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There are many geometric topics that lend themselves well to an integrated high school
course in art and mathematics. In fact, Bickley-Green (1995) states that Considerations of ideal
and instructional curricula suggest that there is ample material for a more careful integration in
the teaching of mathematics and art from kindergarten to university levels (p. 16). The four
week unit presented here focuses on The Golden Ratio. We chose the golden ratio because of
the abundance of resources available on the topic and because its versatility makes it ideal as an
introductory topic. The outline, resources, and teaching suggestions given throughout the unit
reflect the five steps discussed by Bickley-Green.
(1) identify congruent content based on literature in mathematics and art; (2)
determine the appropriate age level for the introduction of new, coordinated
content by utilizing developmental studies in geometry as well as art education;
(3) assemble the information and develop the lessons and instructional materials
with the goal of integrating cultures as well as traditional materials; (4) teach the
lessons in art programs; and (5) assess outcomes of the integrated instruction.
(p.16)
The unit will cover the mathematical definition of the golden ratio, its applications in
geometry, nature and visual arts, and the implications for the perception of art. The unit will
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Introduction of ratios,
the Fibonacci
sequence, and the
Golden Ratio
Exploration of
Golden Ratio in Art,
Architecture and
Nature
Applying the Golden
Ratio
Creation of student
art and final
assessment

begin with a pre-test of prior mathematical exposure to basic topics of ratio, proportion, and
patterns which we have identified as the knowledge and skills that our students will need in order
to understand and complete the performance tasks we have outlined for the unit as per the
Understanding by Design guides crafted by Wiggins and McTighe (2004, p. 72).
The four-week unit of study uses an emerging organization with students engaging in
activities designed to progress them through a different stage of understanding each week. A
spiral approach develops curriculum around recurring, ever-deepening inquiries into big ideas
and important tasks, helping students come to understand in a way that is both effective and
developmentally wise (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p. 297). The course has been organized in
such a way that students are using exploration, inquiry and technology to bridge mathematics
and art. Teachers are expected to act as facilitators where appropriate so that students can
actively construct new knowledge through modes of self-discovery and experimentation that
increase learners ability to grasp, transform, and transfer content being learnt (Kumar, 2006, p.
90). Exploring and critiquing art through journaling and collecting images of works that they
enjoy encourages students to formulate their own opinions about what they are presented with.
Critique and exploration followed by creation encourages students to think outside the box and
be creative in addition to thinking critically. Students also will be given an opportunity to self-
assess and evaluate their progress in small groups throughout the unit. In order to afford students
the opportunity to correct misunderstandings and elaborate on their learning experiences,
teachers will allow students to revise and resubmit work where possible. This allows for a
constant movement back and forth between whole-part-whole and learning-doing-reflecting
(Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p. 220).

At the beginning of the unit students will be provided a unit outline and a rubric for the
final assessment. These will be discussed and expectations for the unit will be discussed as a
class. As the class reviews the unit outline and rubric, students should be encouraged to vocalize
their own expectations and teachers should add agreed upon expectations to the established list.
Students should be provided with assessment and activity options, where appropriate. Universal
Design for Instruction supports this approach to develop guidelines for creating environments
that are accessible to all people (Valle & Connor, 2011, p. 77). The inclusion of student voice
in the day to day development of the course is designed to provide teachers with powerful tools:
insight into student feelings about education and work ethic and awareness about the activities
particular students like to partake in. Having information about student views and
understandings allows the teacher to design and offer learning and assessment experiences for
students that will enable them to succeed in an ongoing fashion. Instruction is designed to
accommodate a wide variety of individual abilities. The instructor must provide choice in
methods used (Valle & Connor, 2011, p. 78). It also allows the students to add their voice to
what is being taught so that they are more engaged with and interested in the content. A first
order of business in a course or program must be to establish the questions and issues that make
the content seem interesting, meaningful, and valuable (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p. 296).
Journaling is an important part of this curriculum. The journal entries will vary in
structure and will serve as student reflections and as formative assessment. They have been
planned in a way that allows students to express their opinions, and reflect what they have
learned in order to apply it in their own artwork. It also allows the teacher to identify some of
their understandings and misunderstandings, as well as highlight some of their questions along
the way. Feedback on journaling is of utmost importance. Through keen observation and

