Using Place-Based Art Education to Engage Students in Learning about Food Webs

Integrating art into science as a means of involving students in learning about their environment offers the promise of engaging students both cognitively and emotionally. However, few studies have investigated the use of art as a learning and assessment tool in science. As such, we conducted a research study with 4th and 5th grade students at a rural school district. Our goal was to assess the impact of a place-based art and science activity on student learning about trophic levels (food webs) centered on local snakes. Activities included a lesson on trophic levels, a guided field trip to view live rattlesnakes, a native plant garden, and examples of local wildlife. Students were then instructed to paint a snake in its local environment featuring three trophic levels. Pre- and post-activity artwork and surveys were used to score student knowledge and perceptions about science, art, and local wildlife. Qualitative data was collected from focus group interviews of school administrators, teachers, and parents. We found that the students' understanding of ecosystem components improved, and they were able to transfer their knowledge and use of scientific terminology to other situations. In addition, the activity generated excitement, interest, and curiosity among the students, teachers, and parents. Thus, engaging students in place-based art experiences is useful for enhancing student understanding of trophic-level concepts and can be applied similarly to other science lessons.