Elementary

Collage by Ranaya Hayes-Jenkins, grade eleven. Created with found imagery sourced from various magazines.

The Essential Questions
In what ways can images impact our perception?

Objective
Students will produce a collage using found imagery to tell a story.

Materials
scissors or craft knives, glue sticks, 12 x 12" (30 x 30 cm) white sulphite drawing paper, zip-top plastic storage bags

Procedures
1. Students brainstorm ways to address their own symbolism, identity, and story through a collage.
2. Students look through magazines, newspapers, discarded library books, and their own drawings to find images that communicate their ideas. Creative Commons and Google Images are great resources for finding free-to-use images.
3. Using scissors or craft knives, students cut and remove the selected images and store them in a zip-top bag.
4. Students assemble their story collages, arranging the images before gluing them in place.
5. Overall compositions should be seamless with one image transitioning to another.

Assessment
Students will engage in small group critiques and discuss their symbolic arrangements.

Frank Juárez is an art teacher at Sheboygan North High School in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.