Kollijanni Dinh 1
1. Title
“Storytelling: Imaginative Creatures through Storytelling”
2. Knowledge of Learners
The selected age group for this lesson is nine to ten year olds. This age group classifies
into the 5th grade level. According to Dr. Viktor Lowenfeld’s stages of artistic development,
children in the 5th grade are usually going through the Schematic stage; a stage in which the
child creates a tie between an image and a concept (Day & Hurwitz, 2012). When attaching a
value or meaning to an image, the image then becomes a symbol. At this stage, children draw
what they know, not what they see. In art, these students are able to establish baselines and
skylines and can organize two-dimensional objects. There is very little overlapping in their artwork.
When composing the human form, the body is most likely made up of basic geometric shapes
such as circles, ovals, triangles, squares and rectangles. They are able to construct limbs (such
as arms and legs) with volume and they are correctly placed on the body. Proportions are drawn
relating to emotional significance and values. Exaggeration, omission, or a change of schema is
often an expression of a child’s experience. In this stage, children will begin to depict stories in
their artwork. Day and Hurwitz (2012) state that common themes include quests, races, contests,
conflicts and bonding. When encouraged, children will begin to create more detail in their artwork,
which soon results in a creation of a narrative.
3. Central Focus
The value of this lesson lies in helping children discover their ability to tell stories in a
descriptive manner through the art making process. It allows children to plan out their artwork
before creating it. In turn, this lesson encourages them to think about their final outcome in a
step-by-step planning process. Students will be able to describe their imaginative creatures as
they create each step. They will be able to understand the functions or origins of particular
features and explain why their imaginative creature may have extra limbs or why they may be a
certain texture. A story will be created through this process. Also, each student’s creature will be
individualized and original. This step-by-step process will allow the students to be imaginative in
their work.
4. Academic Language
Sculpting: the art of shaping or carving works of art in three dimensions
Texture: the physical and visual quality of a surface
Storytelling: telling a story with the use of imaginative words
Imagination: creating an idea or picture in your mind
Description: talk about what is seen in the artwork in detail by using adjectives
Coiling: moving the clay with circular or spiral motions
Slip: a mixture that consists of clay and water
Slipping: the process of using slip to ‘glue’ or join two clay pieces together after scoring
Scoring: grazing the surface of the clay with numerous lines
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Pinch Pot Method: clay shaped bowls and cups made using the pinching method
5. Lesson of Objectives
Studio Production: Students will tell stories by sculpting an imaginative creature out of clay
through a series of step-by-step processes. The students will start by creating the foundation of
the simplistic ‘pinch pot.’ Afterward, they will sculpt limbs out of shapes, create texture and add
expressive and imaginational qualities onto the clay body form. Students will create the
imaginative creatures by combining at least three animals and/or animal features such as
feathers, horns, or scales. (5th grade; 1PR, Integrate observational and technical skills to
strengthen art making).
Art History: Students will compare and contrast the artwork from the Pixar animation, Monsters,
Inc. and the book, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. They will identify the stories
behind mythological creatures from around the world, including the Chimera, Sphinx and Dragon.
Students will also understand the value of storytelling through exposure to a variety of cultures’
creatures. (5th grade; 5PE, Focus attention selected artworks to identify and pose questions
about aesthetic qualities (e.g., sensory, organizational, emotional) in the works).
Art Criticism: Students will critique their peers’ imaginative creatures, identifying qualities that
make it imaginative storytelling. Students will write a short paragraph describing their creature.
Students will be able to express why their imaginative creature has a different texture or specific
expression. Students will also be able to give their own interpretation of their peer’s artwork. (5th
Grade: 1RE, Apply reasoning skills to analyze and interpret the meanings in artworks).
Art Aesthetics: Students will identify how the imagination is a vehicle for telling vivid stories and
creating imaginary creatures. Students will also be able to point out the imaginative qualities in
their own artwork as well as their peers’ work. (5th grade; 2RE, Describe how personal
experiences can influence artistic preferences).
6. Visual Resources

Monsters, Inc. Trailer
o Pixar Animation Studios, 2001.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IBNZ6O2kMk

Character Line Up & Simple Shape Vocabulary
o Ricky Nierva, To Infinity and Beyond, The Story of Pixar Animation, p.
181

