I was able to do this lesson because Skye Wiborn, a college classmate, came up with the BIG IDEA!
BIG IDEA: OCEAN POLLUTION
To initiate the concept, we brainstormed varying types of ocean pollution and then watched a short youtube clip about the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch", the place where all plastic garbage collects. SO WHY JELLYFISH? Jellyfish, organisms with a thin, gelatinous "skin", are the most susceptible to chemical pollution. BASIC PRODUCTION PLAN: - Head: Clay - Tentacles: Recycled Materials |
As far as we know, 1,000-1,500 different types of jellyfish exist in our oceans!
Because the students are in 5th grade, they had the option to construct their jellyfish heads using the pinch pot, slab, or coil method; most students chose the pinch pot method. We then glazed our jellyfish heads (no parameters) and attached tentacles. Originally, most students made holes to accomodate the attached tentacles, but the shrinking of the clay and covering of the holes from glaze forced us to use the hot glue gun.
STRUGGLES (what I would change if I decided to do this lesson again):
1. Students, despite being in fifth grade, couldn't seem to write their names on their pieces! I had a handful of students who were always misplacing their jellyfish heads, despite putting them in a very specific, labeled area. This really disrupted the flow of the class. I would check every single piece during clean-up to make sure names were present.
2. This was an absent-minded mistake: poke two holes in the top so that the jellyfish are able to be hung when they are finished.
3. The concept of the project was to only use recycled materials for the tentacles; we deviated from this plan after seeing the lack of variance in collected recycled materials and were simultaneously allured by the colors of ribbon and pipe cleaners. I would stick to my guns next time: only recycled materials or materials that weren't being used at home (like the unused luffa).
1. Students, despite being in fifth grade, couldn't seem to write their names on their pieces! I had a handful of students who were always misplacing their jellyfish heads, despite putting them in a very specific, labeled area. This really disrupted the flow of the class. I would check every single piece during clean-up to make sure names were present.
2. This was an absent-minded mistake: poke two holes in the top so that the jellyfish are able to be hung when they are finished.
3. The concept of the project was to only use recycled materials for the tentacles; we deviated from this plan after seeing the lack of variance in collected recycled materials and were simultaneously allured by the colors of ribbon and pipe cleaners. I would stick to my guns next time: only recycled materials or materials that weren't being used at home (like the unused luffa).