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Chlorophyll Paintings: Incorporating Art in Science

February 13 By Linda 4 Comments

Painting with chlorophyll- A fun, science based art activity for kids while learning about photosynthesis and the life cycle of plants.

Chlorophyll paintings are a fun and creative way to integrate art and science as students learn about plants, the process of photosynthesis and how a plant makes its own food. In this post I’ll share how to incorporate art into your plant science activities by having your students make leaf rubbings and paint pictures with chlorophyll.

How to Make Chlorophyll Paintings

Chlorophyll, the green pigment found in a plant’s leaves, is a key ingredient in the process of photosynthesis. It also makes great paint!

For this project you will need:

  • 8-10 leaves per student
  • a white sheet of paper
  • a metal spoon

Painting with chlorophyll- A fun, science based art activity for kids while learning about photosynthesis and the life cycle of plants.

I ask students to bring in a bag of leaves from home. I also bring in a big bag of extras and several bunches of fresh spinach. Spinach leaves provide lots of green chlorophyll while some other types of leaves don’t provide as much. We discovered it’s best not to use leaves with a waxy feel since they are harder to press and don’t release their chlorophyll easily.

To make the paintings:

  1. Fold a sheet of white paper in half. (We used tree templates from this plant life cycle unit.)
  2. Place several leaves between the folded paper.
  3. Press firmly on the leaves between the pages and rub with a metal spoon. Avoid plastic spoons as they break when pressed as firmly as necessary.

Painting with chlorophyll- A fun, science based art activity for kids while learning about photosynthesis and the life cycle of plants.

Some of my students began with leaf rubbings, but most quickly discovered they could actually “paint” their pictures by balling up the leaves and using them as paintbrushes. This took less time, released more chlorophyll, and they were better able to control where the pigment was on the page.

Painting with chlorophyll- A fun, science based art activity for kids while learning about photosynthesis and the life cycle of plants.

Chlorophyll rubbing tree page

I gave each student a tree outline template and they painted in the leaves with their chlorophyll. As students work, encourage them to compare the different leaves they are using and discuss which release the most chlorophyll and which release very little. (We had a few of this kind.) Ask students to talk about why they think the leaves of some plants work better while others do not. What qualities or attributes of the leaf make it better or worse for this project?

Incorporating Art into Science

As teachers, we may view art as the opposite of science. Science is driven by data, while art is an expression of creativity. But they have more in common than you think. Both artists and scientists closely observe the world around them. They question, explore, and discover. Bringing these two worlds together in your classroom can lead to a deeper understanding of science topics and help students develop creative problem solving skills.

Painting with chlorophyll- A fun, science based art activity for kids while learning about photosynthesis and the life cycle of plants.

Printable tree page

Through creative art projects like these chlorophyll paintings, we can often excite our hardest to engage learners and create a unique experience for students who struggle to retain information. I’m a big fan of incorporating art into all areas in my classroom and hope this post gives you ideas for how you can too.

Click here for a complete plant life cycle unit with lesson plans, labs & teaching Power Point

Life cycle of plants complete science unit for grades 1-3.

Be sure to pin it for later so you’ll have it when you plan!

Chlorophyll paintings for kids are a great way to integrate art into your plant science activities as students learn about photosynthesis and the life cycle of plants.

Would you like a FREE set of plant science posters?

FREE Plant life cycle science posters

Drop your personal email in below and I’ll send them to you! (Your personal email is best. Schools often block outside emails with attachments.)

You might also like these science activities! Click the pictures to read these posts.

Plant life cycle activities for kids-Hands on science activities perfect for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students to learn about plant needs, adaptations, photosynthesis, pollination and more.

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Seed dispersal activity- A fun science experiment and STEM challenge for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders to learn about exploding seed pods while studying the plant life cycle. Students build a model of this plant adaptation and explore how seeds travel.

Butterfly life cycle resources and free printables your students will love!

A simple and fun science experiment using milk and cookies to explore buoyancy. Find easy science activities for teaching the scientific method in a way that kids love! Read more about 2nd and 3rd grade science.

Teaching ideas and beginning of the year science activities for 2nd and 3rd grade.

For more art ideas to use in your classroom check out my Pinterest boards, Art for Kids and Educational Crafts for Kids.

Happy teaching!

Related Posts:

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Filed Under: Popular Posts, Science Tagged With: art, chlorophyll paintings, leaf rubbings, Plants, science

Comments

  1. Marian Manning says

    March 11 at 9:34 am

    Do you have questions the kids can use in groups to talk about the different leaves/functions/chlorophyll. Thank you

    Reply
    • Linda says

      March 15 at 6:47 pm

      Unfortunately I don’t Marian, but I do have a lab for investigating how the shape of a leaf helps the plant get the proper amount of sunlight it needs. You can find the post HERE.

      Reply
  2. Sydney Jefferys says

    April 4 at 3:45 pm

    What standard does this fulfill? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Linda says

      April 6 at 7:07 am

      Hi Sydney,
      I don’t believe there is an exact standard that it aligns to, however, I use it as an art extension during our plant unit after students learn about plant needs(sunlight)and the process of photosynthesis.

      Reply

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