The Background Monster Chart
o Bob Pauley, To Infinity and Beyond, The Story of Pixar Animation, p. 184

Monsters, Inc., Logo Brainstorming
o Tia W. Kratter, To Infinity and Beyond, The Story of Pixar Animation, p.
186

Mike & Sulley
o Pixar Animation Studios, 2001.
 http://runrun.es/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Disney-Pixar-MonstersInc-2-Sulley-and-Mike.jpg
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
Randall
o Pixar Animation Studios, 2001.
 http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131109221540/pixar/images/8/
86/Randall.png

Textural Wall Tile Collection
 Heather Knight
 http://www.heatherknightceramics.com/gallery.html?gallery=Textural
+Wall+Tile+Collection&folio=Gallery&vimeoUserID=&vimeoAlbumID
=#a2

Wild Rumpus!
o Maurice Sendak, Where The Wild Things Are, Pp. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
 http://paganreveries.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/wild-rumpus.jpg
 http://digitalorthodoxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/where-thewild-things-are-v-maurice-sendak.jpg
 http://www.almostallthetruth.com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/04/where-the-wild-things-are-wild-rumpus.jpg

Chimera of Arezzo
o Etruscan, Bronze Statue, 400 B.C.
 http://artislimited.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/chimera-of-arezzobronze-exhibition.jpg

Sphinx of Giza
o Egyptian, Limestone Statue, 2558 B.C.
 http://www.wondermondo.com/Images/Africa/Egypt/Giza/Sphinx.jpg

Sphinx of Naxos
o Greek, Marble Votive, 570 B.C.
 http://www.rosicrucian.org/publications/digest/digest2_2008/Web%2
0version/01_Delphi/w_01_05_Naxian-mask_clr.jpg

