Motion, Force, and Energy in Art by Elizabeth Daniel

Lesson Objective: Using Newton’s laws, and applying the principles of motion, force, and energy students will gain a deeper understanding of how these elements are visually represented and interpreted in artistic compositions. This analytical approach not only enhances students’ appreciation of art but also sharpens their critical thinking skills.  

Materials: 

•  Photos displaying different vehicles or modes of transportation from present to past that are fully functional, or damaged for comparison. 
• Personal student photos, magazine images, printed images, or drawings that show vehicles or other forms of transportation that are or aren’t fully functional. 
• Pencils, loose paper, writing journal, or printed writing sheet for students to write. 

Introduce: Show student images of Heinrich von Zügel’s “The Overturned Oxcart”. Ask students what they see and what story they think the painting tells. 

Heinrich von Zügel, known for his masterful depictions of rural life, Zügel skillfully captures the essence of the pastoral landscape in his paintings. , an influential German artist born in 1850 and active until 1941, offers an engaging glimpse into the world of 19th-century art. As we can see the cart is being pulled by Ox up a rocky terrain as the man in the painting walks behind the cart holding a stick. “The Overturned Oxcart” from 1875, exemplifies his talent in using oil on canvas to bring scenes of everyday life to vivid detail. This particular piece was generously donated by Rene von Schleinitz. This piece highlights its cultural and historical significance during its time of creation. Zügel’s work not only provides a window into the past but also serves as a visual that accidents happen and sometimes designs don’t work out. 

Ask:  

• What connections between art and science do you see here?  
• What caused the cart to overturn? 
• How does Newton’s Law play a role in the overturning of the cart?  
• Have you seen such an occurrence in your own life? 
• What changes do you think could have been made to prevent the cart from overturning? 

Activity: 

1. Students should think of an item in their life that represents the moment in the painting to compare and contrast the situation of the overturned cart using scientific reasoning. 
2. Students can write their own predictions and determine a possible solution to correct the overturned cart using Newton’s Law as their foundation. 
3. Students can draw and label their own model of the Ox and overturned cart. Using real world knowledge and experience they can engineer a better model to prevent the cart from turning over.  
4. Students should be given ample time to discuss and research the topic if they chose to independently and in groups.  
5. Students should be allowed to reference previous lessons to support their argument.  
6. Students should be allowed to work in groups to go beyond writing and build actual models to support their understanding and reasoning.  

Standards 

SCI.SEP1.B.3-5 

Students use prior knowledge to describe and define simple design problems that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process, or system. They include several criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost. 

SCI.SEP3.3-5 Make predictions about what would happen if a variable changes.  

SCI.SEP2.3-5 Students build and revise simple models and use models to represent events and design solutions. This includes the following: 

Identify limitations of models. Collaboratively develop and/or revise a model based on evidence that shows the relationships among variables for frequent and regular occurring events. 

W.5.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are culturally- sustaining and rhetorically authentic to task, purpose, and audience.  

W.5.7 Conduct short student-driven inquiry projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.