Community Service, Environmental Science, Social Studies, Math, and Art

As part of the Rieke 4th grade class's Native American unit, the students were able to connect their studies of native ethnobotany with a community service activity.  The students were able to participate in an English Ivy pull at Stephen's Creek with the Portland Parks and Recreation SW Steward.  They learned about invasive species in the Park and effect of these plants on the native population.  After the ivy pull, they transported the vines back to the school for a social studies, math, and art activity.

To make a basket from the ivy vines, the students needed to know the math of weaving.  The art is focused on patterns, symmetry, and force.  First we reviewed the pattern of weaving - over, under, over, under.  While baskets and many of the weaving products are extremely symmetrical, there has to be a break from perfect symmetry in the spines of the basket.  If they use an even number, the pattern would be weak.  They would start weaving under, over, under, over around the circle only to end up with a repeat each row, causing some spine to bend out while the alternating spine bend in.  They need an odd number of spines to create a strong basket.  Finally, the students were able to experiment with force - too much pull on the vine caused it to break, too little caused the basket to have large holes.  By the end of the class, each student had a mini basket - a great use of an invasive plant.