Chinese Dragons
 http://www.mummeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/dragon.jpg
 http://www.freegreatpicture.com/files/170/29304-chinese-dragonsculpture.jpg
7. Advanced Preparation
Introduction:
 Small Flash Cards of Adjectives and Short Descriptions
 5 Paper Lunch Bags
 4 ¼ x 5 ½ Drawing Paper
 Markers
 Colored Pencils
Motivation:
 C.O.W. w/ Digital Projector
 8 ½ x 11 Idea Generator Sheet
 No. 2 Pencils
 Colored Pencils
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Demonstration:
 Small Wooden Board
 Clay
 Potter’s Needle
 Metal or Wooden Ribs
 Felting Knives
 Metal or Plastic Forks
 Loop Tools
 Various Wooden Modeling Tools
 Cut Off Wires
 Rolling Pin
 Newspaper
 Synthetic or Sea Sponges
 Small, Clean Containers
 Water
 Acrylic Paint
 Paint Brushes
 Images of Creatures, Shapes, Features and Textures
Clean-Up:
 Moist Paper Towels
 Plastic Bags
 Clean-Up Sponges
 Water
Closure Activities:
 Loose Leaf Paper
 Pencils
8. Research
Maurice Sendak: Where The Wild Things Are
The theme of my lesson plan is Storytelling: Imaginative Creatures Telling Stories. For
my first selection, I decided to touch base on the book, Where the Wild Things Are (1963) by
Maurice Sendak. Maurice Sendak is well renowned for his children’s’ books and imaginative
illustrations. This book is famous for a range of elements. Schiller and David (2013) explain that
the book is adored by many due to the poetic style of writing, the main character’s relatable
persona, eclectically detailed illustrations and how the meaning of the book could be interpreted
in a variety of ways. This book is regarded as a classic of children’s literature. Ursula Nordstrom
stated that it was “the first American Picture Book for children to recognize that even they have
powerful feelings of anger, fear and the need to be loved” (as cited in Schiller & David, 2013,
p.195). Sendak was influenced by a variety of sources that inspired him to create his children’s
book, Where The Wild Things Are. Schiller and David (2013) revealed that Sendak pulled the
‘monstrous’ element from the movie King Kong, remembering that King Kong had frightened him
when he was a little boy. The setting of Where the Wild Things Are was influenced by George
MacDonald’s dream sequence in the book Phantasies.
Furthermore, Sendak crafted multiple renditions of the book, editing, revising and deleting
‘scenes.’ Instead of focusing on the main character’s domestic setting, Sendak dove straight into
the realm of imagination and fantasy. He omitted things such as furniture and household items to
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remove the sense of an adult presence. Sendak designed the creatures with an array of great
detail. They consisted of unlimited combinations of textures and features such as fur, horns,
feathers, scales, beaks, teeth, manes and claws. Not only were they covered in texture, but also,
rendered with vivid fusions of color (Schiller & David, 2013).
Jed Perl (1996) stated that Sendak rendered his illustrations in a “sketch- like” style (p.
31), utilizing watercolors and dark outlines, to acquire impactful illustrations that were visually
pleasing to the eye. Perl believes that Sendak had trouble connecting the limbs to the torso and
realized that he had trouble illustrating feet and claws. However, this works to Sendak’s
advantage, allowing him to mask his imperfections with his calligraphic artistic flair and creating
his own original style. Maurice Sendak mastered the “picture book” (p. 30) and his illustrations left
audiences captivated.
Jon Cech (2014) also believed that the book, Where The Wild Things Are was able to
allow children to express powerful emotions. The book depicted a child’s mischievousness and
delved into the realm of fear, fantasy and playfulness all easily relatable to a child. Sendak based
the main character, Max on the children he observed in the neighborhoods of New York. He
believed that children must be able to conjure up the courage to resolve any fears or situations on
their own:
They are the necessary games children must conjure up to combat an awful fact of childhood: the fact of their vulnerability to fear, anger, hate, frustration—all the emotions that
are an ordinary part of their lives and that they can perceive only as ungovernable and
dangerous forces. To master these forces, children turn to fantasy: that imagined world
where disturbing emotional situations are solved to their satisfaction. Through fantasy,
Max, the hero of my book, discharges his anger against his mother, and returns to the
real world sleepy, hungry, and at peace with himself. (M. Sendak, as cited in Cech, 2014,
p. 104)
Cech believed that there are only a few authors that are capable of tapping into a child’s
collective consciousness, through story telling. He claimed that many people agreed that
Sendak’s book was distinguished, memorable and identified with the story’s main character. Cech
states that the book is symbolic in its own right. “Wild Things,” relate to the untamed, pre-societal
nature. We all have the urge as humans, to act out on a wild rumpus! Cech observed that Sendak
did not condemn or moralize Max’s mischievous behavior. He just let the main character venture
into his own world to relieve himself of his frustrations, “Let the wild rumpus start!” (Sendak, 1963,
p. 20) and let Max decide for himself when to call it a night and retreat back to a state of
calmness (Cech, 2014).
Monsters, Inc.
