Second Grade Turning Trash into Treasure

Our learning objective for this work was we will be able to re-purpose objects to create something new.  We had six stations of junk that students could re-purpose into artwork that was permanent (they could take it home after it was dry) or temporary (it was disassembled at the end of class).  I began the lesson by having students talk with a partner how they could turn something that might be considered trash into something new.  Then I showed a number of different artworks made from things like old pencils, old crayons, egg trays, dried beans, marker caps and plastic cups.  Next each student signed up for one of the stations, so I could see where to place each station.  The egg trays were the big winner and I ended up needing two tables to house those students.  The marker caps were the least wanted.  But as the class time went on the plastic cups became a huge hit.  They loved building tall towers and walls with the cups and then knocking them down.  Below are pictures of some the the ideas and pieces they made and of students working.