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Lesson Plans


gum sculpture

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
Linda Kelty (lckelty)
Wed, 6 May 2099 19:10:57 -0400

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Ellyn wrote:

By the way a year ago someone suggested gum sculpture and I just
loved it at the end of the year. A tooth pick and a stick of gum
is all you need to create an interesting tiny sculpture. Lots of
ducks, and fish. We also played a guessing game with this
activity.=20

Wow, great minds!! I did something similar after a wad of my daughters =
chewing gum lasted a year on our fence without biodegrading, except to =
turn gray on the outside. That was a full year of Iowa winter, complete =
with periodic nagging. I always try to emphasize reuse, reduce, recycle =
in the art room to help the enviornment and the budget, so this seemed a =
prime opportunity since I was leaving 17 years elementary to teach in =
the middle school. We are now completing our collective sculpture after =
four years. The armature was nothing more than a piece of scrap lumber =
with a strip of 1" lumber screwed to the base. The kids were allowed to =
chew gum and add it to the armature before they left. It has always =
been a work in progress, and those who chose not to sculpt weren't =
allowed to chew gum. At first they had to research the ingredients and =
write a brief description to have their name added to the sculptor's =
list, but I eliminated that when they started copying each others =
reports.
The sculpture spent the summers under a garbage bag until this year. My =
6th grade art club came up with a completion design and have been =
finishing the first one, while we've started another one. The =
counselors office gave us shredded records, we mixed in wheat paste and =
water in five gallon buckets and paper mached the form. We are now =
covering it with vinyl concrete patch and will seal it with =
polyurethane. We are having a problem with the vinyl patch shrinking =
and cracking, so we have to fill the cracks. When done, we will paint =
it, seal it and place it in the interior courtyard with a flower garden =
around it. The art club decided it looked like a turtle, which is ok, =
but I think it resembles a boulder. That's one of the hazards of a work =
that forms spontaneously, but that too is a lesson. We also have a =
tessellated gum mural started.
Ellyns way sounds like a fun lesson for the last few days of school.
Yes, we do wash our hands with anti-bacterial soap. Linda K. in Iowa

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Ellyn wrote:
 
By the way a year ago someone suggested gum sculpture and I = just
loved=20 it at the end of the year.  A tooth pick and a stick of gum
is = all you=20 need to create an interesting tiny sculpture.  Lots of
ducks, = and=20 fish.  We also played a guessing game with this
activity.
 
Wow, great minds!!  I did = something similar=20 after a wad of my daughters chewing gum lasted a year on our fence = without=20 biodegrading, except to turn gray on the outside.  That was a full = year of=20 Iowa winter, complete with periodic nagging.  I always try to = emphasize=20 reuse, reduce, recycle in the art room to help the enviornment and the = budget,=20 so this seemed a prime opportunity since I was leaving 17 years = elementary to=20 teach in the middle school.  We are now completing our collective = sculpture=20 after four years.  The armature was nothing more than a piece of = scrap=20 lumber with a strip of 1" lumber screwed to the base.  The = kids were=20 allowed to chew gum and add it to the armature before they left.  = It has=20 always been a work in progress, and those who chose not to sculpt = weren't=20 allowed to chew gum.  At first they had to research the ingredients = and=20 write a brief description to have their name added to the sculptor's = list, but I=20 eliminated that when they started copying each others = reports.
The sculpture spent the summers = under a garbage=20 bag until this year.  My 6th grade art club came up with a = completion=20 design and have been finishing the first one, while we've started = another=20 one.  The counselors office gave us shredded records, we mixed in = wheat=20 paste and water in five gallon buckets and paper mached the form.  = We are=20 now covering it with vinyl concrete patch and will seal it with=20 polyurethane.  We are having a problem with the vinyl patch = shrinking and=20 cracking, so we have to fill the cracks.  When done, we will paint = it, seal=20 it and place it in the interior courtyard with a flower garden around = it. =20 The art club decided it looked like a turtle, which is ok, but I think = it=20 resembles a boulder.  That's one of the hazards of a work that = forms=20 spontaneously, but that too is a lesson.  We also have a = tessellated gum=20 mural started.
Ellyns way sounds like a fun lesson for the last few = days of=20 school.
Yes, we do wash our hands with = anti-bacterial=20 soap.  Linda K. in Iowa
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  • Reply: Ginny Rockwood: "Re: gum sculpture"