The art of math - Students combine concepts for poster contest

Art, science and history might be favorite subjects for Alexia Phillips, a first-grader at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School, but she's also learning a little about mathematics while she draws in art class.

Students at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School are integrating math and art concepts in projects that could become entries for a Math 'n Art poster contest sponsored by the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The best works from the school will be entered in the contest; last year Sarah White, then a seventh-grader, won first place for her mermaid tessellations.

The younger students are learning about geometric shapes and perspective. The junior high grades are learning about patterns and geometry while trying to draw tessellations, which closely resemble mosaics. Kindergarten students aren't entering the contest.

The posters are judged on creativity, originality in uses of geometry and neatness. The first- and second-place posters at each grade level will be displayed at the MCTM state contest in April.

Ovals, cubes, cylinders

Phillips and her classmates copied definitions of parallel lines, ovals, cubes and cylinders from the chalkboard in the art room Tuesday afternoon. Then they used those shapes to make a picture of a glass of lemonade with ice cubes sitting on a table.

Flipping through the pages of her sketchbook, Phillips reviews her art work for the year. She's done drawings of monsters, but those got scribbled over. Her book also has drawings that show perspective and the latest lessons on cubes and cylinders.

Using the sketchbooks as the starting point, teacher Desi Palmer talked to the students about parallel lines, cubes and cylinders while coaching them through the drawing.

Starting with two parallel lines and three ovals, the students drew in the sketchbook creating a glass filled with liquid. Add a couple cubes inside the glass and you've got ice, another cylinder becomes the straw. The finishing touch is creating a table so the glass isn't just floating in air.

"Sketchbooks are just practice, so erasing is OK," Palmer said. "Messing up is OK so you can learn to do better next time."

While the students draw, Palmer answers questions from the students -- some of which are related to the work at hand but most aren't. One boy asks Palmer if she's an artist and then before she can answer, Phillips replies, "Of course she's an artist. You have to be if you're an art teacher."

Learning basic art ideas

Next week the students will draw their pictures again on a clean sheet of paper and then color it. Some of the best works will be put on display.

Even as young as first grade, the students are able to learn some basic art concepts like perspective, said Palmer. And each year she'll create lessons that build on concepts students have already learned.

By second and third grades, the students will not only know about perspective using a drawing of a road, but they'll add hills and a house to the picture.

Fourth grade will study the works of abstract art and recreate something from Picasso's blue period. Fifth and sixth grades study monochromatics.

Much of the art work is displayed in the school building for parents and visitor to see. Palmer likes to let the students create something they can be proud of, she said.

After all the classes finish their projects for the math/art contest, Palmer will put some on display and send off the best as entries.

Students saw examples from the works of artist M.C. Escher before beginning their tessellations, but most used their imaginations to come up with their drawings. A few chose flags waving in the breeze, another drew a bird in flight, another chose the outline of an angel.

Shelley Franks, a sixth-grader, chose to just create a shape and then decide what it would become. But she had some difficulty and sought out advice from Palmer.

Holding the page in two hands, Palmer turned the paper 180 degrees before glancing at it again.

"I never see nothing," Palmer said.

Some of Franks classmates offered suggestions for a picnic theme with an ice cream cone, hot dog in a bun and fireworks.

Palmer tries to teach the students that art can be incorporated into nearly every aspect of life. Whether it's learning about shading in kindergarten or self-portraits for seventh and eighth grade, "I love it when they do something and impress themselves," Palmer said.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126