2019-2020

Worcester

Winners

Elementary School

Luke’s Artist Statement: My poster has giraffes. Giraffe’s patterns keep them cool on hot days. I drew their long necks high above the trees. They are eating leaves. I also drew a sun in a blue sky. I drew giraffes because they are my favorite. In cool science, I made a little book. We wrote and drew pictures of animals in extreme environments. We learned about giraffes’ patterns keeping them cool and that they don’t get sunburn on their tongue.They have blue or black tongues that they use to grab leaves to eat. They also shade their babies by using their bodies.

Bailey’s Artist Statement: I loved COOL SCIENCE because it opened my eyes and mind to how smart all animals are! They have strategies to keep cool in hot environments. There were many cool things about animals that we learned about such as the Namib beetle which uses condensation to trap fog on their backs and turn it into drops of water which rolls into their mouths. Humans have made cloth for tents that mimic the beetles pattern and can make enough water for two people each night! We learned about this and other adaptations and I really like owls, so I chose to make an owl because they are nocturnal. If we waited till night to work in hot weather it would be cooler and save energy.

Middle School

Veer’s Artist Statement: The question I chose was. “Plants and animals have natural ways of keeping cool. What can we learn from them about keeping cool in extreme heat?” In my art work, I compared humans to plants and showed how we also need in retreat to cooler places in times of discomfort. I explained this with a three word motto: Sweat, Retreat, Cool. This simple phrase shows the process in which humans go through in extreme heat. The way I expressed the problem in my artwork was through a scene with three sections, with each one showed a different step in this process. I hope people can see my artwork and learn to stay cool in extreme heat as well as to take shelter when there is dangerous weather. While drawing this piece, I learned that the process a squirrel takes when burrowing underground to get cool is not too different than what humans do. In both situations, the thing that is hot is going to a place where it can easily cool off and stay out of the sun. My inspiration for this project came from curiosity on how different animals stay cool and how humans aren’t all too different. While creating this artwork, I mostly enjoyed learning more about science and I had a ton of fun while making this! I think it’s really cool to learn about these things!

Rachael’s Artist Statement: The question I chose was “Plants and animals have natural ways of keeping cool. What can we learn from them about keeping cool in extreme heat?”. I addressed the question by showing ways plants animals keep cool in extreme weather (cats and kangaroos lick themselves, elephants take mud baths, plants find shade and release excess water from their leaves into the air), and showed how humans kind of do the same thing (we drink water, swim in cool pools, find shade). I created my art the way I did because I was wanting to do a layout where it would show multiple animals and plants as well as humans at once, with some next to each other to show the comparison/similarities. I also chose to add the phrase “cool weather” because it emphasizes how the animals in my art are keeping cool as if there is nice weather, even though it’s extremely hot in their environment. With this art, it inspired me to search up a lot about animals, learn more about them and their environments as well as how well they adapt to whatever situation therein, and I hope others can too.

High School

Nina’s Artist Statement: In researching the challenge question, I was inspired by learning the formation of storms. The relationship between ocean temperatures and hurricanes was completely linked. In my artwork, I wanted to both display the challenge question and communicate the message of stopping global warming, which I felt was deeply relevant. I had words embedded in the picture of the hurricane describing the correlation between climate change and dangerous weather. I learned in my research that Earth is in danger of these effects, ad is already affected by rising ocean temperatures. In my art, I tried to show that our planet is already battling the effects of climate change, hence the grappling figures. Most importantly, I combined my response to the challenge question with a waring about climate change, which I felt was the most pressing matter.

