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The 2004 Sixth Grade Bench Project (Ocean
Inspired)
Design by: Joon Leem, Adam Skinner,
Sarah Taylor, Dawn Meredith, Chris Davidson
Design Update and Building by: Betsy Schulz, Hans Tegebo, and Students
Mosaic by: Schulz and Students
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Case Study (PDF Format 7MB)
Introduction, understructure and
Sculpture
Del Mar Heights Elementary sixth
grade students along with Artist-in-Residence Betsy Schulz
and sculptor Hans Tegebo designed and built a life-size
(22’ x 4’ x 4’) concrete sculptural Sea
Serpent bench near the school’s garden to reflect
the project’s Pacific Ocean theme. The project incorporates
classroom learning of math and science, language, and creative
arts into a real world application. With the assistance
of Pam Martin, Global Studies Teacher, we introduced the
students to public art; reviewed the specific material
needs for this project; introduced the concepts of form
and function; calculated the square footage of their proposed
bench; created drawings and built scale models; wrote project
descriptions; and finally, each group wrote donation letters
requesting materials or funds.
The students understand the details that make a project
possible. By participating, they gained a sense of accomplishment
and self-esteem.
(1) Students building and painting their models
(2) The final model was selected out of sixteen bench designs. The group
members above from left to right are Joon Leem, Adam Skinner, Sarah Taylor,
Dawn Meredith, Chris Davidson. All of the sixth grade students participated
in building the selected bench design
(3,4) An eighteen inch footer was built of steel-reinforced concrete
(5) Concrete blocks were laid with rebar then filled
solid with concrete
(6) Hans Tegebo formed the frame and welded it into the specified shape
(7) Metal mesh was used to form the spines
(8,9) Students and teacher Mrs. Pam Martin sculpting
the mouth to help realize the final head shape
(10) Students filled a make-shift mold with
concrete to help create the head shape and the bench sides
(11,12) Once the concrete set-up, the students
helped carve the shape of the serpent
(13) Fun Fact: Principal Wendy Wardlow,
worked with Schulz from midnight til 3am one morning to form the
shape
(14) The color coats of concrete were built up in layers. A final 200-grade
sand was mixed with concrete color to paint the last smooth coat onto
the surface
(15) The student help apply the final smooth color coats to the concrete
Making Tile, Collecting Materials, Mosaic
Once the sixth grade students, Betsy Schulz and Hans Tegebo completed
the solid concrete under-structure of the sculptural Sea Serpent
bench, they began to make tiles for its head and the fin. The application
of the tiles, stones, glass and metal items took one month to apply.
The items were donated or purchased with donated funds. In addition
to having the Del Mar Heights sixth grade students, all of our
students and teachers, many parents, and community volunteers helped
complete the mosaic. The approximate cost of the
project was $11,000.
(16) Betsy showing the students how to make
word tiles
(17) Details of the mosaic and word tiles
(18) Two students hard at doing mosaic
(19) Pam Martin, Global studies teacher, showing
a student how to mosaic
(20) In addition to having the sixth graders design
and build the bench, all students and teachers and parents and community
volunteers helped mosaic the bench. Bottom, Left to Right: Pam Martin,
Global Studies, Wendy Wardlow, Principal and Betsy Schulz
(21,22,23) The dedication of the Sea Serpent to
the school wasJune 2, 2004. The entire student body, teachers and
the school board were in attendance. Only one side of the mosaic
was complete. The entire project, from the beginning of the classroom
instruction, to the completion of the Sea Serpent on site took six
months
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