Week 6: Crafting Creatures
Model Magic Monster Sculptures
Age: 1st and 2nd grades
Date: 11/5/22
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson the learner will be able to identify the terms form, shape, and abstraction by their definition or a visual example.
By the end of the lesson, the learner will be able to demonstrate the hand-building technique, pinching.
By the end of the lesson the learner will be able to assemble a small sculpture from a clay-like substance (Model Magic).
By the end of the lesson the learner will be able to abstract an observation or idea.
Lesson Summary
Introduction
Ms. Liv opened the lesson with a drawing warm up activity. She asked students to pick up a drawing utensil and switch it to their other hand so they were drawing with their non-dominant hand. Then she asked students to draw a giraffe with that hand. She noted that it might not look perfect, which is part of the fun. After the activity, she started a conversation about abstraction. She had images on her iPad which she held and showed the class as she spoke to them. The first image was of Ms. Liv’s cat, which she used to illustrate how things could be abstracted. At the whiteboard, Ms. Liv asked students what she should draw to portray her cat accurately. After adding whiskers, fur, pointy ears to the accurate cat, she began drawing another cat, this time abstracted. She began at the ears making them super long and pointy, which got oohs and ahhs and whats?! from the class. After she drew her abstracted cat, she further defined what abstract means. Then she went into introducing the lesson.
Technical Demonstration
Ms. Liv shared with students that today they would be working in 3D, sculpting with model magic. To build suspense on what they would make in 3D, she held up a closed wooden box and told the class they had to behave because she was going to introduce them to what was in the box. At this point, students were leaning in or moving closer for the unveiling. Finally, Ms. Liv opened the box and one by one introduced the creatures inside. She showed students which of the sculptures were good and bad examples, holding each one up as she elaborated. She asked students to use more than one color because the monochromatic monsters were sad. She suggested that they make the creatures in the larger side so they could easily add a lot of details.
Next, Ms. Liv quickly modeled a few sculpture techniques. She gave each student a bit of model magic and had them roll it into a ball, then a log. Then she had them get out their crab fingers and pinch the model magic to make a new tear drop shape, noting that these could be tears, teeth or toenails. The students practiced the techniques along with her.
Work Time
Now it was student work time. Ms. Liv dealt out red, white, blue and yellow model magic to each student, reminded them to use at least 2 colors, and asked that they produce at least 2 creatures from their imagination. She also reminded them that the creatures could be completely made up and not look like a real animal. She played music and checked in with students individually, asked them questions and described their work. A few times, she made suggestions to the whole group on how they could mix two colors together to make new one by rolling them in hand or to think about what sound their creature might make if it could talk.
Final Outcomes
When it was time to clean up, Ms. Liv gave each student a paper with their name on it and had them put their finished creatures on the paper. Then students cleaned up their area, and got to take any extra model magic home with them. After clean up, Ms. Liv offered for each student to share their creations and make the noise that each creature makes for the class. Each student shared their work and the creatures had indivudalized, unique noises ranging from a simple “Hiii” to an outright, shrill screech.
Future Modifications
The lack of clean up for this lesson is fantastic! I would love to incorporate this lesson into an elementary school classroom. I would maybe give students 2-3 colors if the model magic was more limited, or have them pair up to share the sculpting material.
To extend the lesson I would begin or end with a 3D sculpture lesson creating habitats or homes for the creatures, or even have the class city from earlier in the workshop have a more permanent end result so the creatures could reside in the city.
To adapt the lesson for older students (4th/5th grade), I would have similar prompts but think about using clay and have students fire their work. This would bring in a ceramics unit and incorporate hand building techniques. Students could either glaze the work, or they could paint with water colors after the work is fired.
