Illuminating Islamic Stained Glass with Sacred Geometry & Parallel Circuits

One of my most popular posts is the Islamic Stained Glass Project. I love, love, love that project because not only do students deeply enjoy it, the project integrates Visual Art, Math, and Social Studies. I've been going back and reworking "good" ideas to see if I can make them even better by turning them into STEAM projects.

Well, you know I love me some simple circuits! I applied a parallel circuit to the original Islamic Stained Glass Project and voila! and simple and lovely STEAM project emerged.

1. Students begin by designing sacred geometry via this free, online application.

2. Students print their design and slip into a sheet protector.

3. Students color the sheet protector with permanent markers.

4. Students find a small box (a shoe box or similar box works great).

5. Students color or paint the box black (optional step).

6. Students use metallic permanent markers, gel pens, white colored pencils or crayons to create an Islamic sacred geometry design on the black box (optional step).

7. Students apply their knowledge of parallel circuits to create a parallel circuit inside the box using copper tape, 3 mm LED or Chibitronics stickers, 3-volt button battery, and electrical tape.

8. Students use clear packing tape to affix their colored sheet protector.

9. Students use the copper tape switch to illuminate their lightbox.

Here is a copy of the full lesson plan including National Core Arts Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and California Social Studies Standards. If you would like to download a PDF copy of the lesson, you can do that by visiting here.

Islamic Stained Glass Circuit Lampbox Lesson Tutorial from ArtfulArtsyAmy


If you need just a few more pictorial directions of how this was created, you can click through the images of my entire process here:

Islamic stained glass parallel circuit lampbox from ArtfulArtsyAmy

Here is the original presentation I used to introduce students to Islamic stained glass.

Islamic art and stained glass from ArtfulArtsyAmy

Enjoy the free! You are welcome to download and share this within your classroom. You are welcome to point teachers towards this post so they can download the lesson. You are welcome to link to this post from your website, blog, and/or social media account(s). But, please do not take advantage of my free-sharing of lesson plans by recreating and reposting this lesson plan to your blog or putting it on Teacher Pay Teachers etc.