Alexandra Weinholtz, Response

Alexandra Weinholtz
EDU 431
Islamic Art

After reading both articles, art is can be used as a starting point for interdisciplinary investigations leading our students to explorations in different subject areas. I never really understood how to connect art and math or science in the classroom. I always thought of math as numbers that have a correct or incorrect answer, never allowing students to illustrate or express ideas. Through art we gain a greater understanding of artistic and cultural concepts that introduce them to different people.
Math teachers can use activities that reinforce geometric principles. Science teachers can utilize the many underlying principles of these patterns that have effects in the natural world. After we understand the material we can introduce this different form of art to our students through slides, example, or other visual aids that will inspire our students. We can then give a history of Islamic art, the purpose, and origin. The students should examine the art finding important points, later creating their own art through geometric patterns, and having an in-depth class discussion.
This past week in math we have learned about tessellations. Our teacher introduced the geometric forms and asked us to create our own as a group with cut out shapes. Before reading this article I did not understand that we were creating Islamic art, since we were not given any information but to create patterns. I believe that the lesson would have been more productive and inspiring had we seen actual Islamic art and learned about the patterns that we were creating.
Both of these articles enforced that art should can be incorporated within every aspect of the classroom, even math and science.