When Science Meets Art: Exploring Forces Through Paint Pendulums

One of the most powerful aspects of STEAM projects is the way they connect disciplines, using big ideas, concepts, and attributes as the glue. They mirror what the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) calls transdisciplinary learning, where skills and understandings cross subject boundaries and students see learning as interconnected.

The Paint Pendulum project was a perfect example. Like many of the best projects, it began with a spark — a hallway conversation with one of our Art teachers. She asked, “Mark, have you ever seen paint pendulum art?” I hadn’t. She showed me some striking examples and then added, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could try something like this?”

That small spark quickly grew into a collaborative project. After some research, I noticed clear links to our Grade 3 Forces and Motion unit in Science. I began thinking about how we could weave in Science and Engineering Practices and crosscutting concepts such as patterns and cause and effect, while also building in PYP Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills.

Students engaged in skills such as:

• Thinking skills: hypothesizing, predicting, and making sense of patterns

• Research skills: designing and carrying out investigations, collecting and recording data

• Self management skills: working safely with paint and materials, organizing time and resources

• Social skills: collaborating in teams to build pendulums and share findings

• Communication skills: explaining their ideas, comparing results, and reflecting on outcomes

After planning with the Grade 3 team, we set students the challenge of building prototype pendulums in the Makerspace and investigating big questions:

• How does the length of the string affect the patterns created?

• How does the mass of the paint affect how long the pendulum swings?

Using our Sphero Blueprint engineering kits, students built stable structures, experimented with different string lengths and masses, and measured swing times.

The project then moved into the Art quad, where we worked with the Art teacher on large canvases made from recycled sports posters. Each class added layers of color and pattern, watching the scientific principles come alive through art.

The results were more than just beautiful artwork. They were a celebration of transdisciplinary learning. Students saw how Science, Engineering, and Art could work together, and they practiced the very skills that the PYP values most: thinking, collaborating, questioning, and creating.

We proudly displayed the finished canvases by the sports field, sparking conversations across the community about both the science and the artistry behind them.the finished canvases by the sports field, sparking conversations across the community about both the science and the artistry behind them.