Arts Day Lesson

One Mans Trash is Another Mans Treasure

Enduring Idea: Transformation: Making every day objects into new.
Grade: 9-12
Time: 90 minutes

Student Narrative: The students in this school come from a small farm area. The students
who will be taught can vary from students really interested in art and have future plans
with it, and then students who took the class for an easy grade.

School District

White 942 942

(89%) (89%)

Hispanic 47 47
(4%) (4%)

Two or More 30 30
(3%) (3%)

Asian 24 24
(2%) (2%)

Black 12 12
(1%) (1%)

Pacific Islander 0 0
(0%) (0%)

American Indian 0 0
(0%) (0%)

Lesson Summary: In this lesson students will be in the groups of their tables and given a
large bag full of one type of item; plastic bottles, toilet paper rolls, and paper cups taken out
of recycling and washed. Not bought new. Each group will be asked to manipulate it into a
sculpture. The students will learn about two artists who use toilet paper rolls to create
unique and interesting artwork. They will also learn about Tara Donovan and Aurora
Robson, both are artists that take everyday material and create installation pieces. Students
will also be shown a collar piece made from plastic bottles by Ellen Keba. When its all over
we will talk as a class about the experience they had and then about the artists work.

Artist: Yuken Teruya, Junior Fritz Jacquet, Tara Donovan,

Aurora Robson, and Ellen Keba

Key Concepts:
Artists reuse and recycle objects to create artwork.
Art can transform the way we see the world.
Art can transform our relationship with the world.
Artists can help the earth.
Art can raise awareness about ecological issues.

Essential Questions:
How can artists reuse and recycle objects into art?
In what ways does art transform the way we see the world?
How can art transform our relationship with the world?
How can artists help the earth?
In what ways can art raise awareness about ecological issues?

Interdisciplinary: This lesson could relate to science classes, specifically environmental

science because they will learn about why recycling is good for our planet.
Objectives:
Knowledge: Students will display knowledge of the importance to reuse and recycle
through a discussion in the beginning of class.
Skills: Students will demonstrate their creativity through problem solving students
will work in collaboration while manipulating the given material.
Disposition: Students will develop an awareness of their own personal relationship
with the waste stream on the planet.

Standards:
9.1.12.I. Distinguish among a variety of regional arts events and recourses and
analyze methods of selection and admission.
9.4.12.B. Describe and analyze the effects that works in the arts have on groups,
individuals, and the culture.
Assessment:
Pre-assessment:
o In two minutes each student will list as many as they can think of for the
following question. What kinds of materials can be used to make a sculpture?
Students will then share two examples with no repeating.
Formative assessment:
o Through a discussion do students show an understanding on why the
materials we choose to make art is important?
o Students will be given a peer-grading sheet where they will write down how
well their group did as a whole and if there was anyone in particular that
wasnt contributing. This sheet wont be graded but taken into consideration
when grading the students.
Summative assessment:
o At the end of the class, on a ticket out the door, students will answer two
questions. How can art make a difference on earth? What kinds of other
materials can you make art/sculptures? This ticket out the door will
contribute to their grade for the class period.
o Students will be graded as individuals in the group. Each student will be
graded on how well they worked in the group. If they participated based on
the peer reviews. From there students will be graded on their sculptures and
how well they applied the elements and principles of art (line, shape, form,
color, and repetition unity) to their sculptures. Also on the balance
composition, form, and construction.

Introduction/Motivation: Students will arrive and take their seats. Class will begin with a
two minutes writing activity where each student will list as many as they can think of for
the following question. What kinds of materials can be used to make a sculpture? From
there a conversation will happen about what sculpture is. Students should give examples of
sculptures theyre familiar with. We will discuss a series of questions for example, what is
the point of sculpture, what do we use it for, and what properties does sculpture posses
that 2D is unable to do?

Development: After the class has a discussion they will be shown a power point with the
artists name, their statement about their work and then pictures of their work.
Id like to show you some artists that use sculpture to talk about ecological issues. You can
see they use recycled materials to address global warming because
 Yuken Teruya is an artist that takes materials from the trash to talk about consumer
culture and wastefulness. He pulls toilet paper rolls and shopping bags out of the
trash to create art with them.
Junior Fritz Jacquet is an up cyclist. He takes toilet paper rolls and paper from the
garbage and turns them into folded beauties. He wants to give old items a greater
value. He was always inspired by origami so he began playing with the ways paper
and other paper based materials could move and bend.
Tara Donovan creates large installations out of manufactured products such as
plastic cups, straws, pencils, etc. All of her work suggests the wonders of nature.
Donavons work causes a lot of emotion by how large her pieces are and what her
artwork is made of. She is taking such a degradable product and creating this giant
artwork. This raises questions about working with harmful products and the scale of
the human footprint with global warming. It speaks about the consequences of
human activity.
Aurora Robson is all about transforming rather then producing. She feels as though
our planet doesnt need more things even if its artwork so she takes from what is
already left on the planet and transforms it into art. She says, If plastic is going to be
so damaging on an environmental level, let it at least serve a beautiful purpose on an
artistic level.
How can artists reuse and recycle objects into art/how does the fact that its recycled add
to the narrative of the work? How did this artist use the recycled materials to get us to see
the world differently? How did he/she change the context? How did the artist use these
materials to change our relationship with the world? Do you think this work is effective in
changing the world? Can you think of another way an artist can address the same concerns
more effectively. In what ways can art raise awareness about ecological issues?
After the PowerPoint students will be separate into three groups. Each group will
be given water bottles, toilet paper rolls, or paper cups. As a group students will work
together to manipulate the given objects and create a sculpture that represents nature.
Students will have 20 minutes to create their sculpture and will be given a 2-minute and 1-
minute warning. Students will be pushed to think abstractly and not go for the direct forms
in nature. After they are finished each group will share their work with each other/justify
how their sculpture relates to nature.

