Estimated time: ~40-60 minutes

Instructions

Spend a few minutes going around a location where you spend time (home or school work great) collecting packaging materials that have been thrown away/or recycled. Note: Wear gloves if you’re going to touch anything that is potentially unhygienic. 

Individually or in pairs, salvage at least 5 plastic unique materials from the rubbish. Piece by piece, examine the size, shape, texture, and color of the piece. Consider what it used to package and why that material was chosen to package something. Is it soft? Does it protect? Was it necessary? Discuss these with your group or the class. 

Choose 3 of the pieces of packaging that you found and do a detailed sketch of each. Use one sheet of paper per sketch. This is to help you understand the subtle differences between the materials, their forms, and their functions. Watch the Sketching: Thinking Visually video below. 

OPTIONAL - Fun (and silly) Bonus activity: 

If there is time, as a class, use simple prototyping materials to make a giant sculpture made from your recycled packaging materials. See how large you can make the structure and give the piece a title like "The Proliferation of Plastic" 

Deliverable

Write 2-3 sentences about your observations and reflections from today. Upload the pictures of your sketches (and the sculpture if you made it!)