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Turtle Power
Grant Recipient: Falmouth High School Ceramics Department
n many respects, today’s high schools mirror our data-driven world; the focus is on results, a high stakes, pressure-filled environment where test scores are king. But it’s not so in Corine Adams’ ceramics arts class at Falmouth High School. There students tap into another part of their mind, and body, where creativity rules. Thanks to the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod’s support, this past spring sophomores, juniors and seniors were able to use their imagination to tell the story of the endangered leatherback sea turtle. It started with the funding needed to pay for the materials that allowed 45 students to embark on an adventure that combined science with art with fundraising, all while connecting them with the larger community outside their school. Adams says that grants, like the one the AFCC supplied to her class, are necessary “to do bigger projects” where there can be trial and error that “we’re not able to do with my regular budget. We are really grateful for all the support we can get and the Arts Foundation has always been generous to us.” The next step was for the students to immerse themselves in the world of the leatherback. That is where Dr. Kara Dodge of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) served as an invaluable resource, meeting with students in January to talk about her TurtleCam project, which involves tagging the animals and
documenting their ocean journey through the use of a GoPro attached to an autonomous underwater vehicle that follows their movements. And then the fun began. Students were given free rein to create their own piece of art depicting the creatures. Some, like senior MaryAlyce Bevacqua, 17, made actual sculptures of turtles (three to be exact). Some, like junior Kerry Shanahan, 17, made something a little more utilitarian — a turtle clock. And some, like senior Emily Freedman, 18, made a hanging jellyfish which happens to be a leatherback delicacy. Other works included plates, vases and cups. “All the artwork is completely different,” Adams says. The pieces were set to be displayed and auctioned off at the end of April at WHOI to benefit Dr. Dodge’s research. AFCC Executive Director Julie Wake praised the wellroundedness of this artistic enterprise. Not only does it teach students about these rare animals, but about real scientific work being done in their backyard to better understand their behavior. And it allows the students to play a role in future efforts to protect the leatherback sea turtle. “They are actively thinking about a bigger world than their classroom,” Wake says. “They are thinking about how to save something and about how these turtles make an impact. And their work is going to be seen. It is going to raise money so there’s this full circle of building empathy for these animals using creative thinking.”
Falmouth High School art teacher Corine Adams gave each of her students the freedom to create their own turtle-themed ceramic piece. Senior Hannah Callahan, 18, made a plate adorned with the seafaring creature
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