7th Grade Science “Nuclear Energy and the Body” Science and Art Project 1
The focus was on understanding the long term impacts of nuclear energy, radiation and nuclear waste on people/their bodies, especially the impacts on Indigenous peoples, Black and Brown communities, and Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Students explored how they could take the scientific process of designing models and combine that with the power of art to communicate the impact of nuclear energy on the human body.
Veterans for Peace “Golden Rule” Ship crews, Helen Jaccard and Kiko Johnston-Kitazawa, 2023. 9. 15
Inspiration from Art
Students started by selecting one or more artworks of any kind (see the growing list of resources as examples below) and consider the following:
Theme - What aspect of nuclear history/science does this artwork relate?
Impact - What is the overall message of the artwork? Who might be the intended audience for this artwork?
Science - How can you connect this artwork to nuclear science? In what ways does it represent or misrepresent a field of science (if at all)?
Scientist - In what ways does the artwork represent or misrepresent the roles and responsibilities of the scientist (if at all)?
Question - What questions about the intersections of nuclear art and science can you pose to the students at the School of the Art Institute?
Original Artwork/Documentation
Student created an original artwork or documentation (visual art, poetry, lyrics, scientific model, etc) about the effects of nuclear energy on the body. They incorporated at least one of the following concepts - INTERCONNECTEDNESS, RESPONSIBILITY, ETHICS, CARE.
The artwork included an artist statement describing how the artwork would engage with these concepts and communicate about the effects of nuclear energy on the body.
Discussion with Activists
We were fortunate to be able to invite activists who have been advocating for nuclear abolition and justice for nuclear victims from around the world.
Veterans for Peace “Golden Rule” Ship
He Survived the Nuclear Explosion in Nagasaki, Then Spent His Life Treating Victims
Aileen Mioko Smith, an environmental activist and photojournalist known for her work with Eugene Smith to document Minamata disease, 2023. 10.20.
