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Collagraph Animals

K—5th Grade

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Project Overview and Goals

Project Description

Students will learn about the mediums of collage, collagraph printmaking, and observational drawing. Students will practice speaking and writing about their artwork.

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Blueprint Benchmarks

Through an exploration of art materials and techniques, students will:

• Exercise imagination, construct meaning, and depict their experiences.
• Use basic art tools and gain knowledge of media and compositional elements.
• Hone observation skills and discuss works of art.
• Develop visual-arts vocabulary to describe art making, the tools and techniques used to produce art, and the elements and principles of design.
• Read and write about art to reinforce literacy skills.
• Interpret artwork by providing evidence to support assertions.
• Reflect on the process of making art.

Project Overview and Goals

Other Art-Making Goals

• Explore cutting, tearing, and gluing geometric shapes to make collages and prints. 
• Explore combining drawn shapes to create larger forms, such as animals and insects. 
• Print imaginary animals and insects using collagraph technique.
• Integrate collage elements to create individual prints and collaborative printed murals. 

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MLL Objectives and Strategies 

• Draw, label, and write sentences about art materials, processes, and personal artwork. 
• Write narratives about imaginary animals and insects.
• MLL supports: modeling, use of home language, pre-teaching vocabulary, visual resources, varied questions, sentence starters, multi-modality tasks, collaborative tasks, total physical response (TPR), Language Experience Approach (LEA)�

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Collage and Collagraph: Imaginary Animals and Insects

In this unit, students will explore cutting, tearing, and arranging paper to make collages. They will learn that rolling ink onto a collaged surface and pressing it against paper can transfer a collage image to make a collagraph print.

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Overview of Goals

• Students will be able to experiment with cutting, tearing, and arranging paper.
• Students will learn that the art technique of cutting and gluing paper is called collage.
• Students will be able to create a collage that demonstrates manipulation of cut shapes to represent an imaginary subject.
• Students will be able to observe and combine shapes to represent a subject.
• Students will be able to roll ink onto a collaged surface with a brayer and transfer it to paper to make a print.
• Students will be able to write narratives about their imaginary animals or insects.

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Resources

Art Materials

Ebony pencils, oil pastels, drawing paper, colored paper, sketchbooks, colored cardstock, scissors, glue, paste brushes, block printing ink, brayers

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Reference Materials

• Swimmy by Leo Leonni 
• Photographs of animals and insects

MLL Strategies

Vocabulary

Tear, arrange, collage, printmaking, 

brayer, ink, observation, texture, detail, geometric shapes, body parts of animals and insects

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General Inquiry and Reflection Questions

• What is the same or different about two artworks? 
• Describe the experience of tearing paper.
• Why would an artist choose to make a print instead of a drawing or collage?

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Writing Prompts

Student will use sequential words (first, then, finally) to write about their art-making process.

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MLL Strategies

Modeling, use of home language, drawing and labeling, pre-teaching vocabulary, visual resources, varied questions, sentence starters, multi-modality tasks, collaborative tasks, TPR, LEA

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Lesson 1: Art Making—Exploring Lines

Objective 

Students will be able to draw different types of lines using Ebony pencils.

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Activity

We will use Ebony drawing pencils to explore drawing different types of lines.

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Steps

1. Discuss and identify different kinds of lines in the classroom.
2. Demonstrate using Ebony pencils to draw light and dark lines, then a variety of lines. 
3. Have students explore drawing light and dark, then a variety of lines.

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Materials/Resources 

• Ebony pencils
• Drawing paper

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling
• Multi-modal approach: Students see a vocabulary word, say the word, make the line in the air with their hand (TPR) and draw it on their paper. 

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Vocabulary

Straight, curvy, bumpy, wavy, zigzag, spiral, thick, thin, dotted 

Lesson 1: Discussion, Writing, and Sketchbook Prompts

Speaking Prompt 

Students will reflect on their line drawings and what their lines remind them of. They will use the following sentence starter:

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This line reminds me of ______. 

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Writing Prompt

Teacher will transcribe the class discussion into a paragraph of text.

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Sketchbook Prompt

Students will start a sketchbook practice. They will draw six equal boxes on their paper and use lines and marks to create a visual texture related to a different animal in each box.

