In a collaborative effort, Irvington Middle School eighth graders crafted unique, hand-sewed stuffed animals for a group of Hawthorne Elementary School first graders, who provided them with sketches of their imaginative monsters.
Spearheaded by Home and Careers teacher Jon Mancini, the “Monster Project” fostered a sense of community and collaboration that incorporated skills the eighth graders learned through their Career Exploration and Sewing units. It also challenged them to treat the project as a professional job and bring the monsters to life based on the first graders’ sketches.
“The eighth graders worked independently and collaboratively with their peers to plan how to construct their given monster,” Mancini said. “All aspects of the construction were through intricate hand-sewing techniques. My students enjoyed the process and really wanted to make sure that their client was happy with the product.”
The first graders eagerly anticipated the transformation of their drawings to tangible creations, affectionately calling the completed monsters “stuffies.” Meanwhile, the eighth graders received heartfelt pictures and videos from the first graders expressing their gratitude and appreciation.
“It was great to see the reactions of my students when they realized that they had made a positive connection and impact to people in our community whom they never met,” Mancini said.
