RISC DISC 2/RISC_DISC_2.iso/resources/nasa/art/using_art

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USING ART TO TEACH SCIENCE

The creative skills involved in the process of artistic expression
translate very well into the problem solving world of technology.

Even in the elementary level it can help build confidence as well as
the development of abstract skills that so often lead to concepts and
conclusions.

The ideas in USING ART TO TEACH SCIENCE are the result of feedback
from many instructors.  I would especially like to thank Sue Schmidt
of Burnsville, Minnesota, and Jackie Rens of Little Falls, Minnesota.
Their ideas as well as their classrooms are an inspiration for much of
this book.

R. A. Winrich
Mail Stop ll-1
AESP/NASA Lewis Research Center
Cleveland, Ohio 44135



DIORAMAS

Here the third dimension plus imagination and a few facts are combined
in a box to make parts of the universe more immediate and real.  To
create an alien landscape in your room, you will need the following
supplies:

A box such as a shoebox or small packing box
Paints
Reference materials
Scissors
Pencil
Imagination

EXAMPLES:

MARS:  By using the photos returned by the Viking Landers, we know
Mars to be a planet of red rocks and pink skies (daytime only).  But
these landers landed in very flat, dull (but safe) areas.  The rest of
Mars offers some interesting geography.

Through the use of orbital pictures, we find Mars is a planet with
large valleys (Valles Marineris) which, if placed on Earth, would
stretch coast to coast in America.  Also found were gigantic volcanoes
like Olympus Mons, three times higher than Mt. Everest.  The Polar
Regions would be somewhat like a winter landscape but with pink skies.

MOON:  The Apollo flights returned hundreds of surface photos showing
a gray world with rounded hills and mountains.  Remember to keep the
sky black, as the moon has no atmosphere, and to place a crescent
Earth in the sky.

MERCURY:  As this planet lacks an atmosphere, it resembles our moon,
so it probably has smooth rounded hills.  However, the day-time sky
has a much larger sun and, once in a while, spectacular views of
comets.



WORLDS
MODELS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

We have all seen globes of the Earth and Moon in classrooms and
libraries.  This is a chance to construct globes of some of the other
members of our solar family.

Materials:
Medium sized rubber balls, 6 to 8 inches in diameter
Newspapers, non-colored sections
White paint for the base
Colored paints for surface features
Glue
Photographs of planetary surfaces, their moons and the Sun
Patience

Tear or cut the newspapers into strips about one inch wide and glue to
the surface of the ball in one direction.  Allow a day to dry, then
repeat the covering process, only gluing the strips in the other
direction.  Be sure to use plenty of glue.

You may want to make your own glue.  There are some excellent recipes
in a book by Helen Sattler titled "Recipes for Art and Craft
Materials".

After several layers of strips have been fixed to your globe, allow a
day or more to dry completely and then cover with several coats of
white paint for your base.  Once this base has dried, you are ready to
use the colored paints to create whatever world you want.

Some objects will be harder than others to reproduce.  Jupiter and
Saturn have colorful cloud top features and render themselves well to
paints.  Remember to cut the brilliant colors with some white as to
make them more realistic.  Mars and Mercury will be a challenge as
they have numerous surface features.  Don't overlook the Sun as a
subject with a few spots of solar activity.  Smaller balls can be
covered with thinner strips, and with time, they can become some of
the moons of Jupiter or Saturn.  Remember, these are not to scale.



PALEOPROJECTIONS

We have all seen pictures depicting life during the age of the
dinosaurs.  These views often depict a scene from some long lost
swamp.  But imagine what it all looked like from space.

Imagine the ice age, or countless other events.  The following are but
a few paleoideas to get the wheels turning.  It has possibilities to
open a whole new door.

Some scientists now think that the reason the dinosaurs died out so
suddenly was due to a comet striking the Earth.  Imagine such an
impact as seen from three hundred miles up.  Don't worry about the
recognition of landscape -- the present land forms were not around at
that time.

The year is 1178, the place Canterbury, England.  Here records
indicate Canterbury monks may have witnessed a rare event -- the Moon
was struck by a small asteroid.  During the Apollo flights a very
fresh impact feature was noted and named which might support their
claim.  Imagine what such an event might look like from the Earth, or
from Lunar orbit.

