Maya’s Mysteries: Art of Science
“The source of crafts, sciences and arts is the power of reflection.” — Bahá’u’lláh
I love science and nature! But yesterday I couldn’t think of a cool experiment or question to investigate. So I tried something for inspiration—art. Science and art go together perfectly! They both use creativity, curiosity, and good observation skills.
A lot of great scientists are also artists. Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in Physics, and he loved to play the violin. He even said that if he hadn’t become a scientist, he would have been a musician.
Many scientists agree that creating art improves their work. I decided to test this theory. I grabbed my backpack and went on a nature walk with friends. We sketched what we saw and wrote about it in our notebooks. It sparked my curiosity and helped me see things in a new way. Soon I had a poem and drawing for art class. It definitely got me out of my creative slump!
Check out these ideas for exploring art and science together. How many can you do in two weeks? Add your own ideas, too.
Start Date: __________ End Date: __________
☐ Draw three trees and flowers you find. Find their names online.
☐ Create a solar system model with recycled materials.
☐ Go on a nature walk and grab ideas for a poem, song, or story.
☐ Visit a park and map the plants, trees, and animals.
☐ Create paper airplane designs and see how far they fly.
☐ Fill vases with colored water. Add white flowers and watch the colors change.
☐ Sketch an insect, and add five fascinating facts about it.
☐ Bake a cake, share it with friends, and tell them three cool chemistry facts about it.
☐ Paint a picture with color combinations you see in nature.
☐ Practice a musical instrument. Counting beats builds math skills.
☐ Record your voice with a program that shows the soundwaves, and create a painting of them.
☐ Experiment with how salt absorbs watercolors. Sprinkle fine and coarse salt on a painting.
☐ Collect nature items like shells and leaves, and press them into clay to make prints.
☐ Look at sand under a microscope. Draw and color the tiny treasures.
☐ Freeze water, corn starch, and food color in cubes. Time them melting into designs on paper.
☐ Listen to birds singing, then use an instrument to play the notes.
☐ Make leaf rubbings with crayons on wax paper. Turn them into a thank-you card.
☐ Test which combination of LEGO bricks makes the tallest structure.
☐ Add your own ideas.
For a printable version, download a PDF of this activity.
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Maya’s Mysteries94 Characters466 STEM261 Science183 Arts and Crafts203 Maya118 Checklist17 Challenges234 STEAM43 Creativity242 Inspiration17 Celebrate44 STEAMS69