Focus In: Plastic with a Purpose

In the fall of 2022, Florida was devastated by the impact of hurricanes Ian and Nicole. Our school is located on the east coast of Florida, and our campus is only one block from the ocean. Families everywhere were affected by these disasters. As I conducted the cleanup of my own property and observed the devastation in my neighborhood, I noticed that an incredible amount of trash and debris had washed up on our coastline and riverbeds.

I had recently learned about the Washed Ashore project—sculptures created from the debris of beach clean-ups. According to the Washed Ashore website, these stunning sculptures are meant to “educate a global audience about plastic pollution in the ocean and waterways and to spark positive changes in consumer habits.” This impressive project served as a catalyst for me to have my 3D Art 2 students use plastic trash to create works of art.

Process
I introduced the project several weeks in advance to allow students to collect an abundance of plastic materials from their home.

With the intention of using as many recycled materials as possible, students used strips of cardboard boxes to build armatures for their sculptures. Most students chose to use aquatic creatures as their subject matter, and many researched the skeletal structure of their creature to build their armature. One student decided to incorporate her sculpture into her senior portfolio and created a sculptural mask. We organized plastic materials by color and built exoskeletons of plastic pieces using hot-glue guns.

Collaboration
Students independently collaborated on ideas for themes and how to display their work. A trio of students built their bases to fit together like puzzle pieces. They would look unified as a group, but students could take their sculptures home after the display. Another group wanted to incorporate their sense of humor—a polar bear wearing reflective sunglasses and a comical lobster wearing a chef’s hat as it conducts an underwater barbeque.

Exhibition
This year, our art department is blessed to have a local art museum host our annual student art exhibit. This museum is just blocks from the beach and has a constant stream of tourists, which will allow our exhibit to reach a large audience and call attention to the problem of beach pollution and single-use plastics. The finished sculptures are currently on display in our Media Center, where they can be viewed by students and staff.

Resources
The Washed Ashore website has a wide selection of resources and lesson plans for a variety of grade levels. I purchased the Washed Ashore hardcover book so I could have a tangible resource for students to share as they brainstormed. We also followed them on Instagram to keep up with current projects and look for inspiration.

Evaluation
I conducted a gallery walk so students could gather feedback from their peers. Next, I created a Nearpod collaboration board where students posted criteria they thought was relevant for their summative critique. This virtual bulletin board allowed students to contribute to the development of their assessment. Lastly, I edited studentsʼ posts, organized them according to the steps of the critical method, and compiled them into open-ended questions for them to answer individually.

Reflection
Although we depended on hot glue as our main adhesive, I’m interested in trying some of the attachment techniques used to make the actual Washed Ashore sculptures, and Iʼd also like to have students create more mobile-style designs. Some students struggled with finding the colors of plastic they wanted, but it forced them to be creative, problem-solve, and collaborate with their peers.