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Teacher can provide prompts for visual textures, such as soft, fluffy, furry, etc.
• LEA: shared writing
• Students will repeat vocabulary words as they are introduced.
• Instructions will be broken down into three steps.
• Teacher will create a chart with each type of line labeled.

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Lesson 2: Art Making—Torn-Paper Collage

Objective 

Students will be able to make shapes by tearing paper, trying out different arrangements of shapes, and gluing shapes using a brush.

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Activity

We will make a collage from torn-paper shapes and glue.

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Steps

1. Discuss changing paper using our hands as tools.
2. Demonstrate tearing different shapes, exploring different ways of arranging pieces, then gluing them.
3. Have students tear shapes, explore different arrangements, then glue.

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Materials/Resources 

• Colored paper
• Glue in cups
• Brushes

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling
• Use of song to learn proper gluing technique

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Vocabulary

Collage, tear, geometric shapes, next to, underneath, overlap

Lesson 2: Discussion, Writing, and Sketchbook Prompts

Speaking Prompt 

Students will look closely at their collage and turn it around in different directions. They will discuss the following questions:

• What do the shapes in your collage remind you of?
• How do the shapes change as you turn your paper?

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Writing Prompt

• Students will choose two shapes in their collage and answer the following question: How could you describe each shape?
• Write a sentence for each shape, using the following sentence starter:�One shape is _____.�The other shape is _____.�Example: One shape is long and bumpy and has a curved line.

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Sketchbook Prompt

Students will draw both shapes in their sketchbook.

• What do they remind you of? �Label them using words from the word bank.

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Geometric and organic shape charts
• Sentence starters
• Word bank

Lesson 3: Art Making—Cut-Shapes Collage

Objective 

Students will be able to make shapes by cutting paper, then arrange and glue these to make a collage.

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Activity

We will make a collage from cut-paper shapes. 

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Steps

1. Discuss shapes made during the last lesson and how different shapes can be made using scissors.
2. Demonstrate scissor use and explore "drawing with scissors" to create a variety of shapes.
3. Have students cut, then arrange and glue their shapes.

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Materials/Resources 

• Colored paper
• Scissors
• Glue in pots
• Brushes

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling
• Pre-teaching vocabulary
• Use of home language

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Vocabulary

Geometric shapes, square, circle, oval, rectangle, triangle

Lesson 3: Discussion, Writing, and Sketchbook Prompts

Speaking Prompt

Students will choose two shapes in their collage and discuss the following questions:

• How did you make these two shapes?
• What lines did you cut?
• How did you arrange your shapes on the background paper?

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Writing Prompt

Students will write about these two shapes.

• How are the shapes different?
• How are the shapes the same?�One shape has ________ and the other shape has ________.
• How are your shapes arranged? �In my collage, the shapes are arranged _______.

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Sketchbook Prompt

Students will make a drawing of their collage using colored pencils.

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Charts of geometric and organic shapes
• Sentence starters
• Word bank

Lesson 4: Art Making—Observational Drawings of Animals and Insects

Objective 

Students will be able to draw animals and insects from close observation, looking for shapes that can be combined to make larger forms.

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Activity

We will use Ebony pencils to draw an animal or insect from observation. 

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Steps

1. Look at photographs of animals and insects. With students, break down the different shapes that make up the body, head, legs etc. Identify details and textures.
2. Demonstrate drawing an animal or insect from observation, starting with large shapes and using lines to add details and textures.
3. Have students draw their animals or insects, starting with large shapes, adding details (fur, spots, eyes, ears) and different lines to show texture (rough, smooth, furry, etc.).

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Materials/Resources 

• Ebony pencils
• Paper
• Resource: photographs of animals and insects

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling

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Vocabulary

Observation, texture, detail

Lesson 4: Discussion, Writing, and Sketchbook Prompts

Speaking Prompt

Students will look at photographs of real animals and insects and discuss what is unique about each one. 

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Writing Prompt

In their sketchbooks, students will label the parts of their imaginary animals.

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Sketchbook Prompt

Students will use their sketchbooks to create imaginary animals by mixing parts of different animals and insects together.

