May 14, 2004

Project Puts Sixth-Graders in the Bench Construction Business

By Amy Horton
COMMUNITY NEWS WRITER

DEL MAR – To sixth-graders at Del Mar Heights Elementary, a yellow and green sea serpent is more than a mythical creature of the ocean. It represents real-life lessons in business.

Like apprentices, the students are designing, raising funds and constructing an 18-foot sea serpent-shaped bench.
The concrete and mosaic bench, being built next to the school's garden, will provide students with a quiet place to sit when they read on the playground.

Betsy Schulz, the school's artist-in-residence, designed this semester-long project to incorporate science, math, art, history and writing into a real-life application.

Teacher Pam Martin, the project's director, organized 90 students from the sixth-grade classes of Keri Gibson, Kelly Johnson and Jasmyn Kandel into design teams of four or five.

First, Schulz brought the students to the playground and used a chair to illustrate height, square footage, space, form and function. Then they discussed materials appropriate for a bench, such as concrete, rocks, sand, clay and tile.

They also wrote letters to businesses asking for donations of materials and funds. The estimated expenses are $4,800.

As in the real world, the students learned how to persevere after receiving a few rejections.

As the technical lessons concluded, the creativity began.

Each team picked one ocean-themed animal and used its shape as the basis for the bench's blueprint. In addition to building a clay model to illustrate their designs, the students gave presentations that outlined dimensions, materials, colors and expenses.

Dawn Meredith, 11, said working with her teammates taught her negotiating skills.

"It helped me learn how to figure out what everybody likes and how to agree," she said.

The sea serpent, created by Dawn, Joon Leem, Adam Skinner, Sarah Taylor and Chris Davidson from Gibson's class, was chosen over 15 other sea-themed designs. The design's large seating capacity and simple construction plans were a good fit for the class project, Schulz said.
While some groups were disappointed their designs were not picked, they rallied around the chosen plan to complete it as one team.

"We wanted everyone to have ownership of the project," Schulz said. Small groups of students worked in shifts several days each week to construct the bench. With the help of sculptor Hans Tegebo, they built the foundation of the bench and shaped its curve.

Then the students began to cover its surface with colorful tiles, pebbles and stones. The bench will be completed by the end of the month. Principal Wendy Wardlow said she is so impressed with the children's work that she wants Schulz as the school's artist-in-residence for years, not only this semester.

"Betsy is taking us to that dimension that explains what it means when we say 'community-based art,'" Wardlow said.

A bench dedication is scheduled for June 2 at the school, 13555 Boquita Drive.

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Photo by Nancee E. Lewis
Del Mar Heights Elementary School sixth-graders worked on a sea serpent bench at the school with artist-in-residence Betsy Schulz (at left in hat) and sculptor Hans Tegebo.