Whatsit?

Art

Students will use their imaginations to make something useful and/or decorative from throwaway items brought in from home.

What You Need

Throwaways and recyclables from home, such as clean plastic gallon containers, buttons, boxes, scrap material, wire, wood, string, etc. (Items should be safe, non-toxic, and no longer needed.)

• Scissors
• Staplers
• Paints and brushes
• Paste and/or glue
• Tape
• Hole punchers
• Hammers and nails (optional)

What to Do

1. Provide a convenient storage area where the materials can be stored until you're ready to use them.

2. Divide the class into four teams.

3. Each team randomly selects a set number of materials from the storage area (5 to 7 items, depending on how much is available). All other materials should be accessible to teams without limits on their use.

4. Set a period of time (about 30 minutes) for each team to create a totally new "Whatsit" that uses all the selected items. Encourage students to discuss their ideas for a Whatsit before creating it. The Whatsit can be functional and/or decorative, just as long as it's new and different. (You may choose to allow each team to swap one item with another team or with the leftover pile.)

5. At the end of the allotted time, have teams display their completed works and choose a spokesperson to explain the purpose of the Whatsit and, if necessary, to demonstrate it.

Teaching Options

• Students can write and present a television commercial to "sell" their Whatsits. If possible, videotape the commercials to study persuasive language techniques.
• Students can present their Whatsits to a panel of student evaluators from another class in the school and answer questions about their creations. The evaluators evaluate each Whatsit for usefulness, appeal, and/or creativity.