Nest designs: Art work inspired by Nature.

Nature and the environment is often the inspiration for a range of lessons in my classes. Students in Level 3/4 looked at some amazing nests both man made art works and real nests made by a range of creatures. I asked them to create a nest from terra cotta clay using some ideas they had seen. We bisque fired them.....still thinking of the next stage (colour? glaze?) but they are lovely just as they are!

In the kiln....

More cocoons....Level 3/4

Our older students were interested in the cocoons made by the junior grades. After looking at a variety of found cocoons and images of some really funky ones from the internet, they collected a range of materials from outside as a starting point to make their own. They started by wrapping wadding or wool onto their chosen stick.

They added the natural materials collected from our school gardens borrowing some ideas from nature.

After designing, cutting, gluing, organising etc. they all agreed that nature's designs are amazing!!!!



Organic Gardening.

This year, our school has been involved with the Biological Farmers of Australia's Organic School Gardens Program. We have been selected as a Leader School and we are trialing a range of lessons which are helping us to develop skills and knowledge on how to garden organically. For some time in our gardens, we have made gardening decisions which are based on making sure we consider the environment. These lessons have taken our organic practice much further.

These lessons and resource materials are available free to everyone and offer extensive background material and equipment lists to each topic.
Look here to check it out. Organic School Gardens Program

Last week we tested the pH of the soils in our various gardens. We hoped to be able to find out why some plants were thriving and some struggling. We also had a new garden planned and wondered whether the pH of the introduced soil would allow our plants to take up the nutrients readily.
A simple pH testing kit and various soil samples was all we needed. We discovered our Peace Garden's soil was quite acidic and explained why we had some issues with some plants. We were happy to find out that the Mandala Vegetable Garden's soil was in the correct range for growing veggies. Another area of the school garden tested quite alkaline.
Students learnt about how we could increase or decrease the pH as needed and how our compost will help create a healthy soil.

Here are our tested samples.

Cocoons.

Students are fascinated (as I am) with some of the cocoons  we have found in our school garden and at our homes. Level 1 and 2 students created these amazing cocoons using stockings, stretching a cocoon shape with bamboo sticks. Once they created the shape, they painted them in natural colours. When they were dry, they added natural materials from our school ground.
Students considered what a cocoon is, the range of types of cocoon structures, materials used and how they may have been constructed.

Here are some of their cocoon sculptures.

Endangered! Update on our art work.

Here is an update on Level 3/4's art works about endangered creatures. Students considered the various reasons some species become endangered. They created their own endangered animal, thinking about its habitat, reasons for its fragile situation, food sources and particular features of their creature.
They created clay tiles showing the creature's skin, feathers or fur, the animal's eye and a special feature of their creature.
These tiles have now been fired and students have attached them to a background which shows the habitat of their creature.
Other art works included amazing drawings using pastels and some great mini sculptures made from paperclay.