Students will learn that both artists and scientists are keen observers of the natural world and engage in creative problem solving. The elements of art – shape, line, color, value, texture – offer an amazing way to make sense of planetary geology and atmospheres. Students will choose a NASA image of a planetary body to inspire their own cosmic creation, practice four oil pastel techniques (scrumpling, feathering, stippling, and sgraffito), create a planetary surface using at least three of the elements of art, and write a paragraph explaining how each element of art in their drawing would be interpreted by a scientist completing geologic analysis.

Supporting Documents: Lesson Plan

Contact: Krista Frenz, Casey Abrahamson, and Mikayla Ross