Nebula Spin Art activity black circles with paint

STEAM - Creative Expression

A collection of STEAM hands-on activities and resources that integrate creative expression including the arts (humanities, language dance, drama, music, visual arts, design and new media).

Hands-on Activities

Girl using paint in nebula spin art activity

Exploring the Universe: Nebula Spin Art

In this activity, learners create their own colorful model nebula using paint and a spinner.
Three learners and a facilitator compare their dye colors to a PH scale

Nature of Dye

In this activity, learners create their own dyes and art while exploring how chemicals interact.
Group of learners examine color diffusion on various papers

Chemistry is Colorful

In this activity, learners try to solve the mystery of which ink came from what marker by using colorful paper chromatography.
A family looks at an image through a blue filter

Exploring the Universe: Filtered Light

In this activity, learners discover how colored filters can help reveal more about an image and we can use light and filters to learn more about an object.
Facilitator and learners discuss their drawn super organism

Building with Biology: Super Organisms

In this activity focused on synthetic biology, learners use the engineering design process to design a single-celled organism to clean up an oil spill to learn more about synthetic biology.
a learner creates and draws an extremophile that could live on another planet

Exploring the Universe: Imagining Life

In this activity, learners imagine extreme environments that may exist beyond Earth and create living things that could thrive there.
Monster Mask completed mask with smiling visitor

Monster Mask

In this activity, learners create a mask with a special feature: an LED bulb that lights up.
A group of learners creating a scribblebot using a pool noodle, small electric motor and thin markers

Scribble Bot

In this activity, learners create a toy bot with a surprising ability: it scribbles on a sheet of paper.
Lit up dough creature holding flower with squishy circuit battery pack and wires

Dough Creature

In this activity, learners experiment with conductive dough to make a creature and use it to create an electrical circuit.
Frankentoy activity with participants engaged

Frankentoy

In this activity, learners make a “creature” by mixing and matching different parts of toys.
Two automata on a table - one monster and one leaf being manipulated but a visitor

Automata

In this activity, learners build an automaton, a moving mechanical device that imitates the movement of a human, animal, or other living thing.
Children with surprised faces and adults using the Frankenstein kit Battery Stack activity - adults dressed as Mary Shelley and the Monster

Frankenstein 200 Kit

Hands-on activities and professional development resources that encourage creativity and reflection about responsible innovation, developed in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein.
Image of various crafting materials for the Watch and Create activity

Watch and Create! Creativity For Sustainability

In this activity, learners work together to explore their relationship with technology and examine ways to make sustainable media consumption choices.
Exploring Materials - Thin Films activity components including signs, activity materials and guides.

Exploring Materials - Thin Films

In this activity, learners create a colorful bookmark using a super thin layer of nail polish on water.
Two learners and one facilitator look at gold nanoparticles suspended in a solution which makes a red color

Exploring Materials - Stained-Glass Windows

In this activity, learners use contact paper and colored tissue paper to create a "nanoparticle stained-glass" window.
Students work on making their own version of stained glass

Nanoparticle Stained Glass: classroom program

In this long activity, learners are introduced to the connections between art and science, with a focus on the connection between stained glass and nanotechnology.
Person's hand resting a Stained Glass window

Nanoparticle Stained Glass (cart demo)

In this activity, learners make a collaborative stained glass window and a take-away card with pre-made nanoparticle solutions containing silver or gold
Paint tubes and a paint brush on top of paper colored with blue paint

Interference Acrylics: Painting with Structural Color

In this activity, learners explore structural color by comparing acrylic paint and interference acrylic paint
a group of learners build UV color changing beaded bracelets

Exploring Properties - UV Bracelets

In this activity, learners use ultraviolet light to change the color of beads that contain photochromic dye.

More Resources

Annual Events

Visualizations

An artistic nano image from the nano art vizualization report

Art Nano: Artists Visualizing the Nanoscale

Summary of approaches for visualizing the nanoscale through a series of artistic ommissions, installations, and residencies in 2006.