonstrated that the outreach event showed potential for generating interest and affiliation with science through connections with art. Combining informal learning experiences with the standard curriculum made science more accessible. The freedom to choose the type and style of artistic modality (e.g., dance, music, song, visual arts) they would use allowed students to connect with these disciplines through their own lived experiences (Calabrese Barton 2007; Calabrese Barton and Tan 2010). While university partnerships may not be readily accessible to all high school teachers, we believe this model of a science-inspired art exhibit can be easily replicated by seeking local community resources like public libraries or other educationally supportive venues. ■

Tess Hegedus ([email protected]) and Verónica A. Segarra ([email protected]) are assistant professors, and Tawannah G. Allen ([email protected]) is an associate professor at High Point University in High Point, North Carolina; Hillary Wilson ([email protected]) is a graduate student at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland; Casey Garr (garrc13 @highpoint.edu) is an undergraduate biology major at High Point University; and Christina Budzinski (christina.budzinski@ uconn.edu) is an undergraduate biology major at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut.

Acknowledgments This project was supported by an Outreach Grant from the Committee for Postdocs and Students (COMPASS) of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB). Corresponding author Verónica A. Segarra can be reached for inquiries regarding this outreach program. Special thanks go to Drs. Kristin Ackerman and Nicole Hughes, assistant professors at High Point University, for their help with laboratory protocol development.

October 2016

29

FI G U R E 5

Student art: A: heart sculpture; B: plant cell represented by a pillow; C: embroidered petri dishes. C

A

B

On the web Investigation protocols: www.nsta.org/highschool/connections.aspx

References Bell, P., B. Lewenstein, A.W. Shouse, and M.A. Feder, eds. 2009. Learning science in informal environments: People, places, and pursuits. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Calabrese Barton, A. 2007. Science learning in urban settings. In Handbook of research on science education, ed. S.K. Abell and N.G. Lederman, 319–343. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Calabrese Barton, A., and E. Tan. 2010. We be burnin’! Agency, identity, and science learning. Journal of the Learning Sciences 19 (2): 187–229. Cramond, B., J. Matthews-Morgan, D. Bandalos, and L. Zuo. 2005. A report on the 40-year follow-up of the Torrance tests of creative thinking: Alive and well in the new millennium. Gifted Child Quarterly 49 (4): 283–291. Honey, M., G. Pearson, and H. Schweingruber, eds. 2014. STEM

30

The Science Teacher

integration in K–12 education: Status, prospects, and an agenda for research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Menzer, M. 2015. The arts in early childhood: Social and emotional benefits of arts participation. Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts.  National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next generation science standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Rinne, L., E. Gregory, J. Yarmolinskaya, and M. Hardiman. 2011. Why arts integration improves long-term retention of content. Mind, Brain, and Education 5 (2): 89–96. Smithrim, K., and R. Upitis. 2005. Learning through the arts: Lessons of engagement. Canadian Journal of Education 28 (1 and 2): 109–127. Torrance, E. P. 1979. The search for satori and creativity. Buffalo, NY: Creative Education Foundation.

The Art-Science Connection

Connecting to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013). Standards HS-ESS3 Earth and Human Activity Performance expectations The chart below makes one set of connections between the instruction outlined in this article and the NGSS. Other valid connections are likely; however, space restrictions prevent us from listing all possibilities. The activities outlined in this article are just one step toward reaching the performance expectations listed below. HS-LS1-1. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins, which carry out the essential functions of life through systems of specialized cells. HS-LS1-2. Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms. HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis. Dimension

Name and NGSS code/citation

Specific connections to classroom activity

Science and Engineering Practice

Developing and Using Models • Develop and use a model based on evidence to illustrate the relationships between systems or between components of a system. (HS-LS1-2)

Students created physical and conceptual artistic representations of the science concepts explored in the eight lab stations to include original musical scores, songs, dance, two and three-dimensional mixed media artwork.

Disciplinary Core Idea

LS1.A: Structure and Function • Systems of specialized cells within organisms help them perform the essential functions of life. (HSLS1-1) • All cells contain genetic information in the form of DNA molecules. (HS-LS1-1) • Feedback mechanisms maintain a living system’s internal conditions within certain limits and mediate behaviors, allowing it to remain alive and functional even as external conditions change within some range. (HS-LS1-3)

Students harvested cheek cells, isolated their genomic DNA, and visualized subcellular structures.

Crosscutting Structure and Function Concepts • Investigating or designing new systems or structures requires a detailed examination of the properties of different materials, the structures of different components, and connections of components to reveal its function and/or solve a problem. (HS-LS1-1) Systems and System Models • Models (e.g., physical, mathematical, computer models) can be used to simulate systems and interactions—including energy, matter, and information flows—within and between systems at different scales. (HS-LS1-2)

Students generated leaf imprints and visualized stomata under the microscope. Students observed the structures and movement of living organisms such as zooplankton and phytoplankton in lake water samples. Students observed the effect of cold temperature on their blood pressure, and explained this effect in terms of homeostasis. Students explored human physiology using tools of science such as stethoscopes and sphygmomanometers in different states of activity. Students tested the five senses and human responses to stimuli and stress. Students measured skeletal muscular contraction using electrodes and Biopacs during activity and rest cycles.

Stability and Change • Feedback (negative or positive) can stabilize or destabilize a system. (HS-LS1-3)

October 2016

31