FABULOUS CREATURES
Level 2 Strands: Developing Practical Knowledge in the Visual Arts
Developing Ideas in the Visual Arts
Communicating and Interpreting in the Visual Arts
Years 2, 3, 4. Oamaru North School
Achievement Objectives
PK Students will identify and explore elements and principles of the visual arts using a variety of techniques, tools, materials, processes and procedures.
DI: Students will develop visual ideas in response to a variety of motivations using imagination, observation and invention with materials
CI: Students will describe ways in which objects and images can communicate stories and ideas.
Learning Outcomes
The students will:
· Use papier mache and construction techniques to create an imaginary dragon or bird (PK)
· Develop features on their creature that are synonymous with mythical dragons (DI)
· Explain and justify why they have added pieces of to their creature and how these enhance their model(CI)
· Explain why they have decorated their model the way they did and how the colours used enhance their model (CI)
Motivation
The children listened to a story about a fictional dragon. They discussed the way the writer described the dragon, and considered how this could be interpreted in a piece of construction
Motivation for the bird came from the story of Maui being accompanied by birds on his journey to find eternal life
The children discussed what these birds might look like if they were fictional creatures and not real life birds.
Learning Experience
The children create A4 sketches of the way each would like their creature to look
The teacher models how to use a soft drink bottle for the body of the creature with the neck of the bottle serving as the neck of the animal, the base being cut off, and the bottle being stapled back together as necessary.
Heads are created from a tightly scrunched up ball of paper over which another piece of paper is stretched with its overlapping ends gathered together and screwed tightly to form a point which is stuffed down the neck of the creature and taped in place.
Wings are made from corrugated card which is stapled or taped to the body
Legs are made from twisted paper which is passed through slits cut in the sides of the body.
The tail is made from folded fans of coloured card that is stapled to the end of the body Long strips of coloured, paper can then be added, left straight or curled or pleated as desired
The mouth or beak is made from paper cut into appropriate shapes and stapled to the head (perhaps through tabs allowed for at the edge of the mouth or beak shapes).
Details are added to the body using papier mache (Soak tissue paper in glue and mould it like clay, attaching it to the model to create horns, eyes, nostrils etc.)
The bodies are then covered with paper strips dipped in glue (papier colle) and left to dry. It is important to use as little glue as possible to stop the models from sagging
The models are painted when dry, using a blend of colours to add richness to the visual effect
Black sharpies are used to add details.
Resources
Selected dragon stories and information.
Pep fizz bottles, corrugated card, newsprint (not old newspapers) acrylic paints, coloured papers or light card, black sharpie pens, tissue paper, glue. Note: For this unit the teacher chose a dragon story without illustrations in order to foster individual, imaginative visual responses.