Close: To close the students will be given a ticket out the door and will answer questions.
How can art make a difference on earth? What kinds of other materials can you make
art/sculptures?

Learning Styles:
 Written: Students will be doing multiple writing activities for this lesson. Starting
with a quick thinking writing activity where they write what they know about
sculptures. Students will also have to critique how their classmates worked in the
group on a peer-grading sheet. Finally they will have to finish the lesson with a
ticket out the door and will recall main points from the lesson.
Visual: Students will be engaged visually through a PowerPoint showing artwork
from Yuken Teruya, Junior Fritz Jacquet, Tara Donovan, and Aurora Robson.
Kinesthetic: Students will be working with their hands to create a sculpture using
all recycled materials.
Verbal: Students will be engaged in verbal conversation first through a
conversation about what they think sculpture is and what is important to know
about sculptures. They will then be communicating with their peers to come up with
a design for their sculpture. They will have to collaborate ideas and problem solve to
make the sculpture.

Multiple Intelligences:
Naturalistic: This lesson is perfect for naturalistic intelligence because these
students are good with anything nature. They can understand nature better then
other students so they will have a lot of input for why recycling is important for the
environment. Also they will probably be able to think of more natural inspirations
for the sculpture besides the usual inspirations like trees.
Visual/Spatial: Students will be engaged visually through a PowerPoint showing
artwork from Yuken Teruya, Junior Fritz Jacquet, Tara Donovan, and Aurora
Robson. For Visual students they could sketch out their group design so they can see
it visually before they begin to build it.
Kinesthetic/Body: This lesson will be great for hands on students because they will
get the materials and right away be able to play around with them. This way they
can physically imagine how this sculpture will look. Then there is also the act of
actually building the sculpture.
Interpersonal: This lesson is very interpersonal because the students will be
working as a group so they will need to communicate with others and collaborate
ideas.
Linguistic/Verbal: Students with a verbal intelligence will be useful during the
class conversations about what sculpture is. They will most likely be the students
that speak up right away with their thoughts. They will also be of great help in the
sculpture constructing part because they will be able to explain their vision to the
other students and also share ideas.
Mathematical/Logical: This lesson could be great for logical students. This project
will allow students to use problem solving. They will need to take the recycled
 objects and find a way to manipulate them and put them together. Itll be almost like
piecing a puzzle together. They will also need to problem solve when trying to make
the sculpture sturdy yet visually interesting from each side.
Preparation:
Teacher preparation: Teacher will prepare the PowerPoint with pictures of
artwork of the artists. Also any examples from previous classes should be included.
Teachers must know the information about the artists and why they choose to use
recycled materials for their artwork. Teachers will also need to go collect all the
recycled materials. Also will need to have samples of ways the students can
manipulate the given material.
Instructional preparation: PowerPoint on Yuken Teruya, Junior Fritz Jacquet, Tara
Donovan, and Aurora Robson. Students will also be shown Ellen Kebas collar piece
from recycled bottles.
Student Supplies:
o Toilet paper rolls
o Plastic bottles
o Paper cups
o Scissors
o Exactor knives
o Glue
o Tape
o Index cards
Peer Assessment:

How did your group do as a whole?

Was there anyone in your group that didnt contribute to the project? Or that you feel

does not deserve the same grade as everyone else?

Project Assessment__20 points

5_______Were all materials from the supplied found/ recycled objects?

5_______Applied Elements and Principles of art

Line, Shape, Form, Color, and Repetition Unity.

10_______Balance composition, Form, and Construction

Should stand on its own and look good from all sides
TICKET OUT THE DOOR

What can sculpture do that 2D art cant?

Pick an Artist and state what materials they used and why. (Artists names: Yuken Teruya,

Junior Fritz Jacquet, Tara Donovan, and Aurora Robson)

Do these artists make you think differently about the way we treat the world?

What did you like about this lesson and what was something you didnt like?