Here is a simple formula to easily transform a baseball cap into an intriguing conversation-starter, a Climate Change ThinkingCap. Worn backwards and painted Orange-Red, its shape and color symbolize a firefighter’s helmet for acknowledging our current emergency to put out the fire of global warming. Feel empowered by taking this fun “climate action”!
What a great project! It certainly would help kids, and actually people of all ages, to learn some new things about climate change and bring it up in a conversation among classmates, families, and other places where kids would like to show off their climate change caps. ~ Susan Rosano, Master Teaching Artist & National Arts Strategies’ Creative Communities Fellow
The hat’s Research/Design/Make process asks participants to:
- identify the climate change issue that matters most to them,
- research their climate change issue and collect compelling images, science data and text,
- analyze and select the collected materials that can best express their climate message,
- make or collect miniature 3D elements (of course, optional),
- create a slogan expressing their feelings for the hat’s “shield” area,
- design and make their climate message as a wearable art conversation-starter.
- SUGGESTION BEFORE BEGINNING: Watch Former Vice-President Al Gore’s excellent 5-minute multimedia presentation on climate change; and then show Climate Hats for inspiration via “Segment#4” below.
4-PART VIDEO: “How to Make a Climate Change EmergencyCap with Cynthia Pannucci” (FREE on Vimeo, just click “play” at the links below)
SEGMENT#1: Why Make It? [04:13 minutes]
SEGMENT#2: How To Make It [28:19 minutes] ***WARNING! Do not let children use Saran Wrap!!! [as shown in the video]
SEGMENT#3: Suggestions For Using It [01:49 minutes]
SEGMENT#4: Examples Of EmergencyCaps [01:41 minutes]
BELOW ARE STUDENT EXAMPLES of Climate Change EmergencyCaps made by 7th graders in Mary Abma’s 2022 art & ecology class in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
***PLEASE SHARE PHOTOS of YOUR Climate Change EmergencyCap! Send one-image each of the front/back/sides +your name & date to: info@artsci-climate.com We’ll be sharing a selection via a future public climate hats gallery page/or blog postings. THANKS!