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Visual support
• Teacher makes a chart labeling pictures with words for different animal and insect parts

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Vocabulary

Imaginary, body, head, feet, eyes, ears, claws, wings, fins, thorax, antenna, horn, fur

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Lesson 5: Art Making—Collagraph Animals and Insects (Large Shapes)

Objective 

Students will be able to cut and glue large shapes to create a collagraph printing plate of their animal.

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Activity

We will begin to create collagraph printing plates of our animal.

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Steps

1. Demonstrate the process of inking and pulling a print. 
2. Demonstrate creating an animal that will be printed, attaching the largest shapes first (body, legs, and head). 
3. Have students cut, arrange, and assemble the large parts of their animal.

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Materials/Resources 

• Colored cardstock paper
• Scissors
• Glue in cups
• Brushes

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling
• Pre-teaching vocabulary
• Visual aids

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Vocabulary

Printing plate, ink

Lesson 5: Discussion, Writing, and Sketchbook Prompts

Speaking Prompt

Students will look at the drawing of their imaginary animal and the start of their printing plate.  Brainstorm as a class what details they can add during the next class.

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Writing Prompt

Students will write down two to four details they want to add to their animal, using the following sentence starter:

• Next time I will add _______ and ________.

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They will then consider what kinds of lines or shapes they will cut to make these details.

• I will use _______lines and _______shapes to add details.

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling
• Strategic partnering: language buddy
• Line and shape charts
• Vocabulary words for animal parts

Lesson 6: Art Making—Collagraph Animals and Insects (Details)

Objective 

Students will be able to identify and add details to their imaginary animal.

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Activity

We will cut and glue small shapes to make the details for our animals.

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Steps

1. Brainstorm details of animals as a group.
2. Have students plan at least two details to add to their animal, such as eyes, ears, nose, claws, fur, spots, or fins.
3. Demonstrate cutting and layering small shapes to make details. Let students know not to layer more than two shapes for printing.
4. Have students cut, arrange, and glue details to their animal.

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Materials/Resources 

• Colored cardstock paper
• Scissors
• Glue in cups
• Brushes

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling
• Pre-teaching vocabulary
• Visual aids

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Vocabulary

Printmaking, animal body part words: fur, fins, claws, antenna

Lesson 6: Discussion, Writing, and Sketchbook Prompts

Speaking Prompt

Students will turn and talk with a partner about how they made their printing plates, using the following sentence starters if necessary:

• First, I _______.
• Then, I _______.
• Finally, I _______.

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Sketchbook Prompt

Students will draw what they created for their printing plate.

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Writing Prompt

Students will write the steps of their process in their sketchbooks.

• First, I _______.
• Then, I _______.
• Finally, I _______.

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling
• LEA
• Pre-teaching vocabulary words

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Lesson 7: Art Making—Printing

Objective 

Students will be able to follow steps to begin printing their collagraph plates.

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Activity

We will print our collagraph plates. Two students will print at a time.

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Steps

1. Demonstrate printing process again and discuss procedure for class printing: two students at a time with an adult.
2. Have students take turns printing.
3. Have students who are not printing draw a picture of their imaginary animal in a habitat (desert, Arctic, rainforest, grasslands, etc.) 

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Materials/Resources 

• Brayer
• Block printing ink
• Trays
• Colored paper 

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling
• Pre-teaching vocabulary
• Visual aids

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Vocabulary

Habitat, brayer, ink, printmaking

Lesson 7: Discussion, Writing, and Sketchbook Prompts

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Speaking Prompt:

Teacher will read aloud the book Swimmy by Leo Lionni while students follow along in their own copy. Stop on some pages to discuss the habitat in the story, as well as connections to students’ own artmaking.

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Sketchbook Prompt

Students will imagine a habitat or environment for their animal and sketch two different ideas in their sketchbooks.

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Writing Prompt

Students will write down ideas about their animal’s habitat or environment, using the following prompts:

• What is the weather where your animal lives?
• Is the place hot or cold?
• Does your animal live in a jungle, forest, desert, ocean, or city, etc.?

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling
• Shared texts

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Lesson 8: Art Making—Collage Elements for Collaborative Mural

Objective 

Students will be able to identify elements of animal and insect habitats and collage these.

