Excel Academy South Takes a Bite out of Shark Week

Creating the Excel Academy Shark Week Project

When Excel Academy South teacher Olivia Mullen set out to design an engaging first-week-of-school activity, she wanted something that would spark creativity, build community, and capture students’ imaginations. Inspired by the 50th anniversary of the movie “Jaws,” Mullen turned her classroom into an underwater world for a themed Shark Week project that blended art, teamwork, and storytelling.

“My goal was to create the feeling of being underwater while giving every student an opportunity to contribute in a way that suited their interests and skills,” Mullen said. “I provided templates, supplies and some structure, but the students really made it their own.”

Teamwork and Creativity Beneath the Waves

Students had several ways to get involved, from hanging decorations and cutting out fish silhouettes to designing handmade shark signs and contributing original artwork. For the show-stopping papier-mâché sharks, students began with cardboard skeletons, added layers of tissue paper using glue and water, and then painted their creations once they dried…

Transforming the Classroom into an Ocean Scene for the Excel Academy Shark Week project

The class worked together to transform the space, covering the ceiling and walls with blue plastic tablecloths to mimic the ocean. With the decorating underway, the classroom began to feel like a real underwater scene. As the room didn’t have a TV, students even crafted a movie screen out of brown craft paper to host their own screening.

Lessons in Creativity and Problem-Solving

Mullen chose “Jaws” not just for its milestone anniversary, but also for its lessons in creativity and problem-solving.

“The mechanical shark on set famously didn’t work,” she said. “The filmmakers had to be resourceful and think outside the box, just like we did with our classroom. It was a perfect example of collaboration and ingenuity.”

At first, students were unsure about the idea. But as the transformation unfolded, excitement grew.

“Once the ceiling turned blue, they could see the vision,” Mullen said. “They loved the immersive, vibey theme and were curious about “Jaws”, even though it’s an older film. By the time we had our screening, everyone was fully invested.”

A Celebration of Collaboration and Imagination

With hard work from students, the classroom morphed into a vibrant underwater world and a reflection of the creativity and teamwork that Mullen hoped to inspire.

“It was amazing to see their collaboration and excitement,” she said. “They really embraced the theme. It was a joy to see our classroom come to life together.”