Conservation Art Project

In May/June we completed a whole school conservation project with the children at Churwell Primary. The project was based around the words, Protect, Preserve, Cleanse, Restore and we adapted the activities to best explore conservation ideas.

This is Chur-whale!

Year 1 and 2 explored what the word ‘Protect’ means in relation to our oceans. We learnt how our oceans absorb most of the earths carbon and how our behaviour can support sea life. We also made a diagram showing the carbon cycle and how nature has balanced this cycle for millennia. Now human behaviour and carbon emissions have created a imbalance in this system. We spoke about what we can do to reduce these emissions. We made a blue whale out of tissue paper and reeds and the children painted it. He was named Chur-whale by a member of staff.

Year 3 and 4 made rubbings of bark and leaves to make a huge drawing of native woodland. We spoke about how nature takes care of itself and we don’t have to do much other than leave it to grow. We spoke about how trees are amazing carbon eaters.

Year 5 and 6 made paper. We made paper to explore the word Preserve. Paper is used a lot in our daily life and we talked about what we can and cannot recycle. For example we cant recycle all paper, paper with food stains on, paper that has been painted or coated can be recycled by our location council and shredded paper is also difficult to recycle because the paper fibres get shorter and this affects what it can be recalled into. The paper pulp came from the BBG academy art departments shredder. It was collected and turned into pulp for the children at Churwell to use. We recycled the pulp into art by making new paper and pressed dried flowers into it.

We also worked with Reception and Nursery to make a big sky. We made prints using Geli Plates and coloured in a big graphite storm cloud. The children them made bird masks to display them in front of the sky. The word Clean was used in this art to promote clean air in our environment. Pupils from BBG Academy came to help.

Our amazing SEND children made clay trees with moss leaves with little railway people living in the trees. They drew with ink and sticks and we sang Nursery Rhymes while we worked.

It was a huge amount of work and my daughter Poppy helped me out as part of her work experience. There was a showcase after half term for all the parents and school trust leaders. There were also visitors from other schools who were able to take some ideas back to their schools for their own conservation projects.

Me and Poppy watching a slideshow of conservation art week.