Action Rabbits

Recently, I visited students at Lessenger Elementary in Madison Heights, Michigan, to highlight the issues created by single-use plastic. It is my generation, the Boomers, who began the acceleration of plastic, burdening the younger generations with the need to take action and find solutions.

Through a grant awarded by the Michigan Council for the Arts, I worked with students to create an awareness of our unrestrained use of plastic. The semester-long exploration consisted of a school-wide art project and individual student art projects.

Plastic Topiary
Lessenger’s mascot is the roadrunner. I suggested that we let the roadrunner stay in the Southwest during the cold winter months, and we adopt the Action Rabbit as our temporary mascot. The school also keeps a pet rabbit in the courtyard—hence the rabbit.

Using three 16" (40.5 cm) steel rods, I bent and welded a large, topiary-like rabbit. I covered the armature with chicken wire and installed it in the outside courtyard. Throughout the semester, students brought and wove pieces of plastic into the wire-covered rabbit. The ever-changing colorful rabbit called attention to the amount and variety of plastic in our environment.

Individual Art Projects
A single-use discarded water bottle and cap would be the basis for students’ individual action self-portraits. Grades three to five would create a sculptural self-portrait in an action pose. The pose didn’t have to relate to plastic or environmental issues, but to the threat that plastic poses to the environment; complacency is not an option—hence action.

My local health club doesn’t recycle due to the cost, so in little more than a week, I was able to collect 200 single-use water bottles for students to use for their self-portraits.
Grades three to five would use the water bottles, wire, plaster gauze, and acrylic paint to create their figures. These took four classes to complete.
Kindergarten through second grade would use the water bottle caps, pipe cleaners, twist ties, small cardboard pieces, and permanent markers to make their figures. These took a single class to complete.

Grades Three to Five
Using a craft knife, I cut the bottom off each water bottle and attached it to the bottle’s neck with hot glue, creating a head, neck, and torso. A wadded ball of newspaper and masking tape rounded out the head. I also cut about an inch off the water bottle, creating a 5" (12.5 cm) torso. Two pieces of 18-gauge wire were cut to 36" (91 cm) for the legs, and 30" (76 cm) for the arms. As students began shaping their action self-portraits, I asked them to model their pose, becoming a living sculpture. This helped them to create a lifelike pose.

Grades K to Two
The plastic water bottle caps became the heads for the younger students’ action figures. I drilled a small hole in the side of the cap to allow for a cut piece of pipe cleaner to insert to create a neck. The other end was inserted into a cut rectangular piece of cardboard to create a body. Arms, legs, and even hair were made from twist ties, telephone wire, and pipe cleaners. Tissue paper was used for clothing, and permanent marker for the face. I assisted with a hot-glue gun.

Presentation
At the end of the school year, a closing celebration was held in the courtyard surrounding the completely covered wire rabbit. Cake and punch was served on paper plates with eco-friendly plastic forks. I also suggested that we invite the vacationing roadrunner mascot back to the school.

Students’ work was displayed with writings they penned about their response to plastic issues. Responses included, “I will stop using zip-top bags and instead will use reusable containers” from student Addy, and “Eat ice cream out of a cone instead of using a plastic spoon and bowl” from student Josie.

While I acknowledge that I have been part of the problem, perhaps I can now be part of the solution through what I do best—inspired teaching.