Building an assemblage from old junk broadens the ability to value discarded objects and helps students discover new ways of feeling about themselves and the people and things around them.

Found Object Art helps students experience positive change in attitudes and behaviors that will lead to improved learning performance. The simple learning activities help educators tap into their own creativity, build confidence in teaching through the arts, make connections between the arts and what they are teaching, and recognize the benefits to students of integrating the arts with other curriculum and character education. In this playful learning environment, educators work collaboratively and share ideas on how to use this simple art form in their classrooms.

Each participant must bring in a large bag FULL of junk. Found objects may include: bottle caps, marbles, combs, artificial fruit, watches/watch parts, little dolls/doll parts, Christmas ornaments, board games, nails, checkers, jacks, computer pieces, buckles, beads/beans, clocks/clock parts, old jewelry, buttons, hair decorations, toy blocks, keys, paper clips, toy parts, dice, rulers, small wheels, thumb tacks, tinker toys, safety pins, etc. Found items that are NOT good to use include: glass, crayons, soft materials, cloth, styrofoam, ribbon/string, paper, soda cans, wax, cotton balls, plastic water bottles, and puff balls.

Each participant will also need to bring 1 - 2 CD-ROMs to be used as their base for the assemblage and a hot glue gun and appropriate glue sticks.