Earth Materials students show creative side in final project

After spending an entire semester in Earth Materials, I discovered that life as we know it exists entirely upon our dependence on a wide array of earth materials. Without air, soils, water, and rocks and minerals, virtually nothing around us would exist. The inspiration behind this photo submission was an all-about me project that my mother’s second-grade students participated in. The assignment was simple, lie on your back and place items around you that tell the story of who you are: your goals, interests, favorite items, etc. I took this into consideration and decided to use a similar concept in creating my photo. I simply placed items around me that are comprised of earth materials. All of the items are meaningful to not just me, but every person on earth because they are utilized in everyday life.

To understand the work, simply view each item placed around me. It can be as simple as a home-grown carrot or as complex as the many metals found in pieces of technology like cellphones or cameras. Similarly, I included coins, which aren’t too special, but also a plant, as it fuels any number of chemical processes that gives life to each and every one of us. To illustrate the point that these items surround us in every aspect of life, I placed them all around me. I also made sure to hold some of the items, as furthers the point that we use them, not merely observe the many uses of earth materials.

From this image, I hope to get across a very important point: respecting and conserving necessary earth materials. For this reason, I included two books that strongly emphasize climate change and protecting the environment. In order to secure the items in the photo for future generations, we need to be aware of where earth materials come from, how they are discovered, and how to utilize them to their fullest potential. Also, I hope this picture serves to inform people of what truly makes up the items we use each day. I think that few people realize the number of earth processes that must occur in order to form the main components of a light bulb, laundry detergent, soils, and so much more.