The more I read about art, the more I relate it to science. Art has elements and principles similar to science and they are investigated very similarly. Discovery, inquiry, and problem solving are all utilized in the art classroom and science classroom. The main difference between art and science lies in the method of assessment. Art draws conclusions from qualitative information and science draws conclusions from quantitative data. Both subjects require the same process but use tools differently in the process and these various uses create different evidence to support their work.
In high school, I excelled in the arts and sciences. I believe I did so well because I understood the ways tools are used in both subjects with the similar process. I think many people see a disconnect between art and science because they use tools so differently, which provide two incomparable types of data.
At the elementary level, students do not have high level encoding strategies due to their cognitive development. Children cannot categorize information presented to them as well as adults because they are still building lots of schema. Art does not require students to have a lot of schema to take steps in discovery processes. Science requires a higher developed understanding of tools to categorize them to reach outcomes. A skillful artist will have the ability to categorize their tools as a sign of mastery, but do not need to have those skills to begin understanding art. Elementary students need art to help them begin to understand the thinking process required in many fields. Art is a gateway to the discovery, inquiry, and problem solving which when encouraged properly, can evolve into a career of art mastery, yet translate well to scientific career paths due to the similar critical thinking required.
I was previously a meteorology major enrolled in an engineering physics class. The first day of class, my professor put out a sheet of paper that was cut and folded in a unique way. He asked us to recreate the form it in the small groups we selected. I studied it for 15 seconds and figured it out, while many students examined it and were stumped. Many claimed the form could not be created. After three minutes had passed, I recreated the form and every student was in shock. Many of these students were far more understanding of mathematical theories than I, yet they couldn’t recreated this simple form. From this experience, I would claim that these students didn’t have the experience of using tools in different ways and contexts. In this situation, the task used art skills that require three-dimensional analyzation. Art exposes students to thinking multi-modal. Art helps students be creative with the organization of different scientific tools and reconsider their purpose and design for new uses.
Understanding art and science as brother and sister rather than an overtalkative third uncle and hard of hearing grandmother creates an understanding that they rely on one another because they both promote the same skills needed to be a strong thinker. The difference between the two is that the sister wears a bra. She uses the fabric to support her breasts, and he uses fabric to not show any skin above the top of his kneecap. Ceramic work uses SiO2 as a glass former in glaze to create shiny surfaces and SiO2 is analyzed as a functioning contributor to human life. The way that we teach art is just as important as the way we teach science. The conclusions we derive from either subjects, qualitative or quantitative, are purely evaluations of the critical thinking that is curtail for students to master.
