S.O.S. Syllabus

 


 

This is a unique art project that grows out of my art practice S.O.S. Sustainable. Organic. Stewardship and infused with Reggio Emilia philosophy that already gaining foothold in early childhood education. This way of working with children does not rely on a set of fixed curriculum, goals and objectives with a prescribed learning activities. Instead, emergent, negotiated curriculum is guided by educator’ goals and values, an understanding of child development and on going observation and study of children. It is co-constructed by children, teachers and parents. It requires that children’s mind are engaged and above all, it requires great respect for ideas, questions, feelings, capabilities and interests of children. The class is monitor and a portfolio is produced in the end of the project for each children. It will be in a form of a box, where each project is accumulated. The children do not paint or draw objects in the world but rather paint and draw their relationship with them. As educator, we do not teach the concept of ecology or biology but rather provide a challenging, supportive context in which the children’s own ideas could grow. 

Objective: The interaction between the artist and the students are heuristic in nature. Challenging the phobia of dirty and of animals and how we are connected with nature better. By being a steward of nature they will learn to recycle, reuse and discovering beauty in found objects.

Context: to break the modern perception of germ phobia and reconnect children back to nature and demonstrating how nature had it own way to recycle and nothing is “waste”. The action of collecting, and the ability to identify usage from found or discarded materials is cultivated.

Engage: Using experiential senses as a tool to let the students have hands on approach to discover nature, art and science.

Duration: Each session is about 30 mins to an hour

Exploration:

 

Composting
- Using flash card to explain the concept of composting as recycle your organic waste.
- Using a hand drill to drill holes on the cover of plastic bin, then the students add shredded newspaper, red wigglers worm, food scrap and toss together.
- Each class will take care of the bin and will be review in the weeks to come.

Chicken Day
- Instruction on how to hold a chicken. Each student will have a chance to hold or pet the bird.
- Discover what chicken like to eat by offering various food to the bird, including the worms.

 
Seed ball
- Sculpting with clay and wild flower seed to made seed ball to bring home in a brown paper bag. They are encourage to dispense the seedball on tree pit along their way home.

 
Umbrella camp site
- Show the students how the artist upcycle umbrella fabric into a canopy.

 
Mobile Garden parade
- design a planter that is mobile and parade it around town.

 
Adopt A Tree
-Identifying a street tree and act as a care taker and study it’s feature and home to other animals.

 

 

 


  

Soda can whistle
- A recycle DIY idea to transform a soda can into a whistle by folding the aluminum sheet and then the entire class can some make noise as a video art.

Saving Jar
- Bring from home a glass jar or tin can and transform that into a piggy bank by drawing motif or what you intent to buy using the money saved.

Junkmail recycling
- recycle junk mail into new paper for cards and fold paper airplane.

Drift wood animal
-collect drift wood and collage it to shape like a fish or a bird. Strung them together into a garland or a birdhouse.

Origami made from security patterns on envelope

 

A neckerchief for all the children, as they complete each task they can place the small patch
on the lower corner. It also had S.O.S. Pledge printed on it.

 

Seedball workshop at PS41: The Greenwich Village School in New York, New York





 

Recycle projects and workshop

These recycle ideas and projects is a great way to get people together for a common goal to upcycle material that is pre-gathered into something that will have a new life. The sample below show how a plactic grocery bag is upcycled into a plarn bag and how broken umbrella is upcycled into a canopy for a children playroom or other shading purposes.

Ultimately, we had to always remind ourselves eveytime before we pay for a goods, ask yourself how well it is made and do you really need it? The best policy is not to buy or buy something that is made well, high quality, an objects that have replacement parts and can be repair by a technician or the manufacturer.

Please don't continue to be a thrown away culture.

 

Soda can whistle


 

Soda can butterfly

 

Origami crane made from recycle envelop showing the security patterns


Step-by-step crane origami.

 

New New Yorker Student Council Workshop at Queens Museum of Arts


 

Plarn-made from recycled plastic bag


 

Canopy made from recycled umbrellas