Juliet’s Artist Statement: In my artwork, I responded to the question of "where does the energy to make a storm come from?", and depicted carbon pollution as an energy bar that “feeds” the storm. I was inspired to make this piece after watching a video on storms that explained how our human actions are heavily influencing the natural world around us. In my work, I am trying to convey that carbon pollution is a major factor in why storm intensity has been growing very recently, and that some of major contributors (or ingredients) to carbon pollution are exhaust fuels, industrial buildings, coal plants, etc. and in turn I hope people will earn to lower their carbon footprint in any way possible. Through the research I did and the process of actually completing the art, I learned quiet a bit about how we as humans are influencing the world around us, and natural cycles and processes are being disrupted as a result of our practices.

Worcester

Runner-Ups

Elementary School

Giuliana’s Artist Statement: I love art. Art lets me express myself, but not through words. When I grow up I’m going to be an artist. I also love animals. My favorite animal is the sloth because they take their time and they are never in a hurry. The Sloth’s motto is “don’t hurry, be happy”. I wrote my report on sloths. Since Sloths live in the trees of the Amazon Rainforest, they get a lot of shade, and I thought maybe people could too. I learned a lot about animals and how they stay cool in extreme heat from my classmates and my teacher. I’ve always believed that I could make a difference with my art. Every day I can make someone smile with my art.

Lucas’s Artist Statement: I drew a camel for this project. I learned that camels conserve energy in their hump. We should conserve energy too, but, not in a hump. Camels stay cool in a hot climate by staying in the shade, like people do. Many animals conserve energy but the camel is the only one to store it in a hump! People conserve energy by laying in the shade. People stay hydrated by drinking water. I did the image because I know camels stay cool by laying in the shade.

Margaret’s Artist Statement: I wanted to learn about what animals do when it’s very hot. My mom showed me pictures of the kangaroos and koalas trying to run away from the fires in Australia. My Meme told me that burning coal and oil makes a blanket in the atmosphere that holds in the heat. It is very hot and dry in Australia so there are lots of fires. The animals try to run or hop away, but this time they could not escape. They try to go to where it is cool under the trees or in the lake, when it is hot, but the fire burned up the trees and the animals.

Gabe’s Artist Statement: I learned many things about the giraffe. I learned that they live in a hot climate in Africa. Another fact is the giraffe has reddish - brown spots on its skin and no two giraffes have the same pattern on their bodies. The spots are like a network of thermal windows. The large sweat glands and complex blood vessels under the dark spots keep giraffes cool . The adult giraffe is the tallest mammal on land. They can be between fourteen and eighteen feet tall. Giraffes eat the leaves on very tall trees. That’s why their neck is so long. Giraffes drink from a watering hole once every few days because most of the water they drink comes from the plants and leaves that they eat. Giraffes are not usually fierce but they have a powerful kick. I chose the drawing of the giraffe to show the patterns on its body and to show how tall it is.

Middle School

Carly’s Artist Statement: I addressed the challenge question by showing a human and a koala under trees and showing how both of them keep cool. I’m trying to say that both humans AND animals use trees to keep cool in hot weather. I created my artwork this way because I figured that comparing humans to animals, was the best way to get the message through. I hope people will learn that staying under trees is one way to keep cool. I learned that koalas stay cool by hugging trees, because a tree’s bark is cooler that the surrounding area. My inspiration was the fact that I love animals. I didn’t know much about how to stay cool, so when I looked it up and found the fact about koalas, I figured it would be perfect.

Delaney’s Artist Statement: In my artwork, I addressed the challenge question by showing how the heat in the United States will become more extreme over time, and by showing that the average low temperatures will increase causing extreme heat and dangerous storms. In my work I am trying to say that if we don’t do anything to help stop global warming that the average temperature will rise which can cause drought, wildfires, melting icebergs, and rising sea levels. I created my artwork in the way I did because I believe it is the best way to show the rising temperatures and the changes regarding temperatures between now and 30 years in the future. I hope that from my artwork people will learn and understand what can happen to our future if we don’t act now and save the planet because so much worse can happen than what’s going on currently. I want people to understand the threat of what could happen to my and many others future. I learned that if the temperatures rise like they are predicted to do that in some states, the temperatures could rise over 4 degrees celsius. In addition, I learned that there would be local and global effect if temperatures rise. I was inspired by everything going on in the world today. Hearing everything that is going on in the world made me realize that people don’t necessarily understand what is going on and what can happen as a result of rising temperatures.

