We’ve Got Tide Pools!

Phase One Tide Pools: Grade 1/2 Starfish

The idea started with paper mache starfish, and it IS going to go on from there. I had the grade 1/2’s get busy with aluminum foil and coloured tissue paper (thank you, everyone who has given our family gifts with proliferations of tissue paper erupting from said gift bags …). Spindly, spidery starfish complete with a shake (or two or three) of glitter at the end. Voila!

(actually, it took two or three classes to complete, so not quite the straight shot I am making it out to be)

As we were in process, I began to think about where these starfish should reside for display purposes. This, combined with my penchant for scrounging and the happy placement of scads of styrofoam panels neatly stacked in boxes at the curb by one of Parliament Oak’s neighbours just as I arrived at school one day. YES!

Of course, in a rare moment of confluence, the principal also happened to arrive just as I was hauling the big box of styrofoam across the road into the school. Flushed with the excitement of my find, I called out “Isn’t this great? These will be PERFECT for the tide pools!” She groaned, “Oh, no – now we will be getting calls from the neighbourhood about the school garbage picking!” She was smiling as she said it, so I just kept coming.

On my own (in the peace and quiet of the Art Room), I put together the styrofoam panels with cardboard backing, and glued on the tide pool paintings. Right!

After the starfish were completed (with wires for attaching) I had the students get into 4 groups, and paint the bluegreen water of their groups’ pool (complete with tools for texturing). They loved working big with paint … next class the same groups arranged the newspaper rocks (already made and painted previously) and their starfish in their tide pools. If I may say so myself, they looked GREAT!

So, here’s the thing – there is more to come. The Tuesday Art Club has already made hermit crabs using real shells and magic clay, but they are a bit too small and delicate to include, I think. We got some strands of crimped paper kelp up there, though. Thursday Art Club is currently working on some sea anenomes using wire and fabric.

We shall see what else may appear in our school tide pools … there are often surprises in such things if you just look long enough.

In the meantime, consider this like Google Earth: we’ll zoom in slowly on these starfish in their habitats. (mostly because I like looking at every shot)

I hope you enjoy the journey. More to come!