The Lion's Club is very active in our community and supportive of our school. Each year they solicit contributions to the international peace poster contest and the theme this year is "Our world, our future". I have mixed feelings about the contest. I really love the idea and support the cause, but the timing is not great for me. This is a BIG project in size and in scope. The theme is abstract and the rules are stringent...no glue, no words or letters, and sized at least 14 X 20. I like to provide a lot of latitude to students to develop their ideas in the media they wish, but we are pressed to get work up and running to meet the deadline without adequately covering clean-up procedures in an effective way. In a nutshell...it's chaotic.
Students are sometimes less than enthusiastic about the contest, so this year I offered it as as a choice secretly hoping that fewer participants would make it more manageable. To my surprise many students chose the poster option. It was still chaotic, but gratifying to know that they were fully engaged and following their interests and we had many beautify entries this year. Students used the contest guidelines as the project criteria to assess their work and students were required to research, develop a draft, complete their poster, and reflect on their work. I love the interpretations. And, I think, a good time was had by all.
I really love this one...wouldn't it make a fun Christmas Card?
World peace in the belly of a dove. Wouldn't it be great if the world were all happy faces and rainbows.
And yes, the world needs more cows eating hay bales on rainbows.
