HIGH SCHOOL

Monique Dobbelaere

The hallmark of an inclusive school community is evident in the various ways diversity and demographics are celebrated, including how people are greeted when they enter a building. Imagine a Deaf student entering a school for the first time and seeing an ASL alphabet mural on the wall. The arts have the power to create a warm and friendly atmosphere for populations that are often marginalized in society.

American Sign Language (ASL) is kindred to the arts as it is a visual language.  Combining the arts and ASL is one of many ways you can create an inclusive climate in your school community while celebrating school spirit.

An ASL-based arts project can create or enhance an inclusive climate in your classroom, and on a larger scale, in your wider school community.

Our ASL murals evolved from a unit on plaster wrap and artist George Segal. With a goal to fully engage students, I selected a young adult fluent in ASL on TikTok as our primary resource to introduce the alphabet. After practicing the alphabet with the visual aids, students were assigned to a letter and placed in small groups where they practiced again.

Preparation
If plaster wrap is a new media for your class, select a willing student to be a hand model for a class demonstration. Because using plaster wrap can be messy, I suggest using plastic tablecloths in your work areas.

Assign students to demonstrate various tasks like cutting the plaster wrap roll into roughly twelve 3 x 2" (7.5 x 5 cm) strips (some can be cut to smaller sizes as needed), applying Vaseline, and assisting with details using a plastic knife. You will also need warm water.

Demonstration and Procedures
Having a student demonstration team will give you a chance to go over the essentials of creating a lifelike cast. Students seem to enjoy the spa-like technique of wrapping hands, and I enhance the experience by playing music that suits this mood.

Preview Mode - Subscribe to unlock full content