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Activity

We will make small collaged elements to

go with our imaginary animals.

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Steps

1. Revisit reflection writing and discuss where animals and insects live.
2. Demonstrate using collage to make different parts of habitats, such as plants, caves, rocks, houses, etc.
3. Have students make collaged habitat elements and finish printing, if needed.

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Materials/Resources 

• Colored paper
• Scissors
• Glue in pots
• Brushes

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling
• Visual aids

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Vocabulary

Habitat, collage, printmaking

Lesson 8: Discussion, Writing, and Sketchbook Prompts

Speaking Prompt

Students will turn and talk with a partner about their imaginary animal as a character. Students can look at and refer to their prints while they talk, using the following prompts:

• What is your animal’s name?
• Where does your animal live?
• What does your animal like to do?

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Writing Prompt

Students will start developing a story about their animal, answering the following prompts:

• My animal’s name is _______.
• My animal lives in ________.
• My animal likes to _________.

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Sketchbook Prompt

Students will make a detailed drawing of their animal in their environment/habitat.

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling
• Visual aids
• Sentence starters

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Lesson 9: Art Making—Assembling the Mural

Objective 

Students will be able to perform different roles to work collaboratively on a group mural.

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Activity

We will cut out our prints and make additional collaged elements to create a mural background.

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Steps

1. Look at large mural paper and brainstorm ideas with students about habitats.
2. Make a plan with students about the mural.
3. Have students cut out their animal prints and continue making collaged elements for the mural.
4. Have small groups of students begin adding printed animals and collaged elements to the mural.

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Materials/Resources 

• Colored paper
• Scissors
• Glue in pots
• Brushes
• Mural paper

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling
• Visual aids

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Vocabulary

Habitat, collage, printmaking

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Lesson 9: Discussion, Writing, and Sketchbook Prompts

Speaking Prompt

Students will continue developing a story about their imaginary animal by brainstorming ideas with a partner.

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Writing Prompt

Students will create a story map that introduces their character, their habitat or environment, the problem the character faces, and the solution the character finds to their problem.

Sketchbook Prompt

Students will think about the problem and solution in their story and make two drawings in their sketchbooks to show what happens.

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Word wall with art vocabulary and photographs
• Story map
• Sentence starters

Lesson 10: Art Making—Completing the Mural

Objective 

Students will be able to work collaboratively to finish their mural.

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Activity

We will add the animal prints and small collaged elements to the mural background.

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Steps

1. Look at the mural together and decide what is needed to complete it.
2. Have students make additional elements, if needed, and add all animal prints and collage elements to create a habitat/environment.

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Materials/Resources 

• Colored paper
• Scissors
• Glue in pots
• Brushes

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Modeling
• Visual aids

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Vocabulary

Habitat, collage, printmaking

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Lesson 10: Discussion, Writing, and Sketchbook Prompts

Speaking Prompt

Students will turn and talk with a partner to share the story of their animal. They will receive feedback from their partner to revise and edit.

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Writing Prompt

Students will make final revisions and edits and publish their animal stories.

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Sketchbook Prompt

Students will make a drawing of their finished collagraph print in their sketchbook, including an environment for the animal.

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MLL Objectives and Strategies

• Word wall with art vocabulary and visuals
• Sentence starters
• Strategic partnering: language buddy

Exhibition

Students will observe and discuss the artwork made throughout the residency. Students will share their imaginary animals and insects and make a drawing of a classmate’s work.

• Students spend a few minutes looking at the exhibition. They show a partner one piece of artwork they are interested in.
• Students tell a partner one thing they want people to know about their piece.
• Students share something new they learned to do.

Art Supplies

Ebony pencils

Oil pastels

Drawing paper

Colored paper

Sketchbooks

Colored card stock

Scissors

Glue

Glue brushes

Block printing ink

Brayers

Collagraph Animals

Written by Traci Talascoand Florence Gidez, Artist Instructors

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Lesson Development

Julie Applebaum, Senior Director

Belinda Blum, Artist Instructor   

Andrea Burgay, Artist Instructor 

Traci Talasco, Artist Instructor 

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