Created by Anderson, Docter, Silverman and Unkrick (2001), the Disney Pixar Animation
Monsters, Inc. is about a corporation in the bustling city of a world of monsters, Monstropolis.
Monstropolis is parallel universe behind the closet doors of children around the world. The
company Monsters, Inc., has employed monsters to enter the human world through a closet door
and scare children in the middle of the night. They do this in order to collect their screams, which
are a vital source of energy that fuels the entire monster world. Since children are believed to be
toxic, the monsters can enter a child’s room and scare them but cannot touch them.
The story line in Monsters, Inc. focuses on the lives of James P. Sullivan (otherwise
known as Sulley) and his good friend Mike Wazowski who are both employed at Monsters, Inc.
Sulley works as a “Scarer” and has a reputation for being “Top Scarer” at the company. The
story’s antagonist is Randall Boggs, the rival and competitor of Sulley. The plot revolves around
a child unknowingly entering the monster world through a closet door left open by Randall. The
entire city of Monstropolis becomes frantic and panics when the news surfaces that there is a
human child on the loose. Sulley discovers the child, affectionately nick-names her “Boo,” and
protects her from being apprehended by Randall and the authorities. Sulley and Mike try their
best to return Boo to the human world but are stopped by Randall and Monsters, Inc. chairman
Henry J. Waternoose. Sulley and Mike find out that Randall and Waternoose were harboring a
torture device called “the scream extractor.” This machine would increase the profits and revenue
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of Monsters, Inc. by continuously extracting screams from a single child rather than gathering
them using the conventional method. Mike and Sully overcome their nemeses, leaving Randall
trapped in the human world and Waternoose arrested by the CDA (Child Detection Agency) in
Monstropolis. Sulley then becomes the head chairman of Monsters, Inc. and find that a child’s
laughter is more powerful and can generate more energy than screams. Instead of collecting
screams from children, he changes the structure of Monster’s Inc. so that the workers collect the
laughter of children.
Within this world of monsters, each has his or her own personality. These monsters do
not just grunt and groan; they have human like qualities such as expressive emotion and spirit.
Sulley has a kind, protective, and a warm dad-like personality. His appearance also expresses
this perfectly. Sulley had the body of big foot, the limbs of a dinosaur and the facial features of a
dog. He was furry and bulky bipedal creature, sporting a spiked back, horns, claws, a dinosaur
tail and blue and purple spots. Mike was comical, narcissistic and hotheaded. Mike looked like an
alien Cyclops. He had a round, smooth, spherical body with one eye, claws and gangly, skinny
limbs. Randall’s personality was devious, snake like, and malicious. He was serpent-like and
even moved with serpentine locomotion. Randall had pointy teeth, sneering eyes, multiple limbs,
like that of an insect and he had the ability to change colors like a chameleon. Waternoose had
the appearance of a spider mixed with an octopus. He was round, plump and had skin folds
suggesting that he was of old age.
In a filmmaker’s roundtable discussion of Monsters, Inc.
(http://www.pixar.com/features_films/MONSTERS,-INC.#Film-Trailers/node/3948) a member of
Pixar stated that before there was a main story line of Monster’s Inc. there was a backstory. Pixar
came up with competitors of Monsters, Inc. called Fear Co. and Scare Master. Fear Co. was a
company that scared children from under the bed and Scare Master was a company that scared
children from their basement. The storyline for some of the sequences was based on improv
performed by Pixar’s writers pairing up as Mike and Sulley. By doing improv, the writers were
able to be more sporadic in the imaginative and creative processes.
Pixar Animation Studios also called on different artists to create various background
monsters. Pixar made a lot of “Sulley Models” and he went through various changes. Originally,
Sulley didn’t have a nose and he had tentacles instead of two legs but the tentacles didn’t seem
organic. “Pixar did not want guys running around in suits” (Pixar Animation Studios, 2001,
http://www.pixar.com/features_films/MONSTERS,-INC.#Film-Trailers/node/3948). Instead, Pixar
wanted the characters to be believable and not to look like a human trotting around in a monster
costume but rather to function the way real monsters would function. Pixar wanted the animators
to take advantage of the freedom and creativity that accompanies the concept of monsters and
push the concept.
Mythological Creatures
Throughout history, storytelling has always been a significant form of artistic expression
as well as communication. There are many tales from around the world that tell of mystical beasts
and fabulous creatures. From Ancient Greece to China, tales of extraordinary beings have been
passed down that have had a major impact on culture and society. The creative and colorful
nature of these stories brings the elements of magic and enchantment to life. The beloved
creatures found in these stories were collected and compiled in books called bestiaries.
In Ancient Greece, many Greeks believed that the world was ruled by countless Gods