The year is 837.  Europe is locked in what historians will some day
call the Dark Ages.  But in that year it wasn't quite so dark.  Comet
Halley made its closest approach to the Earth in 2,000 years and it
blazed across the sky brighter than anything except a full moon.
Imagine what it must have looked like to people living at that time.
Remember to keep the landscape realistic.  How about such a view at
the unique angle provided from low Earth orbit?

Tunguska, 1908.  Here in Siberia, a tiny comet levels the landscape in
an explosion that rivals the largest of atomic devices today.  Imagine
such an event as seen from low Earth orbit, or perhaps an airplane
flying at 35,000 feet and some 100 miles away.

The Ice Age.  Scientists say several times in the recent geologic
past, glaciers advanced over the midwest areas of the United States.
The last stage had several small surges and left in its wake the Great
Lakes.  Imagine what some of these stages might have looked like from
300 miles up with the vast expanse of ice in the north and overhead,
perhaps an Aurora display.

The geologic past is rich with clues, and theories abound as to the
lay of the land.  There are many texts that contain maps of the
defined geologic eras.  Imagine what Earth views might have looked
like from 300 miles up, or from a stationary weather satellite 22,500
miles in Space.



VIEW FROM ABOVE

There is a new type of artist emerging these days, the artist who
works with the theme of Orbital Art.  Some of the best in this field
include former astronaut Alan Bean and the Cosmonaut Leonov, who have
put their experiences on paper showing us the view from above.

However, it is not necessary to have to go into orbit to capture these
elements.  By viewing some of the thousands of photographs and using
an atlas plus a little imagination, one can translate some of the same
views.  Here are some possibilities to consider.

The Great Lakes.  Any one or a combination of lakes.  Remember these
lakes create their own climates.  It is seldom clear over the entire
system.  A challenge might be right at sunset over Chicago with the
lights of Detroit and smaller towns beginning to show.

Florida.  There are lots of good photographs of this area from
different altitudes.

Hawaii.  Another subject that has been photographed to help.

These are but a few selected areas.  Any area where there is contrast
between the elements of land and water are possible subjects.  Don't
overlook the elements of nature, a tropical storm or the Northern
Lights as seen from space -- and don't forget the entire system
including the moon as perhaps seen by a crew on the way to Mars.

One method suggested by several teachers is to take a state map and
work with the idea of curving it as one would see the Earth from a
little over 100 miles in orbit.  Then work with the imagination to
project the elements of weather and textures to a piece of paper.



THE ZERO-G CLUB

Welcome to the world of Zero-G.  In this world there are some special
problems.  There is no up or down.  You find that a room has more
space because you can use all of it.  To become a member of this club
you must solve some problems related to everyday life.  For example,
take your classroom.  What would it be like without gravity?  Where
would you put your desk?  Where would the teacher be?  What would it
be like to take Gym in space?  You generate the problem and then come
up (no pun intended) with the solution.

Good luck!
A good film to support this activity is called Zero-G, HQa 260A.  It
is a color film, 15 minutes long.



A SCIENCE THROUGH ART PROJECT

WARNING:  THIS ACTIVITY IS KNOWN TO BE CONTAGIOUS!
This activity can stimulate the desire to be unique while learning
from others.

THE PATCH
Each space flight was the first of some kind and a crew patch to
express the objectives of the mission was designed by the members of
that flight.

Design a patch to commemorate the following events:
 A. First Mars landing
 B. Staff member for the space platform team
 C. Staff member for the Lunar-Far Side Observatory
 D. Staff member for a geological survey of the Asteroid Belt
 E. First mission to another star system (Pick a star.)

The students should know a little bit about the object they select,
and this might require some library research.

HOW TO WEAR A PLANET
There are many good pictures available from the various planetary
missions that show features of these worlds.  Some are works of art in
themselves and would make interesting designs.

Other ideas might be an extension of what we have learned about these
worlds.  For example, imagine skiing down Olympus Mons, a mountain
three times higher than Mt. Everest, located on the planet Mars.

Imagine a storm on the surface of the planet Venus, or ballooning
above the great spot of Jupiter.  The possibilities in our Solar
system are endless.

