Dolphin Mural Showcased in Florida Capitol
Written by: Liz Ebanks
National Art Teacher Award Recipient
Winter the orphaned bottlenose dolphin's courage to overcome the loss of her tail and make new freinds at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida was the inspiration for the mural. The students identified Winter’s remarkable talent to inspire other disabled children and injured war veterans to walk. As environmental stewards they reviewed how cetaceans like Winter can become entangled in fishing line and hooks, or eat plastic accidentally. Often, this results in the dolphins becoming gravely ill. Multiple marine mammal rescue teams across the state of Florida coordinate, triage, rescue, and rehabilitate.
Winter's greatest strength is her tenacity to adapt and triumph over injury. The class' spirit soared when they discovered how Winter is now teaching her new adopted mom to paint.The students tackled multiple disabilities by reading several books of increasing difficulty on their favorite dolphin. The emerging artists dreamed of swimming, painting, and laughing with Winter. Smiles and increased confidence abounded in the classroom. Reading comprehension became an adventure. Behavioral outbursts were extinguished in the classroom. The students determination delivered a mural that was showcased at the Florida Capitol at the Office of Education.
Written by: Liz Ebanks
National Art Teacher Award Recipient
Winter the orphaned bottlenose dolphin's courage to overcome the loss of her tail and make new freinds at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida was the inspiration for the mural. The students identified Winter’s remarkable talent to inspire other disabled children and injured war veterans to walk. As environmental stewards they reviewed how cetaceans like Winter can become entangled in fishing line and hooks, or eat plastic accidentally. Often, this results in the dolphins becoming gravely ill. Multiple marine mammal rescue teams across the state of Florida coordinate, triage, rescue, and rehabilitate.
Winter's greatest strength is her tenacity to adapt and triumph over injury. The class' spirit soared when they discovered how Winter is now teaching her new adopted mom to paint.The students tackled multiple disabilities by reading several books of increasing difficulty on their favorite dolphin. The emerging artists dreamed of swimming, painting, and laughing with Winter. Smiles and increased confidence abounded in the classroom. Reading comprehension became an adventure. Behavioral outbursts were extinguished in the classroom. The students determination delivered a mural that was showcased at the Florida Capitol at the Office of Education.
"Dolphin Collaboration Mural"
Mixed Media Painting by: Liz Ebanks with Students
Mixed Media Painting by: Liz Ebanks with Students
Featured on Artist Trading Card
Original Mural on Display in Florida CapitolWallet Made from Recycled Ceral Box
Original Mural on Display in Florida CapitolWallet Made from Recycled Ceral Box
Copyright Liz Ebanks
TIP: How do you integrate academics into each ART LESSON?
Liz Ebanks students demonstrated numerical and alphabetical skills in placing folds at key folding points to create the 3-D Artist Trading Card Holder (featured in the first image in this post).
Parents showed their support by assisting younger students by cutting around their child's hand drawn template. Ebanks was an Independent Volunteer Teaching Artist at the Tampa Museum of Art during the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts where she created this Dolphin Wallet out of a upcycled cereal box. Incorporating recycled cereal boxes into this project Effectively Cut Supply Costs.
TIP: If you enjoy learning about the Upcycled Artist Trading Card Wallet I highly recommend these links to the Tampa Museum of Art and the Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts:
http://www.tampamuseum.org/
http://gasparilla-arts.com/
Liz Ebanks students demonstrated numerical and alphabetical skills in placing folds at key folding points to create the 3-D Artist Trading Card Holder (featured in the first image in this post).
Parents showed their support by assisting younger students by cutting around their child's hand drawn template. Ebanks was an Independent Volunteer Teaching Artist at the Tampa Museum of Art during the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts where she created this Dolphin Wallet out of a upcycled cereal box. Incorporating recycled cereal boxes into this project Effectively Cut Supply Costs.
TIP: If you enjoy learning about the Upcycled Artist Trading Card Wallet I highly recommend these links to the Tampa Museum of Art and the Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts:
http://www.tampamuseum.org/
http://gasparilla-arts.com/
The diptyches were a primer in the first lesson to the dolphin collaborative mural. The purpose of the assignment was to practice modeling working in a team with a common goal. We discussed how critical it was for all resue, rehabilitation, and release crew members to work together. Then, the students researched dolphin anatomy by completing a worksheet. The supplemental assignment helped the students verbalize which part of the painting they wanted to contribute to as artists. Buddy pairs employed textural effects in 3-D, straw blowing, paint swirling, and cross-hatching. This spotlighted the diversity of skills in the classroom by creating an eclectic mural during the second class.
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| "Simple Flukes 1/3" Teacher Demonstration Construction Paper Liz Ebanks Copyright  Teacher Demonstration Construction Paper Liz Ebanks Copyright |
The children recognized that Winter earned the love and acceptance of her adopted dolphin mom by being herself. This invaluable lesson connected my Special Needs students to Winter’s pledge to help the Children of the Heart Gallery that were seeking forever family homes. My favorite highlight is the fingerprint of a student embedded in the "Dolphin Collaboration" mini-mural which is showcased in Tallahassee, Florida at the Office of Education. The fingerprint communicates the students' trust in Winter as a life long friend and testifies to their commitment to environmental stewardship.
I invite you to view to view my published lesson plan in the World's Largest Children's Museum http.//www.artsonia.com and show your support. The lesson plans are tailored to incorporate National Standards and challenge students to protect the priceless Florida ecosystem. I encourage everyone to practice dolphin safe fishing and viewing to protect these incredible wild creatures. This year I will be supplementing the lesson with materials from NOAA with worksheets on Dolphin SMART Viewing.
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| "Simply Flukes Diptych" Construction Paper Teacher Demo 3/3 Liz Ebanks Copyright |
The direct link to the lesson plan is:
The lesson plan id #: 3662
If you enjoyed this post you might like this link to my DOLPHIN GETS STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES TALKING:
http://lizebanksartgallery.blogspot.com/2010/09/dolphin-collaboration-mural-questioning.html
If you enjoyed this post you might like this link to my DOLPHIN GETS STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES TALKING:
http://lizebanksartgallery.blogspot.com/2010/09/dolphin-collaboration-mural-questioning.html
As a National Art Teacher Award Recipient, Liz Ebanks ART WORKSHOPS in Tampa are perfect for schools, camps, birthday parties, and museums. Commissions for my wildlife paintings and pet portraits are welcome.
Email: liz@rescueteam.com
To explore more about Dolphin Human Therapy and Dolphin Assistive Therapy for children check out these links:
http://www.disaboom.com/adaptive-sports-general/dolphin-therapy-for-children-with-disabilities
http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Article/Exploring-Dolphins-and-Disability.aspx
http://www.healingtherapies.info/Dolphin.htm
With Great Appreciation,
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