Lesson Description:
Students will reuse a variety of paper products to create a collage with an environmental theme.

Eco-fact: A 100 watt light bulb can burn for three years on the amount of energy saved when we recycle just one ton of paper.

Instructions:

• Before creating the collage:
• Introduce the term collage to the class. Explain to students that collage became a distinctive part of the modern art movement at the beginning of the 20th century. Tell the students that a collage is not an example of precision, explaining that the pieces of paper do not need to be perfectly measured or layered. Explain that a collage is all about irregular shapes and sizes, layering and overlapping.
• Explain to students that they are going to make a collage from used materials. The collage may include newspaper headlines, pieces of other artwork, photographs, magazine advertisements, scraps of paper, etc. These pieces will be glued to a larger piece of paper.
• Explain to students that a collage is often created to represent a theme. Their collage will follow an environmental theme. Have students brainstorm a list of environmental themes and briefly discuss each theme with the class.

Creating a magazine collage:

• Have students select an environmental theme. Ask them to think of a message they want to send to people about the theme. Explain to students that the collage they create should express the message and their feelings about the theme they selected.
• Discuss the types of material students will need to find to address their themes (e.g., environmentally-friendly behaviors, pictures of the natural world—animals, plants, strong headlines, etc).
• Have students cut pictures, words, phrases, from old magazines, newspapers and such to illustrate their themes. Students will glue these onto construction paper in collage form.

After conducting the activity:

• Have students break up into small groups and share their collages. Have students discuss the message each collage portrays.
• Display collages around the school to spread the messages of the students in the class.

Adaptations:

• Select a specific environmental topic for students to use when creating their collages.
• Students can combine their efforts to make a class collage about an environmental theme. Their collage can be used to promote an environmental theme for the school (e.g., waste reduction).

Extensions:

• Students can find current events articles regarding environmental themes that they can present to the class.
• Students can “pick 5 for the environment” at http://www.epa.gov/pick5/. Students can select 5 actions to protect the environment on a daily basis.

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Lesson Type:

• Project

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Sustainability Topic:

• Climate Change
• Economics
• Ecosystems
• Energy
• Gardening
• Green Building
• Social Systems
• Water
• Waste Reduction

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GEF Program Category:

• Sustainable Water Challenge
• Green Building Program
• Waste Reduction Challenge
• Green Energy Challenge
• Green Thumb Challenge
• I Ride Green

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