In the photo, a student explains her puppet design idea to the class. Students' design presentations follow a group socratic discussion that explores why plastic foam is good and why it is bad, as well as the life cycle of plastics.
Their discussion lead to the creation of several anti-hero charaters, expressed by one student as a split-faced design, called "Dos". She tells the class that the two sides represent the good and bad aspects of using plastic foam in the cafeteria.
Puppet design and construction is an amazingly interdisciplinary project. On top of bridging the divide between climate change and cafeteria waste, this program utilizes art, personal expression, language arts, data analysis, and personal ethics. Students are developing teamwork skills, listening to others, and making memorable connections to ELA and math. Go PS221!
Stay tuned for more updates about the ARTS+ACTION Project.