Materials:  It is recommended that you use an old t-shirt.  There are
many kinds of transfer materials available to color in your design.
Some examples are the use of Pental, Fabricfun Pastel Dye Sticks, and
Versatex Textile Paint.  It is recommended that two people work on the
shirt as it requires the shirt to be held fast.  The dye sticks are
crayons and will look like crayon coloring, so several coats may be
needed for the satisfaction of the individual.  If you do not use it
with an old t-shirt, patches can be made out of old sheets and then
sewn on.                                              **R.A.W.**



THE THIRD EYE

We have a third eye, the inner eye that allows us to deal mentally
with those things we cannot see, touch or smell.  It is the inner eye
of our imagination and it may well be our most useful tool.  As a
great thinker once remarked, "Imagination is more important than
knowledge."  But how do we develop our use of this eye?  Perhaps like
everything else, we can develop it by exercise.  Let's try this
exercise based on things that we know and understand.

Most of us have at one time or another lost a helium-filled balloon
and watched it sail off into the sky.  In some cases, a postcard is
attached to the balloon before it is released and in some cases
returned to the sender after a trip of hundreds of miles.  Imagine
what it is like to be that postcard.  What would it feel like to fly
over your house, clear the trees and head up into the sky? What would
the view be like? What would it feel like to float up into a cloud,
slowly get damp, become heavy and begin to fall back to Earth.  What
would you see as you fall?  Where would you land?

Try to put these ideas into complete sentences and record your
thoughts.  This exercise was based on things we have experienced most
likely at some time in our lives.  Let's see if we can experience some
things out of this world.  To do this, you will need some background
in Astronomy.  Perhaps this will require some reading on your part.
Let's see how well we can do.

A. On July 30, 1964, Ranger 7 hit the moon.  This was the first Ranger
success.  It transmitted over 4,300 pictures back to Earth.  Imagine
what it was like for Ranger.

B. Jupiter's Red Spot has been observed for hundreds of years, but we
still don't understand what causes it.  Imagine traveling in a balloon
inside the spot.  What would you see? What would the sky look like?
What would it smell like?

C. What would it be like to ride along with Halley's Comet as it goes
around the sun and races back to the cold depths of the Solar System?

D. What would it be like to climb the slopes of Olympus Mons, the
highest mountain on the planet Mars? This is a mountain three times
higher than Mt. Everest.

E. What would it be like to play baseball by yourself on Phobos, a
tiny moon of Mars, where the gravity is so weak that you can place a
ball into orbit simply by throwing it?

F. What would it be like to be a tiny piece of ice left over from some
forgotten comet and to suddenly see yourself racing towards Earth at
over 60,000 miles per hour, soon to go out in a blaze of glory?
                                                         R.A.W.'83



CREATIVE WRITING IDEAS

There are many books devoted to this subject area, often they use the
elements known as poetry.  Here are but a few condensed possibilities
to perhaps get you started.

SHAPE POETRY
Thoughts, feelings, and ideas are written in the shape of the
subject.  Lines are not necessary to outline the subject, but they
might help outline the shape.  Example:  A star, the shuttle, the moon
or sun, or a rocket.

LIMERICKS
A simple rhyming poem often nonsensical and humorous and has the
potential to be rather disastrous.

Couplets
Simply, two lines that rhyme

Hink Pinks
Use of synonyms for clues to get a rhyming answer
1. Hink pink:  one syllable
   Example:  What is an interplanetary contest? A space race.
2. Hinky Pinky:  Two syllables
   Example:  What is a messy landing? A crashdown splashdown.
3. Hinkity Pinkity:  Three syllables
   Example:  What is a great ocean? A terrific Pacific

Haiku
Japanese poetry focusing on one specific element or aspect of nature.
It consists of three lines -- 5, 7, 5 syllables
Keen observations as well as a love for some element of nature are
shown.
Each poem forms a unique word picture.
Example (showing feeling from orbit):
   All of space is cold
   And feelings are all trembling
   In the sudden dawn.

Cinquain
Five line poem with no rhyme pattern.
Format:
  Line one:  one word, a noun
  Line two:  two words; describes line one
  Line three:  three words; action of line one
  Line four:  four words; your feelings about subject
  Line five:  two possibilities; one word same as line one or,
              similar or, five words that tie the whole thing
              together.



OBSERVATIONS WITH INSTRUMENTS

This has become almost a lost art form, yet before the invention of
photography it was the sole method of illustrating the views of the
various objects of the night sky.

To do this you will need an instrument, and in many cases, a knowledge
of the night sky.  Instruments need not be as expensive as large
telescopes; a good pair of 7 x 50 or 7 x 35 binoculars should be
adequate.


