A local teacher helped her third-graders mix art and science for a spook-tacular project.

At Winton Elementary School in Coeur d’Alene, Allison Slattery’s students learned about the muscles, bones and joints that make up the hand and painted their own versions on paper. Students used black paint for every part except the bones.

“We were able to make them see-through by adding oil where the bones are,” Slattery said.

Then the magic happened.

When students held the paper up to the light, the bones were revealed, like an X-ray. Slattery said the translucent bones came as a surprise to the kids, who weren’t sure how the projects would look when they were finished.

“They loved it,” she said.

Slattery likes to integrate art with other subjects when possible. Earlier this year, for example, her students made self-portraits in the pixel-art style of the video game Minecraft, which required them to learn about symmetry and math.

Combining subjects makes class more interesting, she said.

“I hope they find a larger love of learning and they understand that learning mathematics or science isn’t just a discipline in itself,” Slattery said. “It can be applied to other areas.”

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Are you a teacher in Kootenai County whose students are making festive crafts or projects? Send your photos to: [email protected]