Artwork addressing `what is beautiful / worth having along

Jeparit Primary School Environmental Education 2010
Teaching for the positives in a damaged environment
Artwork addressing ‘what is beautiful / worth having along the River?
Shared with the ‘world’ via the UNEP Biodiversity Art Competition
We began in March when students made drawings to show the beauty of the River Red Gum Woodlands. They were entered in the United Nation’s Environment
Program’s 19th International Children's Painting Competition on the Environment, for the IYB, “Biodiversity – connecting with nature”.
Key images were the River (still with water from the flow six months earlier) and the life they had seen, bird boxes they had made in 2009 and hollows in, living or
dead, trees that are important homes for birds and other creatures.
19th International Children's
Painting Competition on the Environment
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Japan-based
Foundation for Global Peace and Environment (FGPE), and the Bayer
and Nikon Corporations organize this art competition.
Good luck!
Your entry went to Bangkok, Thailand,
for Asia/Pacific display and judging.
Global judging takes place in May.
Awards are announced in October
at the TUNZA International Children’s Conference in Japan.
Jeanie Clark, Environmental educator.2011
Jeparit Primary School Environmental Education 2010
Teaching for the positives in a damaged environment
Artwork and literacy for an environmental science picture story. - Shared with
the visitors to the Jeparit Museum from June 2010 -2011
In April, we were looking at what made up the foliage of the River Red Gum Trees when we found Badge Huntsman spiders there.
That prompted a book to show the life that can be found sleeping in different parts of a River Red Gum tree unseen by us.
Each student made an A3 page for the ‘book’ which formed a display for the Museum at Jeparit’s Rally Weekend in June 2010.
They liked it so much it was on display there until the next rally in June 2011.
Jeanie Clark, Environmental educator.2011
Jeparit Primary School Environmental Education 2010
Teaching for the positives in a damaged environment
Positive photos of living things in the environment
Used for literacy and science teaching - and values of looking for ‘life’
In February, I made a set of cards with photos taken of life (flora and fauna) along the Wimmera River at Jeparit, in the water and on the banks in the last two years
showing that some of the life there that was surviving – even thriving – in this long drought.
Wimmera River life, Jeparit
Lignum Bush
Wimmera River life, Jeparit
Wimmera River life, Jeparit
Fungi
Pigface
Photo at Jeparit by J.Clark
Photo at Jeparit by J.Clark
Photo at Jeparit by J.Clark
Wimmera River life, Jeparit
Wimmera River life, Jeparit
Samphire
Brine Shrimp
Photo at Jeparit by J.Clark
Wimmera River life, Jeparit
Bee
Photo at Jeparit by J.Clark
Photo at Jeparit by J.Clark
Photo at Jeparit by J.Clark
Jeanie Clark, Environmental educator.2011
Jeparit Primary School Environmental Education 2010
Teaching for the positives in a damaged environment
Literacy and Artwork addressing a creature living in the Woodland
Participating in the annual Science Talent Search Competitions
In April, student pairs began research for creating science based picture story books for entry into the “Give me a home among the gum trees” themed Science
Talent Search 2010 International Year of Biodiversity competition.
Each book was about one or two creatures that live in a River Red Gum Woodland.
Students wrote 300 word stories, fully illustrated, and added a glossary, references and list of key scientific ideas as per the competition guidelines.
This took a couple of months of fortnightly classes to complete - then shared with junior class and families.
Barking Owl
Spoonbill and Huntsman
A Kangaroo and Rainbow Lorikeet
Catfish and Magpie
Huntsman
Jeanie Clark, Environmental educator.2011
Jeparit Primary School Environmental Education 2010
Teaching for the positives in a damaged environment
Literacy – written and performed – for Kids Teaching Kids week
Science Talent Search stories shared with Junior Class
Late August brought National Literacy and Numeracy week at the same time as Kids Teaching Kids Week.
The senior class rehearsed reading their Give me a home among the gum tree stories from their Science Talent Search and wrote questions about them.
They performed them for the junior class in small groups.
Jeanie Clark, Environmental educator.2011
Jeparit Primary School Environmental Education 2010
Teaching for the positives in a damaged environment
Artwork addressing a dream of a healthy River Red Gum environment
Creating a science based art panel to share globally via Dream Rocket
We began the Dream Rocket in August, for National Science Week - we looked at the photos of the first trip to the Moon and saw those of the Earth from the
Moon that helped people appreciate the Earth and its natural world more.
The JPS Dream Rocket panel was to show how our River Red Gum woodland might recover in the future.
concept plan used their Science Talent Search book designs
Everyone drew a River Red Gum tree on with texta for the woodland
Painted background and iron on transfers of their drawings
Panel shown in school, at local show, in local news, on web.
Jeanie Clark, Environmental educator.2011
Jeparit Primary School Environmental Education 2010
Teaching for the positives in a damaged environment
Literacy and photos addressing ‘What is your part of the MDBA like?”
e:lit website: Special Forever, Source to the Sea - a virtual river journey
In September, we looked again at the River to share it with our regional community –
the Murray Darling Basin. … after we had had a substantial winter rain and the River was flowing!
one to show the River, and
one for recreation use
another for a landmark,
When I go home from school, I always go past the
River.
My favourite part is the billabong. The billabong is
where the fish breed.
(Maddison, Joshua, Amy)
The River is very pretty.
I like the River because the animals can live in it.
People use the River for fishing, kayaking,
swimming, walking and 4WDing.
(Maddy, Hope, Brayden)
The river is full after the rain.
I saw a snag in the water
I saw the fish doing flips as the water came in last year.
(Bella, Kayla, Tyreece)
Message about water in your school and community to share with others (max 100 words)
The River is a vital thing for plants, fish and trees.
The River has a lot of fish in it.
The billabong is where the fish breed.
The fish come up to you when you have no shoes on and bite your feet
When you go to the River, you find these weird little fish that look like they’re dead, but when you pick them up they wiggle.
I went netting, and when I pulled the net in, I found it full of big and little fish. We let them go free – which they deserved
(Anthony, Tania, Amy, Rory, Brayden, Rebecca)
Jeanie Clark, Environmental educator.2011
Jeparit Primary School Environmental Education 2010
Teaching for the positives in a damaged environment
Photo displays addressing ‘What was our River like in Spring?”
School display for end of year.
In November we went for walks along the River to identify the key landforms and plants blossoming after the wet winter and spring
flow.
Jeanie Clark, Environmental educator.2011