We are about halfway through our outdoor learning environment (OLE) inquiry investigations this year. Now is the perfect time to add an element to our projects. Incorporating art into science, students learn about and then design logos for their OLE projects. I love this activity and the creativity students bring to the classroom.
I have the good fortune of knowing a graphic artist. She is an amazing human being and volunteers her time to help me out with this project. For three days, she teaches my students the ins and outs of logo design and provides them time to work in their groups to create a logo for their OLE projects. Along with props, stories, digital images, and chocolate (she designed the Moonstruck Chocolates logo!), Jennifer immerses the students in the world of art for marketing. We explore colors, simplicity, logotype, and emotional connections. It is so fun and the students make connections.
At the end of the three days, the OLE groups have a logo they designed to support their OLE projects. The logo will be part of their brochures they will give to the audience in a few months, on their presentations, and printed in their final report. The final logo often has undergone many iterations between now and the end of the year, but these three days are essential in its creation.
Although it seems like three days is a lot of class time to dedicate to this activity, it is worth it. The students are not only learning about art, they are thinking about its application to their science projects. To create a meaningful logo, students must have a solid understanding of their OLE projects and that understanding deepens as they look at it from this new perspective. Creating a logo also gives them a different connection to their projects and increases their sense of ownership. It is absolutely worth spending three days.
Talking and Teaching Science 