and Goddesses. Greeks worshiped these deities and passed their beliefs on to later generations.
Over time, these beliefs turned into myths and the myths evolved into legends. Among these
stories were accounts of strange and fascinating beasts. “Some of these are like characters from
a beautiful dream; others are simply amusing or bizarre. But there are also fearsome beasts and
hideous monsters so terrible and grotesque that they seem drawn from our deepest, darkest
nightmares” (Curlee, 2008, p. 1). Each beast or creature comes with its own fantastical story
describing their place in history and how they behave.
In Greek mythology some creatures were part human and part beast. The God of nature,
Pan, had the torso of a man and his bottom half was that of a goat complete with hooves and
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horns. Centaurs also possessed a human upper-half attached to the body of a horse. Like most
of these types of creatures, their appearance reflected their temperament or personality. The
Centaurs exhibited civilized traits as well as feral, wild-like behavior. Contrary to the others, the
Minotaur bore the head and legs of a bull but retained a human-like torso. Medusa, one of the
three gorgons, unlike her sisters, was beautiful. However, in place of hair, her head was covered
with deadly snakes. A single gaze into her eyes turned any mortal into stone.
Some creatures in Greek mythology had bodies made up of several different creatures.
One of the most popular of these creatures was the Chimera. The Chimera was composed of
three animals. It had a head of a lion at its front with a goat head protruding from its torso and a
snake-like tail. The Chimera was a powerful creature that could not be defeated because of its
thick, leathery hide. Another creature of similar physiological diversity was the Sphinx. The
Sphinx had the body of a lioness, the head of a beautiful woman and wings of a large bird. She
was always seen at the gates of Thebes; she was placed by the gods at the entrance to prevent
any trespassers from entering. The Sphinx asked a riddle to anyone who approached the gates. If
they answered correctly, they could pass, but if they were wrong they would be killed and eaten.
Not all creatures were horrible like the chimera and the sphinx. Pegasus was a gallant horse with
great wings. He spawned from the tides when Medusa was defeated and her blood mixed with
the sea. “Pegasus was wild and spirited, snowy white, with blazing eyes and golden hooves and
his great silvery wings were tipped with golden feathers” (Curlee, 2008, p. 28).
In Chinese mythology, the Dragon was revered as the most powerful creature in all of the
land. “It is a symbol of strength, goodness and the spirit of change” (Roberts, 2010, p. 32). The
earliest dragons depicted in Chinese folklore looked like wingless serpents that could fly with the
power of magic. These dragons were helpful to mankind. They brought rain to crops and provided
villages and cities with rivers. It was believed that even the gods rode on the backs of dragons
that flew across the seas to far away lands and into the heavens. Dragons even had the ability to
shape shift and alter their size. An ancient Chinese dictionary that dates back to 200 A.D.
described three types of mythical dragons: The Long was the most powerful and dominated the
sky, the Li was hornless and dwelled in the ocean depths and the serpent-like Chiao lived on the
mountain tops. Unlike western culture, eastern dragons were viewed as holy creatures. In the
Chinese culture, depictions of dragons were seen everywhere. They were painted on doors of
temples for protection and embroidered on robes of high officials or royals. They were even
painted on porcelain and everyday objects. Dragons were extremely deep rooted in the Chinese
culture.
9. Motivation & Procedures
Introduction: At the beginning of the lesson, I will have the students draw flash cards out
of 6 bags. These flash cards will have adjectives and short descriptions written on them. Each
bag will have a category of its own. They will pick one card from the shape, texture, and emotion
bags and two cards from the features and adjectives bags. The students will pair one adjective
with each selected feature. Once they have selected their descriptions and adjectives, they will
draw an imaginary creature on a 4 ¼ x 5 ½ piece of paper relating to the words by using colored
pencils and markers. After they are finished drawing their image, the students will make up a
short bio for their creature including name, place of origin, hobbies, etc. I will ask a volunteer to
show his or her drawn creature and tell the class the name of their creature, describe briefly their
creature's personality and what its hobbies are. I will then ask the class to describe their
classmate’s monster by asking a series of questions such as, "What kind of features does their
creature have? Can you describe the textures on their bodies? What kind of expressions do they
have on their faces? Are they happy, sad or angry?” The students will answer these questions
using descriptive adjectives. This activity will approximately take ten minutes. After the class has
answered these questions, I will tell them that they will be able to create their own imaginative
creatures through storytelling, using clay! 
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Motivation: With a slideshow presentation using Prezi, I will present the students with a
diverse range of imaginative creatures.


