- Appropriate Grade (Course) Level(s): 4th through 8th
- Unit Theme and Instructional Concepts:
Paper Mache' Sculptures as a Canvas
- Lesson Rationale:
Traditional Materials & Techniques
Students will be using the long favorite medium of paper mache'. Materials needed are newspaper, art paste or wheat paste, plastic grocery bags, balloons, paper toweling, old sheets if available, plus whatever strikes our creative fancy
Digital Technology
Digital technology comes into play mainly as a vehicle for documenting the process of the project and allowing it to be used as a presentational device such as this web page.
Lesson Objectives:
Technical (plain)
- Students will learn proper set up procedures for messy work (covering tables w/paper)
- Students will learn which materials work best for layers (newsprint, paper towel, fabric)
- Students will learn to mix art or wheat paste to a usable consistency
- Students will tear proper sized pieces and overlap them
Formal
- Students will be able to create the various sections of the bear body
- Students will be able to assemble the various sections
- Students will be able to cover the assembled bodies in multiple layers
Contextual
- Students will visit the website Chicago Cows on Parade
- Students will explore the various pages on that site to see how the cows were designed
- Students will visit the website Beastie Beat
- Students will explore the various pages on that site to see how the Beasties were designed
- Students will brainstorm various possibilites based on cultural, political and artistic influences
- Students will brainstorm various possibilities based on current classroom curriculum
Conceptual/Expressive
- Students can create a front and back drawing for a Teddy Bear design
- Students will try to relate the design to their own cultural, political and artistic influences
Facilities: (setting, room setup)
- An art room or space with enough large tables on which to work 4 or 6 to a table
- A sink nearby would be preferable due to the messy nature of the work
- Space in which pieces under construction may dry safely
Required Material(s):
- Lots of newspaper (for covering tables as well as the paper mache' itself)
- Ross Art Paste or wheat paste
- Large container or bucket in which to mix paste in a batch
- Plastic containers to parcel out mixed paste
- Old T-Shirts and smocks to cover student clothing
- Water
Additional Resource(s):
- Digital Camera to document the Process Itself
Integrated Curriculum: Integrative Aspects:
- Literature and Social Studies could be used as influence in the designs
- Science fiction novels could inspire futuristic bear designs
- Biographies of sports figures could inspire bears dressed as sports heroes
- Current events could inspire bears dressed as everyday heroes such as firemen and paramedics
- Figuring out how the surface area to be covered would be a challenging math problem
- Studying how the glue itself changes from a powder and liquid into the gelatinous compound would be good science investigation
- Finished bears could be accompanied by poems and essays
Activities:
Preparation
- Students would visit the Chicago Cows Web Site
- Students would brainstorm various ideas
- Students would complete the front side back side teddy design
- Students would be instructed in the whole project procedure
- Students would ask questions to make sure they understood what was required
Motivational Strategies
- Students enjoy creating things and the nature of paper mache' is a playful activity
- Students will get a chance to express their wildest design ideas
Procedures for Art-Making Activities:
- Four to six students will be grouped carefully for the duration of the project
- Students will cover tables with at least two complete layers of newspaper
- Students will take and stuff plastic grocery bags with loosely crumpled newspaper
- Students will tie off the bag when it has enough form to cover with paper mache'
- Students will cover the grocery bag body with multiple layers of paper mache'
- Students will alternate layers of colored newspaper, paper towel, and plain newspaper
- This helps denote the completion of a layer
- Students will cover medium sized balloons which will become heads
- Students will cover small balloons which will be used as hands and feet
- When all the parts for each bear are sturdy enough to handle, they will be assembled
- Students will use masking tape to hinge dry pieces together strongly
- Students will cover the joined areas with paper mache' before adding additional layers
- Students will add a layer of fabric for strength (such as an old bedsheet)
- Students will keep the final layer as plain and smooth as possible for painting
- Students will paint bears with a base coat that is the main color in the design chosen
- Students will continue to mix paints and add details till the bear is completed
- Students will clear coat the bears with something that will not disrupt the paint used
Response from students
- Students will be enthusiastic about using technology to do the initial research
- Students will enjoy working with their hands to create these bears
- Students will enjoy using their imaginations to complete the bears
Evaluation Criteria/Reflection:
- Students will reflect upon the process of doing this project in groups
- Teacher will reflect upon the process of doing this project
This all sounded like such a great idea on paper. I believe I was ill prepared to implement it properly due to lack of drying space. Some Middle school students did not want to do something that wasn't theirs. Many of them, boys and girls, did not want to mess up their hands. The project itself required far more time than was available.
Winter 2002 - Follow Up on the Bears:
I was determined to finish this project after seeing the wonderful Beasties all around Milwaukee during the summer of 2002.
Ok, due to circumstances & creativity beyond my control, we also have a chicken bear!
Ta Da! The Finished Bears!
April 4, 2003
Musical Bear Bear-et Favre
Yum Yum Bear Holy Family Student Bear
Cheesehead Bear Vincent Van Bear
Harley Davidson Bear Patriotic Bear
Milwaukee Bucks Bear
Instructor Name: Noreen Strehlow © November 2001
