PACKAGING MATERIAL BUDDY – Sculpture, Space, Balance
Students learn how to join three-dimensional objects as they create an imaginary buddy using various shaped Styrofoam packaging materials, coloured glue, markers, crayons and a variety of 3-dimensional objects.
Required Time
40 Minutes
Grade Level
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Subject
Language Arts Science Visual Arts
Vocabulary
balanceformsculptureshape
Materials
Crayola White GlueCrayola ScissorsCrayola Broad Line MarkersCrayola Coloured GlueCrayola Glitter GlueCrayola ScissorsCrayola CrayonsToothpicksFoam SticksCorksStyrofoam Packaging MaterialsWooden Stir SticksPipe CleanersBeads
Shop Crayola Products
Steps
Step One
Choose a Styrofoam shape for the main part of your buddy sculpture.
Draw on it using markers and crayons.
Think of all the things you can use to make your buddy interesting.
Step Two
Wrap a pipe cleaner around a pencil or the handle of a paint brush.
Pull it off gently so it stays curled.
Stick the twisted pipe cleaner into the Styrofoam.
Step Three
Paint coloured glue on parts of the shape.
Step Four
Stick a toothpick into the Styrofoam.
Add some beads.
Place a drop of glue on top of the last bead to hold it in place.
Step Five
Gently insert a toothpick into the end of a foam stick.
Leave about half the toothpick sticking out.
Insert the toothpick into the Styrofoam.
Step Six
Join other objects to the Styrofoam using toothpicks and glue.
Keep adding details to make every part of your buddy sculpture interesting.
Give your buddy sculpture a name.
Look at your buddy sculpture from all sides. - What kinds of shapes do you see? - What kind of energy do you feel from the details in your sculpture? - What do you see that makes you say that? - What do you like the best about this sculpture? Why? - Who would love this sculpture? Why?
Find shape words in the classroom.
Learning Goals
Students will be able to:
create a free-standing sculpture;
create personal responses to the centre materials;
work independently and self-regulate;
share their ideas with peers;
demonstrate a sense of accomplishment.
Extensions
Set up a centre in your room where students can examine a variety of products and their packaging materials, such as cardboard boxes, Styrofoam, bubble wrap, plastic forms.
Have students: - sort and classify the packaging materials; - weigh and measure the packaging materials; - explain what the packaging materials do; - design ways to package objects using the least amount of packaging material; - explain why it is beneficial to reduce packaging materials; - share their ideas with their peers.
Prepare
Create a sculpture centre in your classroom with the following things: - various Styrofoam packaging materials - washable white and coloured glue - paint brushes - scissors - markers and crayons - pencils - toothpicks - pipe cleaners - foam sticks - corks - buttons - wooden stir sticks - beads - glitter glue
Gather, and make available, books about recycling, for example, Why Should I Recycle?, by Jen Green, and Mike Gordon; The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story About Recycling, by Alison Inches, and Pete Whitehead; Don't Throw That Away!: A Lift-the-Flap Book about Recycling and Reusing, by Lara Bergen, and Betsy Snyder; The Adventures Of An Aluminum Can, by Alison Inches; The Three R's: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, by Nuria Roca, Rosa M. Curto; and Where Does the Garbage Go?, by Paul Showers, and Randy Chewning.
Download and display the Shape, Form and Balanceposters available on this website.
Introduction
Conduct a read-aloud with a book such as Don't Throw That Away!: A Lift-the-Flap Book about Recycling and Reusing, by Lara Bergen, and Betsy Snyder.
View and discuss a variety of pieces of Styrofoam packaging material pointing out the difference between 2-and 3- dimensional shapes, and guessing what kind of product was packed in the Styrofoam.
Display shape words in the classroom.
Introduce the sculpture centre and explain what a sculpture is – a 3-dimensional artwork that can be viewed from all sides.
Introduce the challenge.
Activities
The Challenge
Make a buddy sculpture using Styrofoam packaging material.
Use your own ideas to make your buddy sculpture.
Use different materials to make all sides of your buddy sculpture interesting.
Explain how you made your buddy sculpture.
The Process
Ensure that students understand the challenge.
Establish success criteria with your students, for example, I know I am successful when I: - use my own ideas to make my buddy sculpture - add a variety of objects to my buddy sculpture - make all sides of my buddy sculpture interesting - explain how I made my buddy sculpture - share my ideas with my classmates
Guide students through the steps outlined in the lesson plan.
Demonstrate how to use a toothpick to join objects.
Demonstrate how to make a twisted pipe cleaner.
Observe students as they work.
Provide individual assistance and encouragement.
Sharing
Gather students to share and discuss their sculptures. Ask students: - What kinds of shapes do you see? - What kind of energy do you feel from the details in your sculpture? - What do you see that makes you say that? - What do you like the best about this sculpture? Why? - Who would love this sculpture? Why?
Display all the sculptures in the classroom.
Encourage students to view the sculptures and notice how they are the same, and how they are different.
Assessment
Observe students as they work – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting.
Observe students as they discuss the artworks – active listening, insightful contributions, supporting ideas with evidence found in the artwork and from personal experience.
Use a checklist to track progress. (Download - Buddy_tracking.pdf)
Have grade 1- 3 students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Download - Buddy_self-assessment.pdf)