against such STEM concepts as simple machines, force,
project had a strong connection to our local environment and
buoyancy, displacement while also contemplating such heavy
ecology, something I think unfortunately was lost in the current
concepts as pollution, water conservation, and global climate
version in light of a number of logistical and liability concerns.
change.
At the end of last year, I felt I owed the outgoing ninth graders a
If I had to pinpoint the origins of this project, I’d say it started
big, chaotic STEAM project. And I floated (pun intended!) the
around 1998 when I watched an amazing documentary, “The Son
idea of doing a modified version of my ideal junk boats project;
of City Hall” about The Floating Neutrinos, a merry band of artists
minus the kayaking excursion and with a weaker ecological tie in.
and musicians. The documentary highlight the Neutrinos’ creation
To keep the idea plausible, we swapped outdoor kayaking with
of their junk raft “The Son of City Hall” and its voyage from New
racing the makeshift rafts in the school’s pool!
York to France. My take away from this heap of left over
construction debris- the challenges inherent in ridiculously
difficult and unnecessary endeavors are often their own rewards.
This is the same mantra that mountain climber employ. People
climb mountains because there are mountains… and because
they can!
The Neutrino documentary lodged itself in my brain until many
years later when I stumbled across the JUNK RAFT project and
the work of Swoon; street artist, turned trickster, turned activist.
This was roughly three years ago when I finally pieced it all
together and had the initial thought to take a class of students out
kayaking. While out on the water, we’d collect junk and then see
if we could make junk boats from the gleaned materials. This
Project design draft.
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