4th Grade Papier Mache Bird Lesson Plan (Art)

Topic: Papier Mache Bird

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to create a creative and funky papier mache sculpture bird using a water bottle as the armature and adding elements with cardboard cereal boxes and papier mache.

Materials

• Water bottle
• Cardboard cereal boxes
• Papier mache
• Scissors
• Glue
• Markers or crayons for embellishing the bird

Warm-up

• Show the students a picture of a real bird and ask them to describe what they see.
• Then ask them to think of a creative way to make a papier mache bird that is different from a real bird.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of papier mache and explain that it is a technique that uses paper and glue to create a sculpture.
• Show the students how to cut out the shapes for the body, head, and wings of the bird using a pair of scissors.
• Explain how to fill the body of the bird with newspaper and how to wrap the paper around the water bottle armature.
• Show the students how to add details to the bird, such as feathers, beaks, and eyes, using pieces of cardboard and strips of newspaper or old magazines.
• Demonstrate how to use glue to bind the pieces of the bird together and how to cover the bird in layers of papier mache.

Guided Practice

• Have the students work in pairs or small groups and provide them with the cardboard cereal boxes and other materials needed to create a papier mache bird
• Have the students follow the steps outlined in the direct instruction to create their own papier mache bird
• Have the students demonstrate their skills to the class

Independent Practice

• Have the students work individually or in small groups to create their own papier mache bird
• Provide the students with the materials needed to create their bird and allow them to follow their own creative process to make their bird as funky and creative as possible
• Have the students work on their project for a period of time, such as 15 minutes, and then present their birds to the class for evaluation

Closure

• Have the students share their finished birds with the class and explain the process they used to create their bird and the materials they used
• Discuss as a class what they liked about the different birds and what they would change if they were to make their own funky papier mache bird

Assessment

• Observe the students as they work on their birds and provide feedback and support as needed.
• Collect the birds at the end of the lesson and assess the students' ability to create a papier mache sculpture bird using the water bottle armature and the various materials.
• Use the assessment to inform the students' next project and provide additional support if needed.