Science Education Standards

33 ll artists are chemists. Artists understand and study the properties of specific materials and find ways to explore these properties to express views of themselves and the world around them. In this curriculum unit, chemistry students create an original artwork and describe the chemistry principles involved in their work. Before beginning the challenge, students learn the chemistry concepts and related art techniques through a series of eight activities. The five-week chemistry unit centers on the Artist as Chemist and uses a problem-based learning model. We have found that students in class and teachers in professional development workshops become equally engaged in this chemistry unit. As part of an NSF-supported curriculum project (Eisenkraft 2006), the project leans on the National Science Education Standards as Chemist Students link art and chemistry through problem-based learning activities