Create-A-Bot!
An assemblage and painting lesson using found
objects and recycled materials to make
Recycled Robots
FAEA 2013 – Daytona Beach, FL
October 10-13, 2013
Presenter: Steve Miller, Grassy Waters Elementary
steve.miller.1@palmbeachschools.org
Grade Level(s): 2-5
Assemblage, sculpture, collage, cardboard construction, painting
Objectives and Goals:
1. The purpose of this lesson is to enhance the students’ creative and fine
motor skill development and visual perception to create a unique, one of a
kind piece of art.
2. The students will work individually to plan and create a robot from found
objects/ junk/ scrap materials and or recycled product packaging.
3. The students will develop a story about their robot and present them to
their classmates.
4. The students will also learn about the importance of recycling to help their
environment.
5. This focuses on reducing, reusing and recycling.
6. This lesson has a science and art focus with connections to language arts,
social studies and math.
Materials:
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Scrap mat board or cardboard for the robot background
Pre-cut scarps of mat board and cardboard
Recycled materials
Scraps of objects: bottle caps, broken jewelry, old phone parts, computer
parts, keys, nuts and bolts, wires
5. Other recycled/scrap materials as available
6. Small containers to place materials in
7. Aluminum foil – optional to add that metallic robot look
8. Elmer’s Glue or tacky glue
9. Scissors
10. glue gun and glue sticks (for teacher use)
11. paper
12. Permanent markers
Preparation: The teacher should pre-cut the card board and mat scraps to be
used to create the bodies of the robots. Another convenient method would be sort
all recycled materials that are allowed to be used for details to be placed in
shallow cardboard boxes (the tops of copy paper boxes work great).
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Please note that this lesson can be used as an extension lesson to a 2D
drawing lesson incorporating shapes and forms. I have included a few of my
students’ examples of their completed projects.
Procedures: The lesson can be divided into as many sessions as you feel
appropriate. It all depends on the amount of time you have for each class and the
amount of details you would like the robots to have. My classes are 30 minutes
each and it took 3 class periods to achieve the results. As a note make sure you
leave ample storage space to place the robots to dry. Make sure the students
know that the lesson is not who can build the tallest robot using the materials as
that will make it very difficult for storage.
The students prepare and begin to glue the basic robots shapes that they arranged
from the cardboard and mat board scraps. This is the foundation step for this
lesson. I started off making sure the robots had a solid torso shape. This allowed
the students to begin to extend their materials from here. Encourage the
students to make the robots arms look as if they are moving and not placed
straight down on the side of the robot.
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At this step all of the students will now use the provided materials to add the
details. All extras should be placed in the cardboard box or plastic container on
each table. This is where it looks as if the robots come alive. The students can use
several materials and glue them to create a realistic looking robot. Remind the
students that the small objects used will really need to be glued and the Elmer’s
glue does dry clear. When completed set aside to dry. This step can take as long
as you allow depending on the results you are looking for.
Secondary Lesson: Painted Robots combining form, value and printing
This lesson uses a combination of the art elements and principles of design. You
will see that this painting and printing lesson combines a lot of math and art
standards. This is divided into what I call mini lessons. You can choose to follow
the steps or skip them to create your own completed robots. I first review and
introduce shapes and forms, turning 2D shapes into 3D forms. The students follow
along the teacher directed drawing lesson as I use my document camera to
complete a step by step drawing lesson. For this drawing we use the 12x18 drawing
paper and a black crayon to begin drawing the forms. I encourage the students to
draw some of them off the paper. Once the forms are completed and the students
have drawn their robots it is time to introduce the painting lesson. This will be a
value painting assignment. Each part of the robot will be painted a value shade of
the color given to each table or you can allow the students to choose. Complete
painting and let dry. For the next lesson the printing process is introduced. I have
already prepared each table with some printing materials and the black and white
tempera paint. Each student will now begin to use the gadgets to print the shapes
onto their completed robots. See completed examples. Once dry I have each
student choose the complimentary color of paper.
Another lesson that can be completed using recycled materials is the Recycled
Packing Robots. I collect boxes, containers, cardboard with colors usually from
the aftercare because of snack time. I pre-cut all of the boxes into many varied
sizes that can be used to make a robot. The students will use the packaging and
recycle them while creating a robot. They can cut the cardboard to make any
shape or size they need. This is a great way to show how to reduce, reuse and
recycle all product packing. See completed examples.
Vocabulary:
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6.
Recycle
Assemblage
Collage
Sculpture
Found-Object
Shape - Two-dimensional (2D)
7. Form - Three-dimensional (3D)
8. Narrative
9. Printing
Resources - (Art Visuals & Literacy Connections): various art visuals of posters
placed around the art room showing examples of robots, assemblages from various
artists, recycled materials.
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Robot Drawing Book by Ralph Masiello
Recycled Robots by Robert Malone
The Robot Book by Heather Brown
Robot Eyewitness books by Roger Bridgman
The Robot and the Bluebird by David Lucus
Discussion Questions:
 What is Recycling?
 How do you recycle?
 Why is it important to recycle?
 What is a found object?
 What are robots made of?
 What are robots used for?
 Have you ever seen a robot?
Evaluation:
1. Did the student use the class time appropriately in order to complete their
robot?
2. Is the understanding of the vocabulary evident in the work?
3. Is the robot well thought out and executed?
4. Does the narrative fir the robot?
Visual Art Standards:
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VA.5.S.1.2 – Use media, technology, and other resources to inspire
personal art making decisions.
VA.5.S.2.3 – Visualize the end product to justify artistic choices of tools,
techniques, and processes.
VA.5.S.3.1 – Use materials, tools, techniques, and processes to achieve
expected results in two and/or three-dimensional artworks.
VA.5.S.3.3 - Use materials, tools, techniques, and processes in a safe and
responsible manner.
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VA.5.O.1.3 – Explain how creative and technical ability to produce a work
of art.
VA.5.O.3.1 – Create meaningful and unique works of art to effectively
communicate and document a personal voice.
VA.5.H.2.2 – Describe the ways in which artworks and utilitarian objects
impact everyday art.
Students understand and use similarities and differences between characteristics
of the visual arts and other arts disciplines.