First Slide: Video clip of Monsters, Inc.
 Once I am finished with my opening activity, I will bring the class'
attention to the screen projector. I will use Prezi to present my motivation
and slides. For my first slide, I have decided to use a clip from Monsters,
Inc. to get the students thinking about the different possibilities of how
monsters can appear.

Before I show the clip, I will tell the class that Monsters, Inc. is a
company in the city of Monstropolis. Monstropolis is parallel universe
behind the closet doors of children around the world. The company
Monsters, Inc., has employed monsters to enter the human world
through a closet door and scare children in the middle of the night. They
do this in order to collect their screams, which are a vital source of
energy that fuels the entire monster world. Since children are believed to
be toxic, the monsters can enter a child’s room and scare them but
cannot touch them. This clip is particularly important to the lesson
because it shows a diverse set of monsters.

There are monsters of different textures, shapes and sizes and each of
them are unique and original. After I show the clip, I will ask the class,
"What kind of monsters did you see? What shapes and textures did you
see? Did you see any interesting features? If so, like what? What kind of
expressions did they have on their faces?
Second: Monsters, Inc., Process of creating monsters using basic shapes
o Character Line Up
o Simple shape vocabulary
 “So here, we have a diagram of a character line up by Ricky Nierva.
This lineup consists of the main characters from Monsters, Inc.”
o

“When first looking at these creatures, their shapes look complex. But if
we take a closer look, we can see here that these creatures are made up
of basic shapes.”

“Can anyone point out the shapes listed? What other basic shapes do
you think we could use to create a creature?”
The Background Monster Chart
 “Bob Pauley, an animator at Pixar came up with an organizational chart
to list and categorize the different monsters.”

o
“Can anyone tell me how he organized these monsters?”
Monsters, Inc., Logo Brainstorming
 “Here are some quick brainstorm sketches of monsters by Tia Kratter,
another animator at Pixar.”

“A great way to come up with a monster design is to simply brainstorm
and just doodle what comes to mind.”

I will say, “See where imagination takes you. The possibilities are
endless!”
Kollijanni Dinh 9



Third: Mike, Sully & Randall
o Mike & Sulley
o Randall
 I will show the main characters of Monsters, Inc. Mike, Sulley and
Randall.

I will first start with the image of Mike. I will ask the class to first describe
him physically.

“What shape does he have? What texture does he have? Can anybody
tell me what features you see? Does he look like a mix between different
creatures or animals? What do you see? What expression does he
have? Can anybody take a guess what his personality might be like?”

I will repeat the same process with Sulley and Randall.

“The way they look and the expressions they have tell a story about their
personality.”
Fourth: Textural Wall Tile Collection
 “Now that you guys have had some practice with describing texture, I will
now show you some examples of texture you can create by using clay.”

“Here, we have images of different textures created by a ceramics artist
named Heather Knight.”

“Can anyone describe or name the different types of texture shown?
How do you think they would feel if you touched them? Does some of the
texture look like items or objects in real life? If so, like what?”
Fifth: Where The Wild Things Are
o Wild Rumpus!
 “By a show of hands, who has read Where the Wild Things Are by
Maurice Sendak?”

“For those of you who have not read the book, Where the Wild Things
Are, The book is about a boy named Max who has a playful and
mischievous personality. Due to his nature, he eventually gets into
trouble and is sent to his room.”

“Left in anger and a wild frustration, his imagination started to kick in and
it soon became a reality. His room grew into a forest and he set sail to a
land where the wild things were. There, he befriended a wide variety of
wild, imaginary beasts.

“Here are images of Max and the Wild Things acting out on a “Wild
Rumpus.”

“What kind of textures and features can you point out? What kind of
animals do you see? Are they a mixture of different types of animals? If
so, can you point out the different combinations?”
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
Sixth: Greek Mythological Creatures: Chimera, Sphinx
o Chimera
 “Like the creatures in Where the Wild Things Are, creatures in Greek
mythology were often also made up of a mixture of several animals.”

“This is the Chimera of Arezzo. It is a bronze statue made in 400 B.C.
during the Etruscan Period.”

‘What animals make up the Chimera?”


o

Someone would answer, “A lion, goat and snake.”
“The Greeks described the Chimera as powerful creature that could not
be defeated because of its thick, leathery hide.”
Sphinx
 “Another creature that was also a mixture of different animals was a
Sphinx.”

“One of the most famous Sphinxes in the world, the Sphinx of Giza lies in
Egypt.”

“This Limestone statue is the oldest known land monument in the world.”

“Here, we have the Greek Sphinx of Naxos. Unlike the Sphinx of Giza,
The Sphinx of Naxos has wings.”

“The Greek myth stated that the Sphinx had the body of a lioness, the
head of a beautiful woman and wings of a large bird. She was always
seen before the gates of Thebes. The Sphinx asked a riddle to anyone
who approached the gates. If they answered correctly, they could pass,
but if they were wrong they would be killed and eaten.”
Seventh: Chinese Dragons
 “Here we have a famous mythological creature from the other side of the
world.”

“In Chinese mythology, the Dragon was revered as the most powerful
creature in all of the land. It is a symbol of strength, goodness and the
spirit of change.”

