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Provided by: Jill Pelto Gallery |Published on: June 6, 2023
Articles/Websites
1112AP
Synopsis
Jill Pelto beautifully combines data and artistic representation in this watercolor that details some of the data from Quahog clam shells found on the seafloor of the Gulf of Maine.
It incorporates isotope data over long periods of time that have been captured in the shells of the long-lived clams.
This watercolor gorgeously depicts how gathering data from Quahog clam shells at the bottom of the Gulf of Maine can teach us about the ocean's past.
Jill Pelto demonstrates how to use data and art together to make a point that is more clear to a broader range of students.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should be comfortable reading line graphs.
Students should know what isotopes are and how they can be used for studying climate conditions in the past.
Differentiation
This piece would work equally well in an art class or a science class.
Cross-curricular connections can be made in social studies classes learning about populations and how they learn from the past.
Science classes could use this art piece as a hook for lessons about changes to populations and habitats or for lessons about isotopes, paleoclimatology, and mollusks.
Students could use this piece of art as inspiration for their own art. Have them find or create a graph that details something else they are interested in and overlay it with art that details the graph's subject.
As an extension, create a gallery of the artwork generated and invite other classes to visit!
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
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Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Jill Pelto
Jill Pelto is an artist and scientist whose work focuses on communicating human-environment connections. She incorporates scientific research and data directly into her watercolor paintings — from local trends to global changes. Jill’s artwork was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine in July 2020 and has inspired online features in Smithsonian and PBS News Hour. Jill has created a science-art activity based on this idea and has worked with K-12 students across the U.S. and beyond. By pairing graphical information with visual imagery, Jill hopes students can learn about and connect to climate change topics (good, bad, and in-between) in ways that educate and are emotionally relevant. This data-art activity is flexible and allows students to make their own graph art to share topics they care about.
Related Teaching Resources
All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.
