The League of Extraordinary Toymakers Day 2
Project/Unit Description/Expedition
For the next couple of weeks, students will be moving from 2-dimensional materials to 3-dimensional. In doing so, they will be assuming the roles of toymakers looking to create a toy that has never existed. These will take the form through found object sculptures utilizing a variety of supplies (plates, cardboard tubes, foam, paper, etc.) and be included in a final illustration of their toy to help with understanding the shift in dimensions.
Essential Understanding
Students will be able to utilize shapes and composition with found objects to create their toy through experimentation.
Students will be able to recognize a found object sculpture or assemblage.
Students will be able to recognize a found object sculpture or assemblage.
Inquiry/Learning Target
"Today we are budding toymakers and we are seeking the next big thing! The only way we can achieve this, though, is by making a toy that has never existed before!"
- What kinds of toys do you play with?
- How do they work or function?
- How do toys vary or look different compared to others? How do they play differently?
Key Concept(s)
- Space
- Shape
- 3-D
- Composition
Skill(s)
- Defining what a found object sculpture/assemblage is and how to identify one.
- Explaining the purpose and creative process behind the creation of their toy.
- Ability to discover, ideate, and problem solve through experimenting with found objects.
Art Focus
We will be creating sculptures utilizing found objects that are toys that have never existed. Students will be asked, throughout this process, about what choices they are making and what problems they've solved along the way.
Literary Focus
Most literary focus will come from when we review 2-D materials and their properties while comparing them to the way 3-D materials work. This will occur on the first day and touched upon at the beginning of other classes when we review some of the terms we introduce and use through this lesson.
- Composition
- Space
- Assemblage
- Sculpture
- 3-D
This week, we continued our development of being "Toymakers" and what that means. We started our class by asking students what we did last week. Our students were able to say exactly what we spent last class doing, which made it obvious they were ready for today's lesson. We then went over the definitions of three-dimensional and two-dimensional. Students were able to remember the definitions and applications of both. This week, we added another twist, asking students to think of their favorite toy and it's purpose. This gave students the opportunity to draw connections between the project and real life.
Once we finished the introduction, students were allowed to begin creating, which they were very excited to do. |
This week, we encouraged students to use color in their projects. We noticed that during their exploration processes last week, students didn't incorporate color at all. Because of this, we encouraged students to add color into their pieces. The results were very interesting and worked towards each toy's purpose.
For example, this student has been extremely interested in superheros, particularly Marvel characters, since the beginning of the semester. Because of this, he is creating a toy similar to Hulk. When asked why he used green pipe cleaner, he said "green is the color of Hulk." This shows the connection this student is making between color choices and things that interest him. He was also able to articulate why he made that particular creative decision which is a clear example of one of the skills we were assessing. |
Other students incorporated colors in a different way. While the student above used pipe cleaners to add color to his project, other students used markers or oil pastels. This student chose to work with markers and drew an illustration on her piece. When asked why she chose markers, she said, "markers look cool on the foam." The effect she's referencing is how markers appear more milky on foam surfaces. Her connection that markers appear differently on a foam surface than oil pastels do is a clear indication that she is discovering materials through exploration.
The picture she drew on her toy was a person singing into a microphone. When asked why she drew that she replied, "my toy is like a karaoke machine." This statement proves that this student made a creative decision with a purpose, and she's able to explain it! This student exemplified many of the skills we were looking for today. |
This student seemed to also be drawn to the markers. When asked why, he had a similar answer, saying "the markers smudge together on foam, oil pastels don't." This student was referencing how easy it is to blend markers on a foam surface. This is an example of how this student is discovering things through exploration. After asking about the markers, this student was asked what he was creating and what choices he made to achieve the purpose for it. His answer was very interesting: "I am making a race track! This pipe cleaner is here to block the race drivers that are too good. It makes it fair for the rest of the racers." This statement was very interesting for many reasons. For one, the student was clearly able to articulate the purpose and creative process behind his toy. For another, it's clear the student thought through and cares about this project.
This student (found to the left and below) was an excellent example of what it looks like to problem-solve and explore through experimentation. This piece had many different alterations throughout work time. A few times, the student tried to stop working on it and begin a new project. Instead, I was able to convince her to push it further in different ways. This led to her exploring further and creating a much stronger piece.
This student was trying to create a "tower to lookout for alien invasions." The student even attempted to make a little alien to sit outside the tower. She used pipe cleaners to create the tower because "it can't be solid, the guards need a way to see outside." She used the colors she used because "it looks like a moat!" Every decision that was made during the assembly of this piece had a reason, and she was able to articulate why each decision was made. Her comments show that she problem-solved and considered each decision before making it. She was one of the students who exemplified many of the skills we were looking for today. |
Some students used both pipe cleaners and markers/oil pastels to incorporate color into their piece. This student is an example of one who used multiple means to add color. When asked why she used both pipe cleaners and markers for color specifically she said, "the pipe cleaners are color in 3D, the markers are color in 2D." This was a very interesting display of remembering and applying knowledge. This student was not only able to articulate her purpose for these creative choices, she was able to link it back to the instruction given at the beginning of class.
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In addition to color, we were interested in seeing how students manipulated materials for a particular purpose. For example, the student above folded construction paper and attached it to a base. When asked why she chose to fold the paper in that way she said, "I'm making the bottom of a UFO!" This student was able to explain their purpose and made it clear that she used problem-solving skills throughout the process. This was made clear when I asked her why she used the construction paper to create the base. The student replied, "I used a plate already, so I couldn't use that. A bowl is too small, I need the bottom to be bigger than this plate." The student walked me through her problem-solving steps and in doing so, described her creative processes. This student exemplified several skills we were looking for this week and made several choices that enhanced her piece.
This week, we were looking for students to be able to explain the choices they were making in reference to their toy's purpose. Many students went above and beyond this skill-set, actively making choices to enhance their projects. Students were able to problem-solve and adapt to the materials given to them. We are excited to continue building upon these skill sets to help our students grow as little artists.
Next week, we will be incorporating 2D elements into our lesson to truly solidify the idea of three-dimensional vs two-dimensional for our students. |