Thinking in a new direction

From the Center for Student Work

One Earth Step Gently: 23 Ways You Can Help Our Planet

Grass Valley Charter School

First and second-grade students at Grass Valley Charter School in Grass Valley, CA created this book for younger readers as the culminating project for a year-long expedition on the earth. During this expedition, students collected data on the usage of different types of bags at local grocery stores. Then, incorporating their data, they wrote and presented letters to their county board of supervisors asking them to consider passing a ban on plastic bags in Nevada County. 

To create this book, each student selected a specific topic to focus on. After studying children’s book illustrators, including Eric Carle, and working with a guest artist on paper collage techniques, each student created an illustration for their individual page. The collage format allowed students to work through multiple drafts of their illustrations easily; they waited until the very end to glue down the pieces.