iSTE(A)M
SCIENCE THROUGH Art
what we learned
what we learned
Experiments We Loved
During our “Chlorophyll Painting” experiment, our scientists explored chlorophyll by using leaves as an unconventional painting implement. STEAM Connection: Chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants that helps them to produce their own food, and gives leaves and plants their green color. When the leaves are broken or compressed, the chlorophyll is released onto the paper, creating the green paint/hue.
We compared various sorbents in “Absorption Art” and learned what materials are best at absoption! STEAM Connection: Different items have different structures of their cellulose fibers. More absorbent materials have cellulose fibers which contain empty spaces between them. As water (and color) are added to the material, it clings to the cellulose fibers and fill the empty spaces between them. This Is what we see when the color expands or is soaked into a material.
In “Fingerprint Art” students created and classified their own fingerprints and those of their partner's, using their unique fingerprints to create colorful paintings. STEAM Connection: Even though every single human has unique fingerprints, the prints follow three basic patterns. They are called whorls, loops, and arches. Fingerpritns are often effective at indentifying individual people.
Experiments We Loved
During our “Shaving Cream Clouds” experiment, our scientists learned all about clouds and the process of precipitation by observing the movement of color through shaving cream. STEAM Connection: Clouds are made of water droplets. Within a cloud, water droplets condense onto one another, causing the droplets to grow. When these water droplets get too heavy to stay suspended in the cloud, they fall to Earth as rain. This is called precipitation.
In “Creature Traits” our scientists explored the meaning of physical traits and how they are passed down from relatives, designing their own unique creature in the process! STEAM Connection:Giraffes have long necks to help it grab food in trees, the Artic Fox is white to blend in with the snow and hide from predators, and long elephant tusks are used to fight and protect their territory. Physical traits describe what people see when they look at you, and animals have distinct traits as well.
During our “Magic Milk” experiment, our scientists investigated the exciting interaction between soap, food coloring, and the liquid protein in milk. STEAM Connection: When we added the soap to our milk, the fats and proteins inside the milk got separated from the rest of the liquid in the milk--the water. The soap made the fats and proteins jump all around, and because the food coloring was in there, the food coloring got to go on a ride with the fats and proteins!
Science through art GLOSSARY
Absorption: an object's ability to soak up or take in other substances.
Chlorophyll: the green pigment in plants that helps them to produce their own food, and gives leaves and plants their green color.
Diffusion: happens when molecules inside a material move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
Element: a pure substance made of one kind of atom. It cannot be split up into anything simpler without losing its characteristics. A substance that cannot be separated into simpler substances.
Enzyme: important substances made by the cells of plants and animals. They are catalysts, or substances that control how quickly chemical reactions occur.
Friction: the resistance of motion when objects rub together. When you rub your hands together and friction occurs, heat energy is created.
Molecules: a group of atoms joined together.
Precipitation: When water droplets in clouds get too heavy to stay suspended, they fall to Earth as rain.
Protein: essential for building, maintaining, and repairing the tissues in our body.
Ratio: a way to show a relationship or compare two numbers of the same kind.
Surface Tension: bonds that hold water together.
Texture: is the appearance, feel and structure of a substance.
Venation: The arrangmenet of veins in a leaf. Parallel veins are parallel to each other; pinnate have a vein down the middle and veins stemming from the middle; palmate veins all stem off from the same spot at the base of the leaf.
Viscosity: property of a liquid that describes how fast or slowly it will flow.