Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken.

Lesson Plans


Re: bio-degradable space peanuts

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
Mark Alexander (mamjam)
Fri, 27 Feb 1998 07:36:39 -0500

To all interested in alternative uses of those bio-degradable corn starch
based space peanuts that are used as a packing material:

The miniature sculptures put together by moistening the ends are lots of
fun. Last year my fifth grade made individual sculptures, then one at a
time they attached their individual sculptures into a larger group one.
This year I'll offer tooth picks, too, and see what happens.

As many of you know, I'm the art cart man. One drawback about these
bio-degradable space peanut sculptures is that they aren't strong nor
durable, so I didn't want to move the sculpture after it was completed.
The fifth grade classroom teacher, while usually quite forgiving, really
thought I was nuts! All she saw the pile of space peanuts on her file
cabinet! She tackfully asked that I get that mess out of her room! The
roomfull of clamoring fifth grade sculptors helped her see the difference
between art and trash!

I have also been told that soaking them in a little water makes them
disolve into a paste that can be used like a light weight paper mache type
material. Another idea I've been thinking about is to cast the paste in
modeling clay relief molds. These are ideas I haven't tried, but I have a
box of bio-degradable space peanuts just waiting for a playful free moment.

Mark

Mark Alexander, 1-8 Art
Lee H. Kellogg School
47 Main Street
Falls Village, Connecticut 06031
U.S.A.