Monster Madness Collage
Year Levels: Foundation – 2
with Kylie Wickham
Click Here to download Lesson Plan
Overview
This lesson is designed to enhance paper skills. Students are asked to consider shape, colour, tearing, cutting, layering and symmetry. Tearing paper is sensory and organic shapes can be made with this method. Cutting shapes with scissors create sharp, straight shapes with clean outlines. Compare and combine the shapes and colours of both torn and cut shapes to create your monster.
Discuss
Read children the book “If You’re A Monster And You Know It” by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley (2010), or you could watch an audio/visual version online via YouTube (there are many versions online).
Use this as inspiration.
*Students often stop at one layer making one dimensional works. Encourage students to add more than one layer to achieve a more sophisticated and interesting effect. Cutting or tearing on the fold creates symmetrical shapes.
“I can” statement: I can use my imagination to create a visual artwork.
Art Elements & Principles
Shape, Colour
Cross-Curriculum / Capabilities Links
Language, Maths
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Explore tearing and cutting shapes.
- Research “what is symmetry?”
- Make a layered monster using different sizes and shapes.
- Consider colour and make personal decisions about which colour should be placed on top of others. Discuss your decision-making process.
- Discuss what makes the monsters in this story so appealing?
Make
Create Artwork
Step 1: Students choose an A4 coloured sheet of paper for the background. This is what they will be gluing onto.
Step 2: Students choose an A4 coloured sheet of paper (or homemade painted/patterned paper) for the monster body. Fold in half length-ways. Students tear on the fold (around the edges) then unfold the paper to reveal the body shape. Glue this onto the background paper.
Step 3: Using various coloured, patterned, decorative and/or recycled papers, students start creating facial features for a monster mouth, nose, eyes, etc. Students are encouraged to both tear and cut shapes.
*Experiment with cutting folded paper. Students can use two shapes to create symmetry in work.
Step 4: Create a new layer next adding further details such as teeth, lips, tongues, cheeks, eyebrows, eye lashes, etc.
Step 5: Add more details, each time a new layer. Think about adding features like hair, ears, horns, tails, arms, legs, claws, and so on until complete.
Step 6: Students stop and look at work.
Q: Can you add smaller shapes around a larger shape?
Q: Can you put smaller shapes within a larger shape?
Step 7: Look at the scraps you have sitting on the table around you.
Q: Can they be used to add to your work?
Step 8: Look at the shapes created.
Q: What shapes can you cut? Q: Can you tear these shapes too?
(ie: I can cut a circle / I can tear a circle)
Discussion / Reflection
- Did you pay attention to detail?
- Have I applied and understood layering?
- What is symmetry?
- Is it easier to cut or tear? Do you have a preference?
- Did you work with perseverance and challenge yourself?
Materials & Equipment
- A4 Colour Paper
- Assorted Decorative Papers (Coloured / Patterned / Decorative / Handmade / Recycled)
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
Don’t have these materials at home?
Click Here to view recommended materials
Inspiration
Related Artwork, Links & Sources
Read children the book “If You’re A Monster And You Know It” by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley (2010), or you could watch an audio/visual version online via YouTube (there are many versions online).
Refer to books you can find with monsters and monster illustrations.
Watch the 2001 Disney Pixar film “Monsters Inc.”
Share Your Outcomes!
How did you go!? We’d love you to share your artwork with us on Facebook or Instagram!
#zartart