Lesson 1 Ж Infants and First Class
Me and the Sea: In Our Aquarium
ART ACTIVITY: Community Aquarium Collage
This activity will allow for the students to reflect on what they have learned about the individual
creatures, and to pick their “favourite”. They will use visual art to think about the shape and form,
cutting and colouring their chosen creature. By then adding these to an aquarium-based collage,
the children will have the opportunity to embed their learning by sticking their final piece on to the
right place in the aquarium habitat (e.g. rocks, sandy bottom, open water, surface). Finally, this activity allows them to experience themselves in relation to the other members of the class, as their
artistic piece becomes a unique part of the whole.
Objective:
For the students to cut, colour, draw and create an individual aquarium creature,
that will then form part of a class aquarium collage. The collage can be hung up in the area around
the aquarium, creating a constantly evolving work of community art.
Time:
20 minutes
Materials:
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Sea Creature Stencils (flatfish, blenny, starfish, hermit crab, anemone, mullet fish)
Sea Creature Colouring Pages (flatfish, blenny, starfish, hermit crab, anemone, mullet
fish)
Pre-drawn habitat (rocks, seaweed, etc) images for possible use in collage background.
A0 poster paper or other for background
Drawing/colouring materials, scissors, glue, card/paper for stencils.
Method:
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Before beginning the activity, have the collage background prepared and ready. You can use
the supplied pre-drawn habitat images to create an appropriate aquarium habitat, or use your
own creative skills! This is a nice activity for the Keepers of the Blue Marble to help with.
Review aquarium creatures (slides 8-14) with the students, as required.
Allow students to choose one, and to either trace, cut and colour in (using the stencils) or to
cut and colour (colouring pages). You may wish to ask the students to reflect on the
creatures, and pick one that they feel drawn to, or like for some particular reason.
When they have completed their drawings, invite them to come up and find their own unique
place in the aquarium. Remind them to think about where that creature might actually be
found before sticking it to the backdrop.