DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR A PROTOTYPAL ART AND GEOLOGY TEXTBOOK

Geology instructors in a wide variety of universities have discovered the appeal of teaching geoscience concepts in the context of the visual arts. While “Art and Geology” courses have proliferated in recent years, a barrier to dissemination is the lack of available instructional materials in support of such courses. This abstract's authors are beginning development of a textbook appropriate for an introductory-level Art and Geology course for non-science majors. A main project focus is the incorporation of “best practice” elements that encourage active and hands-on learning and target students' problem-solving and analytical skills. These elements will be utilized throughout the envisioned textbook. Among them are: in-class application activities that permit immediate hands-on exploration of concepts; focused case studies that allow students to apply art and geology concepts to complex real world examples; and detailed, visual-rich timelines that illustrate the history and development of a given art medium. The timelines not only convey an art historical overview but represent a unique contribution to the body of art education materials.

The two textbook chapters in development focus on European ice age cave art, which serves as an introduction to human creativity, and jewelry, gems, and metalsmithing, which addresses basic earth materials and mineralogical concepts. Through in-class application activities, important rock-forming minerals and major rock types are examined and their properties described. A case study focusing on an art-bearing Paleolithic cave whose entrance is today submerged permits application of the scientific method as well as consideration of ice age phenomena, while a case study on gem peridot from ultramafic rocks exposed along the Red Sea Rift allows discussion of plate tectonics and Earth's structure and composition. Pilot-testing of the chapters revealed overall high levels of student satisfaction with in-class application activities and case studies. That student performance on a geological concepts quiz was similar to that by students in a traditional physical geology course attests to the efficacy of the materials and overall approach to geoscience teaching and learning.

This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0231106.