ELEMENTARY

Linda Schober

One of the main concepts I cover throughout the year with my third-grade students is the difference between geometric and organic shapes and forms. We start with 2D exercises and projects progressing into 3D concepts. What started as a basic spin on a pinch pot grew with monstrous proportions into a meaningful project involving much more than clay.

I knew that students had already made a basic pinch pot in second grade, but I wanted to show them that the pinch pot could be the foundation for other sculptures. Through a clay demonstration, I showed them that a pinch pot could be made into a monster head by placing the pot upside down like a dome. Or, the pot could be squished and placed on its side so the pot opening becomes a mouth.

What started as a basic spin on a pinch pot grew with monstrous proportions into a meaningful project involving much more than clay.

At this point, students made some sketches and decided what the orientation of their monster head would be and what they would add to their creature to make it their own. Students did a one-day build based on their sketches and later glazed the monster heads.

While a monster head is fun, placing a monster in an environment creates endless possibilities and creative scenarios. Students were asked to develop a 3D environment for their creation using cardstock, glue, tape, markers, paint, and other miscellaneous materials. I was impressed with how they tackled this challenge. Some of the environments included a monster under the bed, arguing with a big sock, at a park, at a birthday party, and fishing in a lake.

Although students started with only a folded piece of cardstock, they were required to create a foreground, middle ground and background pop-up or pop-out to further create the illusion of space. Students were really engaged in the building process, so I allowed extra time as needed. Combined with a critique, writing exercise, and an evaluation, this is where the project was originally supposed to end, but then it occurred to me that using iMotion, a stop animation app, and iMovie, I could incorporate technology into this project. As I say to all of my young students, “You are a generation of technology,” and rightfully so! Students loved adding the technology aspect to this project, and they pulled it off with thoughtful execution and endless creativity.

Before creating the iMotion and iMovie video, students were required to complete a storyboard containing quick sketches and written descriptions of what the scene would be and what dialogue would be included, reinforcing the concept of sequencing. The completed iMovie needed to contain the following: title slide, sound theme, sound effects, and dialogue, which they achieved by speaking into the microphone. Students could work independently or in a group. I was impressed with how students took this project and ran with it. Nearly every student completed at least two movies, and many of those movies contained more than two teammates.

It can be challenging to find a project that every student is completely excited about and invested in; this one fits the bill. Their creative approaches were outstanding. We had monsters flying through space, jumping across a basketball court, playing hide and go seek, escaping tornados, and visiting an amusement park.

Students completed a personal reflection and self-evaluation during each phase of the project. While it took longer than anticipated and contained a lot of moving parts, at the end of the year, when I asked students to fill out a form ranking the projects that they completed throughout the year, the monster project had 100% acceptance!

Linda Schober is an art teacher at Hoffman Elementary School in Glenview, Illinois.
Monstrously More than a Pinch Pot