STEAM revisited

I have never really been a fan of the concept of STEAM- science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. Melding arts and STEM subjects into activities and deliver well on both disciplines is a hard task. When I tried it as a teacher, I always had the nagging feeling it was a lot of effort for dubious gain. Although the children loved it, I wondered what I really taught them. However, I might have changed my mind.

We went to the Le Mystere des Faluns in France during the summer holiday between wine and cheese consumption. It is in a cave complex made by quarrying stone. The museum tells the story of the rock, the geological activity that made it and what life was like above ground during the different geological periods. The museum ends with the life of the quarry workers that cut the stone.

It uses light, animation and the texture of the rock to tell the story with almost no information boards or written material at all. The introductory film is amazing. No commentary, just clever animation that helps explain the story. It is a true exploration of art and science. So I might be wrong- STEAM is possible- it just takes some amazing people to do it.