Hope and Resiliency Lesson

Lesson Title: Recycled and Remade

Lesson No. 3 of 5

Teacher + camp counselor/assistant

Day 3 of a 5-day Arts & Wellness Camp

Project Description/Overview: (75 mins)
Campers will participate in guided creative movement, will design and create a finished mixed-media artwork
with recycled and repurposed materials, and will write a self-reflective and expressive artists statement about
their artwork.
Goal: To build resiliency in children who have experienced trauma through the creation of a finished artwork
using recycled and reusable materials in order to live out the concept of second chances and future purpose.
Message/theme/metaphor:
Often negative experiences in life make us feel worn out, worthless, and useless like trash, but just like our
recycled artwork we can create new purpose, beauty and value in our circumstances and in ourselves.
Lesson Objectives:
-

Develop abstract-expressive skills with mixed-media materials (artistic)

Develop mixed-media construction skills (artistic)

Develop verbal expression of thoughts and emotions behind artworks (artistic and social)

Increase ability to share and express thoughts and feelings within a group setting (social)

Develop a sense of hope and desire for a future goal (spiritual)

Gain confidence and awareness of self-efficacy and self-worth (spiritual and social)

Measureable Outcomes:
-

By the end of the workshop, 100% of participants will have designed and created a recycled artwork
that is inspired by and expresses their hope for the future.

By the end of the workshop, 100% of participants will know the metaphor for second chances and
have a hope for future purpose and beauty in their lives.

By the end of the workshop, 100% of campers will have written an expressive artists statement to go
along with their artwork.

Lesson Breakdown: (indicate number of minutes for each)

1

Welcome & Opening Rituals (5 mins)

Circle Activity I Feel, I Choose
In a circle, leader will state their name, how they are feeling, and then state and share a movement that
describes how they choose to be. (i.e. I am Miss Tessa, I am feeling sleepy, but I choose to be
energized! *stands tall and dramatic with hands on hips). Each camper takes a turn around the circle until
all have shared. (willpower thinking)

Experiential Introductory Activity (10 mins)

*Prior to activity, have collected recycled materials in a pile with various art supplies mixed in (paint bottles
and tubes, brushes, markers, a canvas, pad of paper, etc)
-Instruct group to gently sift through the pile to find useful art supplies and take them back to their seat.
They may collect as many items or as few items as they wish. Do not give any further clues!
-Ask each camper to share their items and describe: What made you choose these items? How can they
help you make something beautiful? What will you use them for?
-Allow campers to bring up the usefulness of the recycled items (perhaps they will turn it into something
new, use it as a container, take it apart etc). Give prompts/guide discussion as needed, but try to allow
them to figure out how the materials could be used. (waypower thinking)

Metaphor (2 mins)
Introduce metaphor Often negative experiences in life make us feel worn out, worthless, and useless
like trash, but just like our recycled artwork we can find new purpose, beauty and value in our
circumstances and in ourselves. (willpower thinking)

Mini-Lecture (5 mins)
-Explain and guide discussion on how these items can be useful in art making.
What useful things could we make with these items? (containers, jewelry, mixed-media artwork etc)
How can we re-use some of these items and turn them into something new? (waypower thinking)

Main Lesson (40 mins)

Even though many of these materials are often thought of as trash empty finished or no longer
good, recycled materials or used items can be re-used, up-cycled, or repurposed to create something
new and useful, and even beautiful.
1)We are going to create something beautiful out of this trash today. To start, I want you to think about
something that you hope for your future: choose one thing you want to accomplish/achieve/ or change in
your life that will make a positive impact for you and your existance.
2) Next, I want you to find ONE recycled item that connects to your personal hope. It might be symbolic
(stands for that word or idea) it might physically look like and remind you of an object or shape that

connects to your hope, or you might be inspired in how to alter or change it to make it connect.
3) Using our chosen item and our Hope concept as inspiration and starting point, we will create either a
Functional and/or Decorative piece of artwork using these recycled materials and art supplies.
(waypower thinking)
-Campers will have the remainder of this time to freely deconstruct, build, paint, glue, connect and alter
any of the recycled materials needed to create their design. These may be abstract or literal
representations of their hope concept, and can be function and useful or simply an object of beauty.
-Guide and encourage construction and craftsmanship as needed.
6

Outside-the-classroom application (2-3 mins)

Remind campers that our projects will be shared with the Wellness Center Staff on the last day of
camp during the Gallery Show
-Guide campers in sharing ideas for set-up and display methods for the finished projects.
-How might you use recycled materials at home to create artwork on your own time?

Conclusion/Summary (10 mins)

-Remind campers of completed metaphor. Often negative experiences in life make us feel worn out,
worthless, and useless like trash, but just like our recycled items became beautiful artwork we can find
new purpose, beauty and value in our circumstances and in ourselves.
-Campers will write a short artists statement explaining the Hope concept and meaning behind their
project. Guide them to share the purpose and the beauty, and to be clear and concise. (willpower
thinking)

Closing Ritual (5 mins)

In our closing circle, campers will each ceremoniously bring their project to the table/display area and will
be given the opportunity to share the meaning behind their projects and why they chose the materials and
design they used. If memory or meaning is too personal they may simplify or even refrain from sharing
based on their level of comfort.
-Each camper will speak a blessing to another camper in the circle until all have had a blessing spoken
over them. (about their artwork, their teamwork today, their helpfulness etc)
Suggested Materials & Supplies (recyclable materials listed are examples/ideas a variety of items is best)
Clean recyclable materials (bottles, cans, etc)

Acrylic or tempera paints

Cardboard, egg cartons, small boxes

Safe broken toys or household items, broken jewelry, scrap

fabric,

Hot glue guns and glue sticks

Scissors, small pliers or tools to manipulate