Amelia Earhart’s

School-Wide STEAM Research Project

  Recyclable Art 

 K-8th grade        

Have you heard the old saying that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure? Well, this year for our school-wide technology project we will be turning trash into treasure. We will use recyclable trash to create a masterpiece!

Students will begin the project by discussing why recycling is important.  All students will research the benefits of recycling. Students will research their topic using the Internet, paraphrase the information found and will cite the Internet sources that were used. The students will work independently at home, school or the library to access web sites directly. Students will use links to obtain information to help them with the research of their topics.  

As the culminating activity students will create their very own Masterpiece from the recyclable goods of their choice.

The following Common Core State Standards (writing, research, technology, and science) will be addressed:

• Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.
• Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).
• Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate an understanding of key details in a text.
• Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.
• Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).

Learning Objective:

• Students will use found and recycled objects to create an art project.
• Students will appreciate how found and recycled objects can be made into art.

Students will understand cultural differences regarding recycling. Mandatory- a research paper, summing up the information gathered through the students’ research.  PAPERS AND WORKS OF ART ARE DUE: APRIL 25, 2019 at 8:15 a.m. The culminating activity will take place APRIL 25, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. Students will attend Family Technology Night to View the Amelia Earhart Gallery of Recyclable Art. Students will receive a grade for both mandatory components of their assignment: the paper and the recyclable art.

Requirements:

      1.    2 to 5 Internet articles.

      2.    Internet Bibliography (in the correct format).

      3.    Research Paper on the benefits of recycling (students should explain  why

             the items they selected (to create their masterpiece) need to be recycled.                  

         Including: 

1. Cover/Title page.
2. Bibliography.
3. 1 page written or typed with 2 sources (grades K-3).
4. 2 pages typed with 3 sources (grades 4-5).
5. 3 pages typed with 5 sources (grades 6-8).
6. Information on the topic in the students’ own words.
7. Students must read, research and then paraphrase

                        information gathered for their paper.

          4.  Create a work of art from recycled trash (MUST be AGE Appropriate).

Recyclable Materials-(Not limited to)

• Styrofoam: egg cartons, packing peanuts; food containers; meat trays.
• Cardboard: food boxes, paper boxes, corrugated boxes
• Plastics: soap containers, lotion bottles, shampoo bottles, laundry bottles & lids, plastic shopping Bags, soda 6-pack rings, plastic spoons.
• Aluminum: soda cans, clean/used tin foil, food wrapper linings.
• Paper: shredded paper, envelopes, letters, junk mail, tissue rollers.
• Odds & Ends: CD’s, broken pieces of furniture, chipped plates/mugs, jewelry pieces.
• Wire: old coat hangers, twist ties from garbage bags.
• Nylon: clean, used pantyhose.
• Metals: nuts & bolts, screws, soda tabs/lids.
• Fabric: old tablecloths, sheets, torn clothing, old curtains.

Recycled Project Ideas to consider:

• Create a two-dimensional wall hanging using layers of cardboard/paper pieces…relief sculpture with a flat back and items glued on top to add depth/thickness.
• Create a wearable piece of jewelry made from unusual pieces of recycled materials.
• Create a three-dimensional sculpture of an animal, person, figure, insect, plane, train, etc.
• Create a painting of a landscape on a surface made from Styrofoam or cardboard.
• Create an artwork out of soda cans by cutting them apart and using the metal pieces.
• Create a purse out of recycled Walmart bags or anything!
• Create a piece of functional furniture.
• Create a wearable piece of clothing or accessory.

Evaluation Categories:

• Overall neatness/craftsmanship. Is your work clean and neatly presented?
• Use of only recycled items (with the exception of adhesives to hold items together)
• Note: You shouldn’t have made something "dirty" so it could be recycled!
• Unique use of the materials.  Is your work an original idea?
• The difficulty of your selected project.
• Ability to make the deadline of April 25, 2019 at 8:15 am.

Categories:

• Relief sculpture: a three-dimensional sculpture made by attaching objects onto a flat surface. It should hang on the wall and is viewed as a "flat" backed surface.
• Sculpture in the "round": A three-dimensional sculpture that shows length, depth, width (3 dimensions) that can be viewed by others from all angles.
• Functional Sculpture: any three-dimensional sculpture that can be used... it can "function" as a purse, bag, table, hat, etc.
• Decorative Sculpture: any three-dimensional sculpture that is simply made for aesthetic qualities (seen only for its beauty, not to use it for a function)

      Relief Sculpture                   Sculpture              Functional Sculpture             Decorative Sculpture

Here are a few sites to help you get started:

• https://www.glad.com/teachable-trash/recycling-crafts-for-kids
• https://www.pinterest.com/jrplatt2/recycled-art-projects
• https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/recycled-art-masterpiece-made-from-junks
• https://www.ecomena.org/recycling-art
• www.reusethisbag.com

Checklist:

____Overall neatness/craftsmanship... is your work clean and neatly presented?

____Use of only recycled items (with the exception of adhesives to hold items  

         together).

____Unique use of recycled materials.

____Paper is completed (cover/title page, bibliography and sources are included).

____ The level of difficulty (must be age appropriate)