Brooklyn Arbor Materials Depot

The Materials Depot is a mini-warehouse, filled with free materials, that can be used for hands-on learning projects in the classrooms at Brooklyn Arbor, PS414 in Brooklyn, NY.  The blog will post pictures of our current inventory and photos of recent hands-on learning projects using reclaimed and donated materials.

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Way to go Ang!  An October sewing project using materials from the Depot.  Are you following our Instagram?  @materialsdepot

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Our tumblr is haunted and turning all pics sideways. Spooky. Anyway, check out the Beech Class project making haunted-house Luminaries from depot materials. First we cut doors and windows into the cereal and snack boxes and fashioned a roof from the top flaps. Then we modge-podged on scraps of tissue paper (because "cheddar bunnies are NOT spooky") and finally placed a battery powered tea light inside!

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​number bonds at the Noguchi Museum! Part of "museum of stones" which is the first exhibition to show the work of other artists among the works by Noguchi.

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Beautiful fence weaving along South 2nd side of Brooklyn Arbor's schoolyard fence. It was a free community activity using depot materials at 2015 PLAYground Festival. Much of this fabric came from Materials For The Arts!

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PLAYground Festival 2015. We used fabric and treasures again from the Depot for "Magic Dream Quest" activity.

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Family Friday! The Spruce kindergarten class made models of five basic animal habitats using materials from the depot. We used library books as a reference and the students worked in teams.

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Making Mystery! DIY board game project with the Cypress 3rd grade class using reclaimed materials from the Depot. The board game connected nicely to the Cypress class's investigation of the mystery genre. Whodunnit? The Cypress Class!

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Some fine works using Depot materials were displayed for students and parents to see at our Depot Day Expo in February, held on 100th day of school 2015.

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The 2nd annual Depot Day Expo is coming soon!  February 12th is the 100th Day of the school year and Brooklyn Arbor students will display projects based on the number 100 using materials from the Depot.  The pictures above are from 2013-2014 Depot  Day Expo.  

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After a field trip to Lincoln Center to see the ballet "The Nutcracker" 2nd Grade Magnolia class cut and assembled paper action-figures and used depot materials (wall paper samples!) to decorate them.

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Got a full tote bag? Materials Collection begins Thursday 11/6.

Bring your Brooklyn Arbor tote bag (or any bag) full of materials to school, empty your bag into our BIG GREEN BIN before entering school and take your bag with you.   It's easy!  We will roll out the bin every Thursday.

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Family Friday project in the Magnolia classroom. These puppets are a 2-for-1, transforming from one character to another depending on which end is up!

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Our bilingual school counselor sent in a photo of a project she did with students: using depot materials to make puppets representing feelings. 2014.

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A favorite project from Brooklyn Arbor’s founding year:  Weathervanes and whirligigs made during our “Maker Family-Workshop” on wind power, 2013 

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These beautiful things were made by Brooklyn Arobr students and their families at our first Maker Family Workshop, fall 2012, using depot materials, salvaged CD’s, string, yarn and trim. 

Great CD Quilt weaving tutorial: 

http://makeitawonderfullife.blogspot.com/2011/11/cd-weaving-tutorial.html

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A box of precut cardboard circles from Materials For The Arts.  A fun Family Friday project in the Chestnut class making masks. 2013