Beauty of Math: Line Art

Struggle to get your students excited about math? Why not use the beauty of classical art, nature, and visualization to teach math! We have three lovely workshops, the first on the golden ratio in sunflowers and plants, a second on the golden spiral in classical art and architecture, and this third on graphing your own art based on simple shapes/lines.

In this workshop, students use art as a way to increase understanding of mathematical concepts. Students are first guided through activities that look at everyday objects and break them down into simple shapes. Then, students are introduced to a free online graphing program, Desmos, as a way to review graphing lines and circles. Finally, students use Desmos in an exploratory lesson aimed to increase relatedness around graphing circles and using inequalities. The exercise walks students through step-by-step equations to graph the face of a Bear, tying each equation back to a distinct part of the Bear, and it invites students to apply their own creative extensions, further solidifying their knowledge of circles and inequalities.

Math, Digital Art, Equations and Inequalities for Circles, Plotting Points and Lines, Desmos, Middle School, High School