Piet Mondrian is considered the father of abstract art. In this STEAM lesson, students will learn about the artist, and use geometry to create their own works of art.

Materials Needed

• Black Markers (thin and thick)
• Red Marker (thick)
• Blue Marker (thick)
• Yellow Marker (thick)
• White Construction Paper
• Rulers
• Pencils

Opening Activity

1. Introduce students to Dutch Artist Piet Mondrian, who is considered the father of abstract art.  
2. Show photos of his work and ask what they notice about each piece (shapes, primary colors, how often color is used)
3. Ask for opinions of his art. Like? Dislike? Why? Inform students one of his pieces sold for over $50 million at an auction in 2015.
4. Let students know they will be creating their own Mondrian-inspired art.

Procedure

1. Each student is given a ruler, a pencil, and a white piece of construction paper.
2. Using a pencil, students will lightly draw straight lines to create their canvas of squares and rectangles of various sizes. Make sure they draw lightly so they can erase and make changes if they want to.
3. After the layout is complete (students should show you their completed work in order to get markers), students will trace over pencil lines with a black marker (thin or thick or both). 
4. Using a pencil, students will begin lightly marking which shapes they would like to color and what colors they will use for each.
5. Students will color shapes to create their own piece of art.

Discussion

1. Think/Pair/Share: How did you choose the placement of colors?
2. Think/Pair/Share: What color(s) do you notice first in your partner’s drawing?
3. What size is the largest colored shape? What size is the smallest? (students will write their answers on the back of their artwork)
4. What size is the largest white shape? What size is the smallest? (students will write their answers on the back of their artwork)
5. What is the most space you have between colored shapes? What is the least? (students will write their answers on the back of their artwork)

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The post STEAM Lesson Plan: Make Your Own Mondrian appeared first on Inventionland Education.

In this lesson, students will use marshmallows and uncooked spaghetti to create a freestanding tower. The goal of this lesson is to help students understand engineering and the importance of teamwork.

Materials Needed Per Group

• 20 sticks of spaghetti
• one yard of tape
• one yard of string
• one marshmallow

Preparation (before students arrive)

1. Create bundles of materials for each group.

Opening Activity

1. Ask students what engineers do.
2. Inform students that today they are going to be engineers.

Procedure

1. Assign students to groups of four.
2. Give students 15 minutes to build the tallest structure they can build using the resources provided. The structure must stand on its own and the marshmallow must be on top.
3. Tell students they do not have to use all of the resources.

Discussion

1. Each group will have a chance to present their work, discuss their process, and give their measurement.
2. Ask: Is this the structure you first thought you would build? What were some obstacles you met on the way and how did you overcome them?

Note: As students work in teams, circulate the room to see how well they are working together. Are all students contributing? If not, ask students who are not working to make a suggestion for their team to try.

The post STEAM Lesson Plan: The Marshmallow Tower appeared first on Inventionland Education.