Curriculum
Connections
Papermaking
Investigations
Once
your students have practiced the basics of turning trash into artistic
treasures, have them share questions they have about the process and
ideas they'd like to test out. To prompt their thinking, throw out
question stems such as: What if . . .? or How can we. .
.? Next, have them discuss or write down how they could test their
questions. If the ideas are feasible, let the inquiries begin. For
instance, they might try using different types, colors, or ratios
of paper for creating pulp; adding different materials to make the
paper stronger or smoother; or varying the amount or temperature of
water in the pulp or tub. Students should be able to describe and
defend their experimental process, results, and conclusions. Consider
having groups combine findings and create a brochure, develop a presentation,
or teach younger students what they've learned.
 Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle
Did you know that thousands of acres of timber are cut to produce
just one Sunday edition of a major newspaper? Consider using your
papermaking adventures as a springboard for investigating and/or promoting
recycling and the potential it holds for reducing the loss of valuable
forests. As students seek out paper scraps to turn into pulp, ask
them to categorize and quantify the types they find (e.g., junk mail)
or places they find them (e.g., offices). They might monitor the volume
or weight of paper collected in garbage cans or recycling bins at
the school and use their findings to fuel presentations about recycling
and reducing paper use.
Older students can find out about efforts to use sources other than
trees, such as hemp, for making paper. They can also research some
of the environmental issues associated with the paper industry and
learn about some of the "environmentally friendly" measures
that have been instituted. These include a decrease in the use of
chlorinated bleaching agents and an increase in the amount of recycled
paper (especially post-consumer paper) used to make new products.
 Paper
Through the Ages
It's a fascinating
tale. Consider having students use the library and Internet to research
the history of written communication and papermaking, and/or share
some of the following information with them. As they explore, have
them consider how human needs and available resources affected the
evolution of papermaking, and how the availability of paper and the
process of making it affected social and cultural life and
the environment. What can they learn about the paper industry in this
country today? Following are some historical tidbits.
The Roots
of Paper
Clay tablets, it seems, hardly made great stationery. Over the millennia,
people tried all kinds of portable writing surfaces ranging from wood
to cloth. About
5,000 years ago, ancient Egyptians hit on the idea of layering strips
of a wetland plant (papyrus, from which the word paper is derived)
and pounding them together to make flat sheets. Although experiments
in using fibers to produce writing material likely continued, it wasn't
until 105 AD that a Chinese man perfected the process. It seems that
the Empress was a book lover, but wanted to find a cheaper material
than silk scrolls to print on. The man mixed fibers from the shoots
of bamboo, bark of the mulberry tree, and other sources with water
to form a pulp that he poured through woven screens. As the water
drained through the screen, fibers adhered to the surface and fused
into paper.
Literacy
Sparks Demand
The Chinese remained the prime papermakers for 500 years, but the
craft eventually spread to Japan and
 across
central Asia via caravan routes. Meanwhile,
animal skins had been the medium of choice throughout much of Europe,
but by the mid-15th century, paper was king. Old rags and clothing
(made from plant fibers such as flax, nettle, and hemp) were the main
ingredients. But Gutenberg's invention of the first printing press
catapulted the demand for paper and the knowledge it could deliver.
As literacy and the output of books increased, the supply of good
rags plummeted, so the industry turned to using the seemingly endless
supply of wood pulp.
Paper Crosses
the Ocean
Shortly after the
Pilgrims came to America, the first printing press was set up, but
paper had to be shipped here from Europe. In 1690, the first paper
mill was built in Pennsylvania and within 120 years, there were nearly
200 paper mills in the U.S. Here, rags had become the main ingredient
for papermaking, but as they grew scarce, companies experimented with
materials such as oat straw, sugar cane waste, and cornstalks. Today,
newspapers, boxes, and other low and medium grade papers are made
from wood pulp. The finest
papers still have a high proportion of linen and cotton rag pulp.
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The
Science of Cellulose
All plants
have cellulose fiber, but some, such as trees, have it in abundance.
They contain thickened tracheid, vessel, and fiber cells, which
transport water and nutrients up and down the trunk and branches.
Because these cells are elongated and overlapping, they remain
matted when water is drained off, lending strength to the final
paper product. Sawmills grind wood mechanically and add chemicals
that draw out these desired cells. This watery suspension comprises
the pulp from which paper is processed. The cellulose and water
molecules actually form a chain and, when water is drained and
pressed out, the cellulose remains chained together to form
a solid paper surface.
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Trees
Measure Up
Since trees
are central to the papermaking process and industry, you may want
to tie this project into some arboreal investigations. For instance,
younger students can carefully observe, draw, and describe trees
and their parts: trunks, bark, leaves, and limbs. Leaf and bark
rubbings reveal textural details. Teacher Ann Weaver suggests having
children observe artistic prints that depict trees. Using selections
from Van Gogh, Renoir, and Gauguin, she asks her class to compare
and describe the trees—their relative sizes, how each part
is portrayed (e.g., as individual leaves vs. masses), and so on.
Consider challenging
older students to figure out just where tree growth takes place.
(Trees add length from the tips of twigs and rootlets, and they
add width when the cambium, which is next to the bark, adds new
xylem and phloem cells that carry water and food.) They might mark
different spots on twigs, then measure the distances between markers
over time. If they observe twigs from the tips down, they'll notice
fine lines encircling the twig where the bark color changes. These
mark the position of the last terminal bud—the end of last
year's growth. (On conifers, a shift in needle color typically signifies
new growth.) Students might suggest measuring the circumference
of the trunk or branches. (This type of growth may be difficult
to quantify in a short period!) If you have access to tree slices
or "cookies," students can count and examine annual growth
rings.
Copyright© 2002 National Gardening Association
Growing Ideas Classroom Projects is a benefit for NGA's Members
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