Are you seeking science mural ideas that will ignite the curiosity of your students, and reinforce the teaching of the curriculum?
School wall art is a fantastic way to take learning beyond the classroom, and the depth and breadth of science as a subject lends itself perfectly to doing so. You could arrange wall art into science timelines, or as a running theme of connected ideas and theories, or as a narrative of stories of inspirational scientists, to name but a few science mural ideas.
Intelligent use of school murals can help even the most reticent science students to memorise facts as they walk through school corridors with their friends. They won’t even realise they are absorbing the knowledge they need to reach their true potential – and perhaps this subconscious absorption of the curriculum is the greatest strength of a well-designed and positioned wall mural in your school.
Science Mural Ideas to Get You Started
Where to start? Where have the greatest scientists and innovators started?
A seed of an idea is needed, from which to then expand and create. Like the discovery of gravity by Sir Isaac Newton. A falling apple sparked thought, ideas, and experimentation.
Science timelines are always a winner. For example, science wall art can literally walk your pupils through humankind’s progression from the Big Bang to landing on the moon. A wall mural could take students through a journey from our very beginning, exploring issues such as gravity, breathing, fuel, and how to reach the moon without a satnav. Students can discover the beginning of the modern computer, and how the desire to set foot on the moon gave birth to software engineering.
Along the timeline, some of the world’s most inspirational scientists can be introduced. Of course, Albert Einstein springs to mind, but how about Marie Curie, Charles Darwin, Nikola Tesla, Galileo Galilei, Ada Lovelace (the daughter of Lord Byron), and Rosalind Franklin.
Perhaps you wish to tackle the Periodic Table, enlightening students with the composition of elements, their groups, and Periodic Table creator Mendeleev with fun facts as they line up to enter the school science lab.
Whatever the subject matter you choose, science wall art can ignite interest, spark ideas, and energise debate and memorisation.
5 Simple Rules to Maximise the Impact of Your School’s Science Mural Ideas
The science of science murals really boils down to following five rules when designing and implementing school wall art.
1. Set Your Science Wall Art Objectives
Take the seed of an idea, and germinate it with understanding. It’s crucial to be clear about how you want your wall art to work for you and your students:
· Is it an additional learning resource?
Wall murals in the classroom and in corridors can help the teacher by becoming an additional learning resource; for example, by including key facts needed to complete homework or prepare for a test.
· Is it an interactive teaching tool?
Science murals that adorn classroom walls can become exceptional teaching tools. These visual displays can be used as a prompt to spark discussion, provide answers to questions, or as lesson guides.
· Do you want to spark curiosity?
Do you want to encourage your students to be more curious, and to be more investigative? Then combine exciting images with key facts and effective questioning.
· Is your aim to engage students’ subconscious minds in their learning?
Many students find it hard to commit the knowledge you impart to their memory. Information overload is a real thing, too. The science of the rule of seven tells us that it is challenging for students to memorise more than a few pieces of information. But the subconscious mind works differently.
A science mural that has been organised and categorised presents a constant and consistent reminder of the data, theories, and experimentations that are key to success in the science curriculum. It’s this constancy that helps students to remember information without the drudgery and effort of conscious memorising.
2. Give Science the Big Bang Treatment – Make It Relevant
Science may be an intensely academic subject, but a wall mural can help bring it to life. One of the best ways to do this is to create relevancy. It’s crucial to help students see how science ties into their everyday lives, and their surroundings. For example:
- How can we link pasteurisation to healthy foods?
- We take electric light for granted, and yet it took 1,000 failed experiments for Edison to invent the electric light bulb.
- What part does science play in improving our environment?
- How can we link scientific discovery and experimentation to the treatment of illnesses and disease that affect us all – for example, what is a cold?
When we can help students connect with a subject personally, it becomes relevant and memorable. You want children to learn that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When a team wins a football match, the other team loses – an equal and opposite reaction.
3. Location, Location, Location!
When considering how you will be using your science mural, it’s crucial to consider location. You’ll need to think about the objectives of your wall art, and lighting, size, and shape of available space.
An experienced school wall mural designer will spend some time getting to understand these elements and figure out every detail required before the design process gets into full swing.
4. Keep It Simple!
Don’t be tempted to overload a science wall mural. Facts and information need space to breathe to be seen and appreciated. Decide which information is most important to include on your wall mural, and limit it to this. Intelligent use of a mural is critical to maximising its potential as a learning tool.
5. Support Your School’s Branding
Your school’s values, mission, and purpose are important, too. Whatever the subject matter of your school murals, they should help to reinforce the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of your school.
Expertise to Make Your School Murals Stand Out Within Your Budget
Peruse our case studies, and you’ll get a feel for the expertise and experience we have of designing science murals and wall art for all types of schools.
To learn more about how your school could benefit from wall art as an aid to the teaching and learning of science, contact Design for Education.
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