At Paterson School 2: The "Peace for Paterson" STEAM Art Project is Growing!

Paterson School 2 is another Paterson school where the "Peace for Paterson" STEAM Art Project is evolving.  Art teacher Mrs. Beth Porto and Art PIR Simone Sandler are working together to create several large mobiles of the "Peace Origami Project."  This coordinated lesson started as an original project created by NRC 3D Art Teacher Lauren Mandal (LINK and LINK) and her students.

In School 2, students and teachers decided to create large origami birds that would hold a number of smaller origami birds below them on vertical strings.  The students in grades 5 through 8 are making cranes, while the younger students in grades K through 4 are making swans.  All students were introduced to the history of origami and the many aspects of paper folding.  After completing the paper folding, thus creating their cranes/swans, each student wrote a message of peace on the finished wings of the bird.

The students made holes in one section of the bird so they could all be connected for the mobiles

This STEAM art project was originally inspired by the book: Sadoko and the Thousand Paper Cranes  , a fictional retelling of the story of Sadako Sasaki, who lived in Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bombing by the United States.

The idea for a "Peace for Paterson" installation grew as students (first in Ms. Mandal's class, then in other art classrooms) conceptualized people from all over Paterson being able to view an artwork based on the Idea of PEACE in Paterson at their school.

Students imagined community members walking by their school school, and viewing an artwork based on  "P E A C E" in the community.