“The earliest dragons depicted in Chinese folklore looked like wingless
serpents that could fly with the power of magic.”

“These dragons were helpful to mankind. They brought rain to crops and
provided villages and cities with rivers.”

“It was believed that even the gods rode on the backs of dragons that
flew across the seas to far away lands and into the heavens. Dragons
even had the ability to shape shift and alter its size.”
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When concluding my presentation, I will tell the class, “I hope you all have a good idea about
what creatures are made of. We now know that creatures can be made up of a combination of
other different animals, different shapes, features and textures. We also know that these
creatures have different personalities and each has a story to tell. You guys will have the
opportunity to create your own creatures by using clay and most important, your imagination!”
“I am handing out an idea generator sheet to each of you to help you get started on the design of
your imaginative creature. There are eight bubbles and listed on top of each bubble is a category.
On each table there are pencils and colored pencils to get you started.”
I will then handout a idea generator sheet to each student. The sheet will help the student plan
out and focus on each part of the monster. The sheet will have up to 8 bubbles, listing each part
of the creature: one bubble for the name, shape, limbs and emotion and two bubbles for the
features and texture. The students will take about 15 minutes to generate ideas.
Demonstration and Studio Involvement: Once the students are finished with their bubbleplanning sheet, I will begin to get started with the clay monster lesson.
First, I will teach the students the basics when creating their creature. I will proceed to
introduce to them the Pinch Pot method of forming the clay body. I will have them create
the pinch pots alongside, with me using a step-by-step process:
1. I will give each student approximately one pound of clay.
2. After, we will cut the clay in half using a rib or felting knife.
3. We will take one of the quarters and form it into a ball by tossing it from hand to hand and
patting it until it forms into the shape of a ball.
4. Once it is in a ball form, we will take our thumbs and press three-quarters of the way into
the ball.
5. Making sure the thumb and fingers are working in a unit, we will press our thumbs and
fingers onto the clay edge.
6. We will start to press at the bottom portion and once that is even we move our way up to
the middle portion and eventually the top.
7. As we continue to press, we will turn the clay body and repeat the motion until it creates a
“dome or bowl” shape, ensuring that the clay body’s width is even.
8. When “pinching,” I will have a bowl of water handy at every table. I will explain to them
that when pinching the pots, the clay might become dry and crack, so dabbing a little
water on with their finger tips or sponge will help smooth it out.
9. I will express to the students clearly that they should not press the outer rim that in result,
becomes too thin. The rim should be approximately ¾ of an inch in width.
10. After the students have made sure their pinch pot is even, they will place the pinch pot on
the table, rim side down.
11. Once they have created their first pinch pot they will create another pinch pot ensuring
that the diameter of the pots match each other.
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These pinch pots will be the final clay body pieces used to create their imaginative
creatures. This time they can experiment with shape construction: i.e. oblong, oval, square
shape.


