Grade 2 students created animal figures from recycled materials and then taught their classmates how they did it
We throw away a lot of trash every day - plastic bottles, paper, aluminum cans. What if, instead of tossing it all, we used it to create art?
Second-grade students were challenged to create a character from a fable they wrote in their English classes by designing a model of that animal-character using recyclable materials. They put their art skills to the test and learned just how creative they could get with soda cans, bottle caps, and toilet paper rolls - in a do-it-yourself style!
After creating and crafting their models from scratch, students wrote a ‘how-to’ essay to explain to their classmates and teachers, in detail, step-by-step, and using commands and transition words, how they made their characters.
Next, they created short slide presentations explaining every procedure they followed, again, step-by-step. They learned how to improve their presentations by adding writing and illustrations, and some even learned how to use animation!
Hands-on projects are important to learning. Ms. Ana Dalmaschio and Ms. Lexi Guthrie, the teachers who designed this activity, said the objective of the assignment was to develop students writing, typing, computing, and fine-motor skills. They say students also learn when they teach others how to do something. As the adage goes, “To teach is to learn again.”
