Planting the Seeds of Change

Plant the seeds of change in your community! Students will create symbolic planting pots and complete an activity to demonstrate how their actions can benefit those less fortunate in their town.

• 1.

  Who in your community inspires you? Firemen? Teachers? Maybe your parents or someone you know volunteers at a soup kitchen or a nursing home. How do the acts of these individuals benefit your community and the people that live there?

• 2.

  Think about your role in your community. What can you do to help out those in need or make your community a better place? Commit to making a positive change in your community. Write down your commitment on a piece of paper, and describe how it will benefit the people in your community. The most important part of making a commitment is following through on your promise. The following activity will illustrate the positive impact your actions can have!

• 3.

  Using Crayola Air-Dry Clay make a small flowerpot. Lay down newspaper or waxed paper over your work area for easy clean-up later. Start by gently kneading the clay to make it soft and pliable. Cover the outside of a small plastic cup with the clay by molding smoothing it with your fingers. Do not add clay to the inside of the cup as moisture will soften Air-Dry Clay. Let dry for at least 3-days. Firing or baking in a kiln is not necessary.

• 4.

  When dry, draw your promise to the community on the flowerpot using Crayola Slick Stix™. Stain Advisement: Slick Stix contain pigments that may stain clothing, fabrics and other household surfaces. Wear a smock to protect clothing and cover your work surface with newspaper. You can create symbols to represent your commitment or draw an entire scene around your pot. Look at artwork by Romare Bearden for inspiration! He used collage art to depict colorful scenes of his community. Try techniques like rubbing or smearing the Slick Stix with your fingers for interesting effects!

• 5.

  Add potting soil and seeds to your pot. Follow the directions on the seed package to care for your plant, and watch as your seed grows into a strong, beautiful plant. Think about how following through on your commitment to your community will help it grow

Benefits

• Students will connect with their community and recognize groups within the community that can benefit from the students’ actions.
• Students will apply problem-solving skills to determine how they can better their community by analyzing where change is needed.
• Students will demonstrate their ability to set and manage goals.
• Students will make visual connections to their goals through the use of symbolic drawings.

Adaptations

• For a public display, the class can plant a garden on school grounds! Have students make a label for their plants that symbolizes their commitment to the community. Place labels in the soil near each student’s seed.
• Invite a guest from a local food bank, homeless shelter or nursing home to speak to the class. Students can ask questions and hear stories to help them recognize some community issues and find out how they can help.
• Monitor students’ success by watching the growth of the plants. Which plants flourished the most? What caused these plants to grow healthy and strong? Did any plants wilt? What could have been done to improve the plant’s growth?