Anika’s Artist Statement: The challenge question I chose was “Plants and animals have natural ways of keeping cool. What can we learn from them about keeping cool in extreme heat?” I addressed this question in my artwork by drawing an animal hiding in the shade and then humans using the same tactic. In my artwork I am trying to say that nature is beautiful and we can learn from it. I created my artwork the way that I did because I thought the style would be appealing to many people. I hope that people will understand that nature can teach us a lot and that we should respect it and also protect ourselves from the weather. I was inspired by popular room decoration ideas. I learn that animals have many smart ways to keep cool and we should follow them.

Heidy’s Artist Statement: I addressed my challenge question (2) in my artwork by drawing a thunderstorm, the condensation process, showing where the energy of the thunderstorm comes from, and arrows out of the top and bottom of the thunderstorm cloud to represent the places where the energy exits and goes back into the atmosphere. What I am trying to say in my work is how a thunderstorm forms, where the energy to create the storm comes from and where energy exits out into the atmosphere. I created and drew my artwork the way I did because I wanted to grab others’ attention with the bright colors in the dark and stormy area where the thunderstorm was forming, and to show them where the energy to make a thunderstorm comes from, and where it exits. What I learned through my research, and what I hope people will learn from my artwork, is that thunderstorms aren't just storms with rain and lighting; that they are made by the energy from the condensation process and that the energy exits out of the top and bottom of the storm cloud, interesting facts worth knowing. What inspired me in my artwork is the science behind a thunderstorm, and the bright and dark features characterized by the storm.

High School

William’s Artist Statement: I addressed the question asked by demonstrating how snails hibernate when under high temperatures. I am using the snails as an example of how one species has a method of dealing with high temperatures that we humans do not possess. I created this piece the way I did because I thought the watercolors would look pretty as the snail shells. I hope that people who see this artwork are confused as to what it is about. I was inspired to make this piece by a picture of snails hibernating on some branches that I saw in a magazine. I though the snails were cute, so I painted them.

Chloe’s Artist Statement: This work reflects the growing issue of climate change’s effect on the world’s weather. As the earth’s temperature rises, more seawater is evaporated into the atmosphere, and storms become more intense. Hurricane seasons in the past couple of years have been steadily getting lengthier and more destructive, and the reason for this is global warming. Other natural disasters negatively affected by climate change include monsoons, tsunamis, and flooding. This piece is meant to represent the facets of climate change that are immediately tangible, and felt by many people, including those who do not believe in climate change.

Nur’s Artist Statement: Renewable energy is more beautiful than storms. A big complaint against wind turbines, solar panels, and more forms of renewable energy is that they ruin the natural landscape. But, what this fails to consider is that same natural landscape will not be able to survive the consequences of current climate issues. Without changing these views, and actions, climate issues will only worsen. This is mainly what I focused on in my work, stressing that sustainability is beautiful, and hope people see renewable energy in a new light. From this work, I learned a lot in changing plans on the spot. I had to alter my painting in many unexpected ways; for example, the placement of words, media for the skyline, and color scheme. This fueled my inspiration and motivation to finish the piece, and everything fell into place.

Lukas’s Artist Statement: I addressed the challenge question that asked about the extreme weather. I addressed this question by drawing a very large tornado with different parts of it labeled as different things that make storms that big. By labeling these as things such as “fossil fuels” and “greenhouse gases” it shows what kinds of things that we do that make the storms so bad. With this drawing I am trying to say that we need to stop pollution so that storms aren’t this bad. I created it like that so that it looked like a huge tornado. I hope people will learn that pollution needs to be stopped. I learned about how much pollution happened, and I was inspired by my science teacher.