Rainforest Explorers Spotlight Upcycling

Left:  Upcycled Artist Trading Card Wallet
Liz Ebanks Copyright 2010
Created out of Cereal Box
Teacher Demo Gasparilla Festival of Arts

Right:  "Soda Jerk"
Liz Ebanks Copyright 2010
Artist Trading Card
Collage of Wrappers and Acrylic



Written by: Liz Ebanks

National Art Teacher Award Recipient

ROUND UP YOUR RECYCLABLES FOR UPCYCLING!

UPCYCLING CHALLENGES ARTISTS TO:

• RETHINK
• REUSE
• RECYCLE
• REPURPOSE

  Leadership leaped out of my rainforest explorers when my lesson sparked conversations about the Worlds' Most Endangered Frogs.  Students discussed how to reduce their carbon footprint in the community with upcycled art and cut costs through recycling at school.  Honoring readers, writers, and conservationists the opportunity to share the spotlight with artists in the classroom is my passion.  The young artists green art movement to repurpose discarded Valentine's Day candy wrappers inspired the class to protect Kermit the Frog's endangered wild friends. 

We challenge your kids to get creative in taking personal responsibility as artists to reduce landfill wastes in your community. By recycling glass, aluminum, plastic, and cardboard at your local redemption center less energy is drained from the ecosystem by emerging technologies.  These emerging technologies break down the recyclable waste by converting them into green waste.This process requires the recyclables to be sorted at the redemption center before the components of the glass, aluminum, cardboard, and plastic are remolded.  When we upcycle we redefine the purpose of the object giving it a new life before it is returned to the redemption center to be recycled.  Therefore, less rainforests are lumbered for raw materials.  Our upcycling encourages the community to contribute to the growth of the ecosystem. Thanks, for showing your support for environmental stewardship.  By becoming involved in  community upcycling you are developing premier leadership and problem-solving skills that translate to future sustainable businesses. Frogs have an arsenal of lethaI chemical weapons in their skin that pharmaceutical companies are just beginning to discover destroy cancer, pain, and many other diseases.  Frogs are the ultimate recyclers they harvest biochemical toxins by stuffing themselves with insects that contain trace amounts of these chemicals and concentrating them in their skin's secretions.    I hope you enjoy these discussion questions and crossword puzzle.

"Ten Most Endangered Frogs In The World"

Discussion Questions

Based on Internet Readings:
Guardian Co.

http:// guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2008/jan/09/conservation.endangered species

National Geographic Explorer (Student Magazine)- Freaky Frogs



http://www.national geographic.com/explorer/0403/articles/main article.html

Vocabulary List:                             

amphibian,

mutation,

toxins,

native,

extinct,

ultraviolet,

fungus,

Antarctica,

predator,

ozone layer,

climate change,

Reading Comprehension:

1. Scientist are constantly finding new _________ , or kinds of frogs.

2. What are amphibians?

3. List some of the frogs that the class read about today.


4. Which frogs are the ten most endangered frogs in the world?

Answer:

Panamanian Golden Frog,
Harlequin Mantella,
Corroboree Fog,
Wyoming Toad,
Kihansi Spray Toad,
Lehmann's Poison Frog,
Interior Robber Frog,
Mountain Chicken Frog,
Table Mountain Ghost Frog,


5. What continent are frogs not found on?


6. What does it mean to become extinct?



7. List some of the reasons that frogs are having a difficult time?



8. Normally a layer of Earth's air blocks most UV light. This is called the _______ _______.



9. What contributed to the holes in the ozone?



10. Disease can also be caused by ___________. ___________ live off of other living creatures.



11. How are the _________/poisons that frogs make helping scientist make medicines.



12. What kind of change increases deadly fungal diseases in frogs?

Frog Crossword Puzzle

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=879

Across:

1.  Source of potential or actual harm to something

4. Spore producing organism

5. To use or manage wisely

9. Characterized by high amounts of rainfall

10. No loner in existence, having ceased to exist


Down

2.  The art of Japanese fish painting

3.  Animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land

6.   Non visible electromagnetic radiation

7. To save or collect for reuse

8. Poisonous substances harmful to humans

12.  Carnivorous animal or destructive organism

13.  Amphibians known as exceptional jumpers

As a National Art Teacher Award Recipient I am happy to assist you in your training needs at camps, festivals, schools, museums, and birthday parties. Igniting children's imaginations to triumph over disability is my specialty. I always welcome opportunities to help entertain children with my Award Winning Art Workshops in Tampa.  Commissions are welcome. liz@rescueteam.com

If you enjoyed this post you may like my link entitled,
"FROGGY VALENTINE'S LESSON"
http://lizebanksartgallery.blogspot.com/2010/10/cut-school-cost-froggy-valentine-lesson.html

Thank you, for embarking with me on my last post, entitled, "PIRATE TREASURE MAP" at this link:
http://lizebanksartgallery.blogspot.com/2010/09/community-ambassadors-gasparilla-pirate.html

TIP:  Offer slower processing students Teacher Demos that model each step of the Upcycling process. 

TIP:  Consider pre-sorting the recyclables into goups of colors so that each team of artists has an equal color palette to upcycle.  By pre-sorting this will minimize distractions and disruptive behavior.