This document provides information about a 3rd grade lesson on the Little Mermaid. [1] The lesson teaches students about pollution and recycling by having them recreate Ariel's underwater grotto using recycled materials. [2] Students will sort recyclable and non-recyclable items and use them to build collages of Ariel's home to learn about being resourceful and reusing objects. [3] The lesson aims to help students understand concepts like recycling, pollution, and renewable resources while sparking their imagination.

1. Mini-Lesson Presentation
The Little Mermaid
Ariel’s Recycled Grotto - 3rd Grade
By: Caitlin Nelson

2. The Little Mermaid
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
Walt
Disney
Hans Christian Anderson-
Literary element

3. Main Ideas
* Pollution *
Recycled materials
Marine biology
Literacy
 Underwater grotto Element of Color
 Water pollution

4. Objective Vocabulary
Students will be able to
Recycle
(SWBAT):
Identify recycled materials in
order to recreate the home Renewable Resources
(grotto) in which Ariel lives in.
The children will imaginatively Upcycling
make where Ariel lives
beautiful again by “cleaning
up” and reusingthe materials Pollution
that once made the littered
floor of the ocean polluted. Grotto
Collage

5. Resources & Hook
Artist Connection: Tom Deininger
“…more than nature has to
offer mentality.”
Deininger found a (sizeable)
nearby studio space in Fall
River, MA.
to execute large found
object works.
http://tomdeiningerart.com/works.html

6. Procedure
(see Lesson Plan for the rest…)
- Show photographs, implement a guided activity and
ask essential questions!
* Not all trash in the sea is bad, some is put there for
plants to grow on, but as stated, other trash pollutes.
- Review the directions with the students before having
them begin the project, making sure that a variety of
materials are accessible to every student.
Guided Activity: Have the children sort between a
bin of objects of recycled and non-recyclable items (i.e.
used paper materials, all Styrofoam, aluminum, soiled
cardboard, tempered/windowpane glass, etc.)

7. …And here is the Final Product!

8. Essential/Key Questions/Discussion
In using recycled materials, what have you
(as the children) learned about being
resourceful and utilizing objects other
than their natural use?
To review, what does it mean to recycle?
What is pollution? A renewable resource?
How did the objects that Ariel found
on the ocean floor get to be where
they were?
Out of the materials that you and your
classmates used, what were some of the
original uses for these products?
What is the material that you notice was used the
most in looking at everybody else’s grottos? Are
there any materials that you could add to your
project or that you wish you hadn’t used?
(Personal critique of artwork)

9. Informal and Formal Evaluation
Informal Evaluation:
(Structured and Unstructured assessment techniques)
* Self appraisal, peer feedback critiques, or
constructive criticism from the teacher
* Grading Rubric (although this could be Formal)

10. THE END!