Teaching art and math together can be an educational opportunity with creative results. Mathematic and artistic patterns can be found in both natural and man-made items. For students feeling they don't excel in the arts, tying in math concepts allows for positive art results.
Natural and Man-Made Patterns
Find several objects or images representing both natural and man-made patterns and post them around the classroom. With students, discuss the concept of patterns and how things repeat in patterns. Have students find examples of the patterns in the man-made and natural items. Using a whiteboard or chalkboard at the front of the room, have students share examples of patterns and draw them on the board. Allow each elementary student a chance to share a pattern trying not to repeat past patterns.
Pattern Resist
Gather the materials needed for the lessons: rulers, pencils, 9 in. by 12 in. white drawing paper, crayons and watercolor paints. Provide each student with a white sheet of paper, crayons and watercolor paints. Crayons are made from wax, which is a substance that repels water. When water and wax meet, the water naturally pulls away from, or resists, the wax. Using crayons and white paper have students create a "man-made" pattern on the paper that repeats several times only drawing the outlines of the shapes. Encourage students to press hard, using the crayons to make thick dark lines. Rulers can be used to create straight lines. After drawing the pattern, have students use the watercolor paints to paint over the crayon. While painting over the crayon, watch as the watercolor pulls away from the crayon pattern.
When the pattern paintings are dry, post them around the room along with the images and examples of man-made and natural patterns.
Tessellations with M.C. Escher
Another type of pattern is called a tessellation. M.C. Escher is an artist who created paintings using tessellations as inspiration. With elementary school students, look at examples of tessellations by M.C. Escher (see references) and how he used black and white to create detailed mathematical patterns in his art. A tessellation is a way to create a pattern with shapes leaving no gaps and without overlapping.
Provide students with a 9 in. by 12 in. sheet of white paper, scissors, rulers and glue. Have sheets of multi-colored construction paper available for them to use. Have them each select a shape to use in making a tessellation. Have each student draw her chosen shape on a piece of construction paper using a ruler to create straight lines then cut it out and use the shape as a template to use in cutting out more of the same shape. The student should then glue the shape onto the white paper, and continue gluing shapes so they all touch without overlapping or gaps. To make the tessellation more of a challenge, make a rule that pieces of the same color should not touch. The student should fill the entire paper with the tessellation.
