First, student have to understand the habitat well. They have to have a clear idea of the plants, animals, and climate of the habitat to represent the scene well.
Next, students have to work together to plan and create the biome. That level of collaboration is challenging and demands considerable planning, negotiation, problem solving, compromise, and effort.
After that, students have to make choice after choice as they figure out which materials to use, and how to use those materials to create trees, leaves, vines, desert, mountains, sky, and more. The materials available are bountiful including clay, colored paper, paint, fabric, and more.
Finally, students have to be able to make mistakes, revise, and persist as they turn a blank bulletin board and wall area into an inviting exhibit that educates, entertains, and impacts our presentation visitors.
Is the lengthy hands-on mural making process worth it in a time of tech, standards, and ready-made displays? I continue to believe that mural making is valuable for the following reasons:
- The process is challenging and demands that students turn facts and understanding into a visual display that educates, entertains, and impacts others. That challenge makes students think and create. Further the challenge results in new skills for later work and communication.
- The murals turn the room into an active learning environment. Students get to learn from one another from the large mural displays, and the displays remain on exhibit for quite a while allowing students to look and re-look, gaining new perspectives with each interaction.
- The murals are beautiful, child-friendly, and inspiring. They offer a community impact while the single Google presentations and films are less easily accessed, enjoyed, and discussed by a group of students or family members.
- The murals provide students with hands-on, creative skills that will be useful later as they innovate and create.
Next year, I'll engage students with mural making again. However, now with two years of the project behind me, I'll make a few changes:
- First, I'll teach the concepts related to mural making on a small scale with next year's paper cut design/writing project early in the year. A paper-cut design is essentially a small mural, hence children will get individual experience with that.
- Next, I'll spend more time up front teaching students about the various biomes and habitats of the world through multiple media in order to build vivid understanding of what various animal habitats look like, and why those environments match the animal's needs and activity.
- Then, as I create my STEAM area of the classroom, I'll carefully make space for all the supplies, and spend time at the start of the year teaching students about the location and care for those supplies.
Today, during our research meeting, I'll let students guide our final days of mural design and project work. In the meantime, if there are any mural experts out there that have some advice for me, please let me know. This is an area of school life that I will continue to strengthen.
