The relation between drawing three-dimensional forms and understanding earth motions diagrams

Visual-spatial abilities have been associated with the rendering of drawings and the comprehension of three-dimensional fields in science. The possibility of a relation between the ability to comprehend illustrations of earth motions and the ability to draw in three-dimensional perspective led to a study to determine the degree of correlation between them. Also considered were the relations of art and earth science achievements with the Otis-Lennon School Abilities Test, and three subtests from the Differential Aptitude Tests battery: mechanical reasoning, spatial relations and abstract reasoning. The study was conducted with ninth grade students taking art and earth science.;Two instruments were created to measure three-dimensional perspective rendering and earth motions understanding--an art rubric and an earth motions test. The art rubric rated the elements of three-dimensionality in student-drawn compositions of solid, geometric forms. The earth motions test consisted of illustrations in two or three-dimensional perspective. Both instruments were tested for reliability and validity.;Correlation between the earth motions test scores and the art exercise ratings was +0.47 and statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Modest but significant correlations were found between earth science achievement and the standardized test scores. Art achievement correlated significantly with the standardized test scores, except spatial relations.;Stepwise multiple regression analyses found that 26% of the variability in the earth motions test results could be accounted for by art and spatial relations, and when art was removed, mechanical reasoning and scholastic aptitude contributed a total of 24%. Mechanical reasoning and scholastic aptitude also accounted for 19% of the variation in art achievement.;The findings indicate that the abilities to imagine relative motion and to visualize from different points of view within a three-dimensional field are important components in the understanding of concepts related to earth motions. Some of the same abilities appear to be utilized in the rendering of perspective drawings. Scholastic aptitude plays a significant, but secondary, role in both earth motions comprehension and perspective drawing.;The findings suggest that science teachers should consider students' abilities in spatial and mechanical reasoning when teaching concepts relying on three-dimensional visualization. In addition, teachers are encouraged to include the drawing of three-dimensional fields in science class.