Created by 6th grade students from Tesseract School in Phoenix, AZ 


Title: NASA Medical Applications

Teacher and organizer: Barbara Nueske-Perez

Dream Theme: Science / Technology

Materials & techniques used: Paper, marker, and pencil 
Chuck Year sent us a video; we watched the moon landings, researched the Saturn 5 rocket, used iPads, listened to music and discussed research at ASU visiting their sites. We drew in sketch pads and on canvas panels. We painted in acrylics.

What is your art about? Inventions we use in medicine from NASA

We chose science and specifically those associated with flight and space. We began with Chuck Yeager who broke the sound barrier in the x-1 rocket. Setting records in both dropped flight and standing/landing flight. We moved to Jack Ridley his engineer who designed the stabilizer that allowed the X-1 and all subsequent air planes that are supersonic, to go mach 1 +. Jackie Cochran first woman who broke the sound barrier seemed logical as she did it in an F86 with Yeager flying on her wing. Cochran was a woman with many firsts in flight; many of her records still stand. 
She was instrumental in WWII helping move planes and cargo for the military. She was responsible for training over 1000 women to fly. She was the first woman who flew a B29 bomber over the atlantic. She was co-designer for the Oxygen mask that pilots still use, and was the first to wear it at 20,000 feet. Cochran helped Yeager get his congressional medal of honor. They shared many awards. Neil Armstrong, flew with Yeager as a test pilot. We honored Neil with a 4x4 as well for being the first man on the moon. Sally Ride was a logical choice as the first woman astronaut. Alcatraz Island was selected as TEXAS tried to buy the island when Neil walked on the Moon....so we depicted the almost apollo museum that would have been located there. 
We then moved to current science and space with showing what we used today from NASA's developments experiments in everyday life and medicine. We then looked to ASU and what our scientists are doing in space or on earth looking at space. Paul Davies work with are we alone in the universe was depicted. The mars curiosity rover and the scientists who work with it here in Arizona were next with an image of the rover. We looked at what happens when orbits decay and planets colloid. Newly discovered spiral lava flows by an ASU grad student were depicted. Two sets of visions of planet life formation and what is needed for life were created.
And the inspiration of the stars and our solar system as a source for music was shown by instruments and the solar system together celebrating Host's the planets concerto.

Did your group enjoy working on this project? 
We had a wonderful time researching, exploring science and art. We explored plane design, the careers in art and science needed to create planes, rockets and the people who helped us get to space. We discussed the achievements of women in science and our one group of almost all girls clear were influenced by the women we chose to work with. Having several people work on one panel is always a cool experience. Collaboration in drawing and giving up ownership to let someone else paint what you drew is a great learning event. Many had never seen the moon landing.
Respect for each person's work is clearly a byproduct. When one stands back and sees the whole - finished - it is impressive to know you were a part of it. The art room became a science lab and that was awesome.

Do you have ideas for another project? 3 D paper sculpture construction origami

Participants: Director: Barbara Nueske-Perez/ visual art visual literacy educator, entire student body 5-8 grades some 130 students. 15 high school students 9-12th grade.

Specific students who worked on this artwork? Shir, Samual, Pamela, Gracie, Julia, Emma, Hannah, Allison, Kelsey, Hannah, Lisa, Emma, Joel, Christopher, Elika, Gabriella, Saige, Jordan, Sydney

Mason Marsh from Columbus, Ohio

His Visionary Theme - President Barack Obama