Entomology Extravaganza

I have started a new teaching position at Patrick Henry High School. I'm teaching Biology and Visual Art. I guided all of my classes collaboratively to design, fabricate, and present this interactive installation. It is based on "Entomology", the scientific study of insects. 

We studied interactive installation art, then did a unit on entomology. Students then submitted proposals for our Entomology Extravaganza. Here are a few examples.

From all these ideas, we came up with a plan.

Next, we started illustrating the murals. 
Patrick Henry doesn't allow photos of students to be published, so I have added butterflies over any faces. 

We built hexagon shaped tables to be interactive stations.

We painted a giant spider for the ceiling. It turned into a astronomy based art piece that played with stars and the moon phases. It seemed very mythological. Later, we'd add a huge rope web for it to live in. 

Students researched how insects evolved alongside plants. Plants evolved flowers as insects evolved to fly. This works with pollination! We created models of flying insects. These would later be flying around the installation (hung by fishing line from the web). 

And finally, we were ready for the Festival of Science & Engineering!
​We set-up the installation at Petco Park.

We had three interactive stations! 
#1 Body Parts of an Insect.
#2 Species of Local Arthropods.
#3 Insect Vision.

We had a custom soundtrack blasting, a symphony of insect sounds!
​Special thanks to David Samas!

The Festival opened, and swarms of people arrived !
Students ran the booth as hundreds of people came in to learn about entomology. 

This project was very successful! The students of Patrick Henry learned all about entomology, but more importantly, they learned that they are able to teach on a public level. We learned how collaboration can create a much larger project than any one person could do alone, and we learned that a vision can become a reality. 

Special Thanks to Patrick Henry for funding this project, and to David Samas for producing the soundtrack that the students requested.