"Quahog, Records of A Changing Ocean"

• Jill Pelto beautifully combines data and artistic representation in this watercolor that details some of the data from Quahog clam shells found on the seafloor of the Gulf of Maine.
• It incorporates isotope data over long periods of time that have been captured in the shells of the long-lived clams.
  

Positives

• This watercolor gorgeously depicts how gathering data from Quahog clam shells at the bottom of the Gulf of Maine can teach us about the ocean's past.
• Jill Pelto demonstrates how to use data and art together to make a point that is more clear to a broader range of students. 

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should be comfortable reading line graphs. 
• Students should know what isotopes are and how they can be used for studying climate conditions in the past.
  

Differentiation

• This piece would work equally well in an art class or a science class.
• Cross-curricular connections can be made in social studies classes learning about populations and how they learn from the past.
• Science classes could use this art piece as a hook for lessons about changes to populations and habitats or for lessons about isotopes, paleoclimatology, and mollusks.
• Students could use this piece of art as inspiration for their own art. Have them find or create a graph that details something else they are interested in and overlay it with art that details the graph's subject. 
• As an extension, create a gallery of the artwork generated and invite other classes to visit!

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.