1. The students will watch and react to the video of artist Nathalie Miebach talking about the data visualization in her artwork.
2. The students will brainstorm types of weather data that could be observed and collected.
3. The students will make a plan for what type of weather data they will collect for one month and how they will show it visually.
4. The students will explore and reflect on artists who have represented scientific data in their artwork.
5. The students will complete some type of artistic visualization of the data they collected using their choice of media and process.
6. The students will reflect on their work in writing.

Graph paper (for tracking/collecting data)
Drawing materials including pencils, colored pencils, and markers
Construction paper
Any available materials
iPads with stop motion app- optional

Need these materials? Visit Blick!

Beginning of the month: Show Nathalie Miebach’s TED talk to students, discuss how she decided on data points and translated that information into art. Ask students to brainstorm types of weather data that they could observe and collect (connection to their science class). After students decide what type of data, they determine the best way to track it. Pass out graph paper for students to design their plan for data collection.
Rest of the month: Students will spend a few minutes at the beginning of each class recording their data for the remainder of the month.
Next month day 1: The teacher will give students a list of artists who use data visualization in their artwork and ask them to choose one artist’s work to respond to. After the exploration, the students will brainstorm how they can use the data they have collected to make a new work of art. The students could work 2 or 3 dimensionally. Drawing materials, construction paper, and any of the materials in the art room will be available. Construction paper could be cut into strips to use for weaving or sculpture as well as cut into shapes for collage or use in stop motion animation.
Day 2: The teacher will demonstrate the stop motion app as a possibility for creating an animation to visualize the data. The students will check their ideas with the teacher and get started.
Days 3-6: Work on projects
Day7: Present artwork and data to the class

1. Nathalie Miebach TED talk https://www.ted.com/talks/nathalie_miebach_art_made_of_storms/transcript
2. https://garovephoto.wixsite.com/mysite/wildflower-map
3. Data Artists- reflection and planning sheet https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zS4i8BprFSflpRklkKwnbr--zyyrlXteV9iA2zHCsOU/edit

My students really got into this lesson. Next year I will do it earlier instead of saving it for May when the schedule gets tricky.

I did this with 7th graders but I think it could also work with high school.

[5-8] Students intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of their experiences and ideas

[5-8] Students select media, techniques, and processes; analyze what makes them effective or not effective in communicating ideas; and reflect upon the effectiveness of their choices

[9-12 Proficient] Students conceive and create works of visual art that demonstrate an understanding of how the communication of their ideas relates to the media, techniques, and processes they use

[5-8] Students employ organizational structures and analyze what makes them effective or not effective in the communication of ideas

[5-8] Students select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of their ideas

[9-12 Proficient] Students create artworks that use organizational principles and functions to solve specific visual arts problems

[5-8] Students integrate visual, spatial, and temporal concepts with content to communicate intended meaning in their artworks

[5-8] Students use subjects, themes, and symbols that demonstrate knowledge of contexts, values, and aesthetics that communicate intended meaning in artworks

[5-8] Students describe ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with the visual arts

Science