The Moon
Here is an object that has been the easiest to find and work with.
Follow its progress night by night and sketch its features.  The full
moon presents an interesting subject -- a contrast in tints.


The Winter Sky
There are several objects to sketch here and each is easy to locate in
the evening sky.  But it is best if the instrument you are using is
supported in some manner, so all you have to do is keep it focused and
make a few movements to keep your objects in the field of view.

Objects to look for in the winter sky:
The Pleiades
Located in the constellation Taurus, looks like a tiny Little Dipper.
Sketch it with the unaided eye, then with the aid of your telescope.
Orion
One of the largest constellations in the winter sky.
Below the three bright stars that make up its belt are located three
fainter stars.  Sketch the center one -- it is the great nebula of
Orion.


If you have a larger telescope at hand, try sketching the planets
JUPITER and SATURN when they are visible.

The night sky isn't the only area available.  The SUN is an excellent
target that offers constant change.  BUT NEVER VIEW THE SUN DIRECTLY.
Utilize a projection method.  Even a 7 x 35 can produce nice images
when projected.

When working with night objects, try to notice the subtle differences
in color.  To get this on paper, it is best to use colored pencils or
water colors.


PHOTOGRAPHY -- The Night Sky
There are those who will argue that using a camera isn't Art! Yet many
great museums show photographs in their exhibits.  One of the simple
things you can do with a camera is the capture of star trails.  Here
the options are many in terms of what film to use.  If you have a
darkroom, you might try various speeds of black and white emulsions to
determine what is best for your effect.  As a base line or standard,
set your camera in a fixed position and at F5.6.  Leave it open,
centered on the North Star. In one hour, as the Earth completes 22.5
degrees of a turn on its axis, the stars will form little parts of
circles.  Then go up to F8 and repeat.  Finally, one more turn at
F3.5.  This should tell you how your film reacts to this time frame.
The is more effective if done on a clear night.



WELCOME TO TITAN
An Experiment in Alien Landscapes

Space landscapes are relatively new art form.  The people who draw
what it would be like on the moon or Mars for a living are a select
few.  However, more and more people are turning to illustrating what
we have learned about the worlds around us.  That number even includes
a man who walked on the moon.

But you don't have to go into space to imagine what it must be like.
All you need are a few facts and your powers of imagination.  Here are
some ideas.

TITAN is unique among the moons of the Solar System.  It has an
atmosphere and probably has weather, but not like any weather here on
Earth.  On Titan it may rain methane and snow methane, there may even
be rivers and lakes or glaciers made up of methane.  This is truly a
world of no smoking! Imagine flying over the landscape in an
ultralight -- what would your view be like? Remember, you are almost a
billion miles from the sun, so the light will be a little weak.  Keep
in mind the Voyager pictures showing the upper atmosphere to be orange
in color, so everything would have an orange tint to it.

MARS is a world that awaits.  Perhaps some time early in the 21st
Century people will walk on its surface.  And what a strange surface
it is.  After researching this object, imagine you are sitting on top
of one of its ancient volcanoes with the land below.  What would it
look like? Imagine your ultralight flying down some large valley (it
should have extra large wings for the air there is very thin).
Imagine flying over one of the polar regions.  Would it resemble our
own polar areas?

JUPITER is a world of savage beauty.  Imagine floating above Amalthea,
one of the inner moons.  Amalthea is unique.  It is bright red in
color, and from its orbit, Jupiter would fill over half of the sky.

IO is the next moon out from Jupiter.  It is the only yellow and brown
moon known so far, and it is unique in that it has active volcanoes
that at times send material (sulphur compounds) over a hundred miles
into the sky.  What would one of these eruptions look like from a
distant hill? Remember to place Jupiter in the sky.  What would it
look like when Jupiter eclipses the sun? What does Jupiter look like
with the sun hidden behind it? Jupiter has gigantic lightning storms
and Auroras similar to those seen above our own planet.

Background:
TITAN:  Voyager pictures are about what we have so far, and all of
them show Titan as an orange fuzzy ball.
MARS:  Film, Planet Mars, HQ 283, runs 28.5 minutes and gives an
excellent background of that subject.
JUPITER:  Voyager images

Don't forget the Earth.  All you need is a good atlas and the idea of
viewing a curved surface so objects like the Great Lakes don't just
lie flat.  Keep in mind that it is seldom clear over a large area,
unless you picked the great deserts or the Polar areas.  Select your
own altitude.