constant feedback from the expert, the novice learner develops an in-depth conceptual
understanding of issues being studied and in the process develops his/her own mental networks
of propositions that make up the new procedural knowledge (Kumar, 2006, p. 91). The journals
serve as an opportunity for the teacher to serve as the expert in art critique and give feedback
which allows the student to develop their knowledge. They are also an opportunity for teachers
to incorporate technology, there are many internet based journaling tools that can be
implemented should students feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts through video, or
some other form of multimedia.
Multimedia presentation, videos and modeling software are incorporated to help students
engage with the material.
The use of IT helps pupils to perform many tasks in the lesson from exploring the
possible multiple representations of a mathematical problem to generating and verifying
conjectures about the solution to the problem, as well as making generalisations. Lessons
[which use IT] can cater to the different pupils mathematical abilities and allow pupils to
learn at their own pace. For instance, academically strong students can progress all the
way to the last stage of generalisation while weaker pupils can stop at any of the earlier
phases. (Chua, 2005, p. 400)
Teachers are encouraged to incorporate whatever other technologies they may deem
appropriate. It is expected that technology be integrated in such a manner that allows students
the opportunities to engage with material in an interactive environment. When choosing
technology, teachers should reflect upon how technology will enhance what they are doing. For
the most part, technology is viewed as a tool that helps us achieve some goal. However,

technology can represent an autonomous cultural system and fundamentally can act to share
human perception and actions (Chen, 2011, p. 57). Chen describes these two ways of looking at
technology as instrumental and substantive. He postulates that an understanding of both
[views] can help teachers become sensitive to instrumented activities and the trajectory of how
students embody technology and how their learning experience mediated by technology (p.65).
The included learning activities provide a variety of different technologies with which students
can engage including Pinterest, a social media site, and Dynamic Modeling Software, a
mathematical tool.
Our survival as a strong and democratic nation will be seriously imperiled if we do not
help our students attain the knowledge and skills they need to function in a culturally diverse
future society and world (Banks, 2007, p. 41). During the unit students will be exposed to
different works of art from a variety of cultures. Teachers are encouraged to consider their
classroom culture and needs and substitute technologies and learning activities as they see fit and
supplement and/or replace works of art to better suit the class cultural dynamic. The
curriculum needs to be organized around knowledge that relates to the communities, cultures,
and traditions that give students a sense of history, identity, and place (Giroux, 1994, pp. 44, 45).
The activities presented in the learning bank only represent a fraction of what can be
taught within this topic. Many of the activities are interchangeable; optional activities have been
included, which allows teachers to customize the course for their students in a way that does not
sacrifice rigor while honoring different learning styles and interests. For example, week two
includes a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Met offers both guided and self-guided
tours. One of the guided tours, Symbols and Secrets: Work together to unravel hidden
messages and find unexpected surprises in great works of art from around the globe can be

worked into the curriculum or can serve as a follow up or extension activity. Teachers outside of
the New York area are encouraged explore what learning activities may already be in place at
their local art museums and plan a field trip there instead. If such a trip is not feasible, students
may take a virtual tour of The Met online.
Throughout the unit, students will be active participants in authentic learning experiences
that will introduce them to different artists and works of art. Each week, students will have the
opportunity to 1) reflect on classroom discussions verbally or in writing, 2) create art that
illustrates the mathematical phenomena discussed in class, and 3) view and critique real-world
examples of the mathematical phenomena of the unit. These assessments and activities differ
from norm-referenced standardized tests that often place students with special needs and abilities
at a disadvantage. By allowing students to engage in different types of assessments and
encouraging teachers to allow students to reflect and revise their work we hope to create the type
of strength based environment that encourages students to do their best work. In operating from
a strength-based model, teachers talk with students about the areas in which they excel,
emphasizing their talents, gifts, interests, and abilities (Valle & Connor, 2011, p. 143).