Packing materials such as polystyrene take thousands of years to decompose, whereas packing peanuts made from cornstarch, which some companies are now using, can serve the same purpose, but dissolve in water. The author illustrates this point to her class one rainy day using the sculptures students made from polystyrene and with the cornstarch product. Through this lesson, students learned that art is a powerful tool with which to communicate. They know that artists around the globe often focus on worldwide concerns such as the environment, and they will always remember playing their own part in relaying an important environmental message. (Contains 1 online resource.)