Raptors enjoy education hydration through cooperative art project

May 22, 2026

Robinson Elementary School students splashed into lakes of learning this spring when they showcased water-inspired artworks to fellow Raptors.
 
Fifth graders participated in a project that involved creativity, cooperation and communication in their art classroom. They spent several weeks forming clay sculptures ranging from decorative cups to toucan-shaped pitchers. The young artists then shared information about their design process with eager-to-listen second graders in May.

 
Second graders Kyla and Maybin said they enjoyed visiting with the older Raptors. More than 20 students listened with interest one morning as fifth graders like Skylar, Evelyn and Bellamy talked about their projects. Evelyn and Bellamy each made salmon-colored mugs that held water, and Skylar produced a tray that had waves on it.
 
“We got to see a lot of really cool stuff,” Kyla said. “We got to see how they made things and how they hold water.”
 
“When I found out we were going to get to come today, I was really excited,” Maybin said. “I saw a lot of fun things.”
 
Skylar and Bellamy said they liked how much free rein they had for their projects. The only two rules were that students had to use clay and make a sculpture that related to water. Aside from that, their creativity could stretch as deep as the ocean floor.
 
“I like how art doesn’t have to be a specific thing,” Skylar said. “It can be really anything that you can create or make, so it’s a giant open mindset for what you want to do.”
 
“I’ve learned that you can make a lot of different things about water,” Bellamy said. “Water can be used for anything.”
 
Robinson art teacher Bob Reeker first heard about the multi-grade project idea at the National Art Education Association (NAEA) National Convention last summer. He brought the suggestion back to Lincoln Public Schools Visual Arts Curriculum Specialist Lorinda Rice after returning to town, and both felt it tied in well with many LPS art curriculum goals.
 
Reeker said it has been fun watching students become educationally hydrated by working on their water sculptures.
 
“It’s exciting to see them take an idea based off their curiosities and their research and then apply it to something that they’re proud of,” Reeker said. “More importantly, it’s something where they make that personal connection with art. It’s meaningful to them and it’s something that they’re excited to share with others.”
 
Konnor and Jameson received all of those benefits from their sophisticated project. They worked together to form a green-glazed watering can in the shape of a toucan bird. They remembered that toucans have large beaks for their mouths, and they thought it would be fun to try to copy that with clay.
 
“We were thinking of something to pour out of,” Konnor said. “We were first thinking of a fire hydrant, but then we thought about birds and how they can hold water in their mouths.”

 
Konnor and Jameson created the body of their bird to store water. They then elevated its head to ensure liquid would spill out of its beak.
 
“It was really hard to get the right way to have the water come out,” Konnor said. “To be able to pour water out of it, we had to have the head above where the water lies.”
 
Skylar tossed around several ideas before deciding to make her wave-covered tray. She originally thought it would be a flat sculpture, but it began to have unexpected bulges while she was forming it. Instead of being disappointed, she was happy with the welcome surprise that came with her final product.
 
“It was really cool to see how it turned out in the end,” Skylar said.
 
Reeker chose clay for the project because it is the favorite art material for many Raptors. He said the sculptures also have a long lifespan after they leave the school building with students.
 
“These clay pieces stick around,” Reeker said. “They’re a point of pride. I see a lot of families out in the community, and I might have had their kid in class 30 years ago, and they’ll say that they still have that piece sitting on a mantle or on a shelf or inside a cabinet or wherever it might be.”
 
Reeker said he hoped the project fostered stronger connections between students of different grade levels. A second goal was to boost the fifth graders’ confidence by promoting a sense of accomplishment. The activity was also meant to inspire second graders to think of new ways they could achieve their own artistic dreams.
 
Kyla said she liked meeting the fifth graders and learning how they developed their water-themed wonders. She was looking forward to continuing the learning cycle in several years when she mentors younger Raptors in art class.
 
“I can’t wait to do it because maybe I’ll help a second grader get an idea for something they want to do in third grade,” Kyla said.
 
Learn more about the creative connections LPS students make in their art classes.
 
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