They can mix and match shapes as long as the width and diameters of the two
pinch pots are the same.
The rims of the two pinch pots must fit together nicely.
When the two pinch pots are created, I will then teach them a slip and scoring technique to
join the two pots together successfully.
1. The students will hold one pinch pot and with a rib, or fork, the students will score the rim
of the pinch pot. I will tell them that scoring is basically grazing the surface of the clay
with lines.
2. Repeat with the second pinch pot.
3. Next, I will have them slip the scored pinch pots. I will explain to them that slip is made up
of water and clay and by “slipping” they are basically “gluing” the two pinch pots together.
4. After joining the two pots together, I will teach the class how to roll out a thin coil (by
rolling out a clay ball).
5. The thin coil will be placed along the seam of where the pinch pots are joined together.
6. The coil will then be pressed, blended and smoothed away.
7. Again, I will remind the class to use water to smooth cracks while working with the clay.
8. I will instruct the students to use a rib or felting knife to smooth out the clay body into the
desired shape.
When the students are finished creating the basis of their creature’s body, I will pass out
different picture examples of creatures or animated monsters that are made of simple
basic shapes such as ovals, oblongs, cylinders, tear drops, circles, squares or rectangles.
After the shape of the body is final and complete, I will demo the basics on how to shape
the features of the face. Features will include the eyes, mouth, ears, nose, beaks, horns,
etc.
1. I will first demo the eyes of the creature. Students have the option of creating multiple
eyes and eyes of different sizes.
2. There are two techniques I will demonstrate when making the eyes.
3. The first one will be “three-dimensional” eyes. Three-dimensional eyes are rolled out into
balls, slipped and scored and placed onto the head.
4. The second technique is “pressed in” eyes. Basically, wherever you want the eyes to be
located, the student will press in using their thumbs/fingers or a wooden spoon modeling
tool.
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5. After the eyes are created, the student will begin to create the mouth. Again, two
techniques will be demonstrated in class.
6. The first technique is the “open mouth.” This technique consists of carving out the mouth
so there is a hole in the clay body.
7. Using a wooden skewer or potter’s needle to draw on the mouth creates the open mouth
technique. After the mouth is drawn on, using a felting knife, the student will carve out the
drawn area.
8. The second technique is the closed mouth. Lips and teeth can be slipped and scored
onto the desired location of the clay body.
Once the eyes and mouth are completed, students have the option of adding on other
features. However, they must have at least three other features aside from the eyes and
mouth.
1. To create the features, I will have the students draw onto pressed pieces of clay with a
wooden skewer or potter’s needle and then cut out the shape with a felting knife.
2. After cutting out the shape with a felting knife, the students will then slip and score the
feature piece(s) onto the clay body form.
3. Once the features are added on, I will demonstrate how to create limbs. Each creature
must have two or more limbs. By using the sculpting techniques that they have learned
so far, students can get creative when creating the limbs and features.
4. I will have images of different animal limbs, as well as fictional limbs as well on each table
so the students can get a basic idea for inspiration or reference limbs will include images
of wings, arms, legs, tentacles, tails, etc.
5. The limbs can be created by using the draw and cut out, sculpting or coiling technique.
6. After the students have created their limbs, the pieces will be slipped and scored onto the
clay body form, like that of the features.

Students will be reminded about the importance of the slip and scoring technique.
Texturing will be the last step of creating the creature. The technique of texturing will add
dimension to the creature as well as hide any imperfections that came about when
handling the clay form. Texture is a requirement to this lesson. Students must have a
minimum of two textures carved or added onto their clay piece.
1. I will have images of fur, scales, animal textures, and works by Heather Knight on each
table for inspiration and reference.
2. I will demonstrate how students can create texture by using two techniques.
3. The first technique is indexical mark making. It is created by using tools to press on, poke
or draw on to create texture.
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4. The second technique is three-dimensional texture making. In this technique, texture is
created from multiple clay pieces of a similar shape or size. The pieces are then slipped
and scored and then added onto the creature's body.

A reminder that students will need to add a little water to their clay pieces of texture if
it starts to crack and dry out.
When the class has finished texturizing their clay pieces and the construction of their
creatures is complete, it is time to let their creatures dry. It will be left out to dry for a
couple of days and I will fire them in the kiln. By the next class, the students will be able to
paint their creatures.
Painting will be the last and final step upon completion of their creatures. Students will be
using acrylic paint. They can paint an additional texture if they would like. I would like
having the students be able to explain why they used a certain color. I want them to be
able to come up with imaginative reasons for why: i.e. why is their monster purple? Or
why does their creature have green teeth?
Clean up Procedures: After each completed workday, I will show the students how to wrap
their clay pieces in grocery bags.
1. First they will wet paper towels, squeeze out the excess water and place them over the
clay body.
2. The students will take a plastic grocery bag and place it over their creature and wooden
board.
3. They will then squeeze out the excess air, ensuring they do not damage their clay works
in progresses. I will have them repeat the same process with another bag.
4. Next, the students will take the handles of the bags and twist them and tie a knot. I will
explain to them that it is important to wrap their clay pieces properly so they do not dry
out.
5. The students will then carefully place their clay pieces on the shelves.
6. After they have put away their wrapped clay pieces, students must come back to their
tables, pick up the unused, excess clay pieces, and place them back in the clay bag.
7. After the pieces have been picked up from the table, students will wet a sponge and
clean their tabletop surface, making sure that the entire area is clean.
8. They will wash and dry out the sponges and afterwards they will wash and dry their
hands.
Closure Activities: Once the students’ creatures are completed, the students will write a
descriptive paragraph. The paragraph will have a minimum of 5 sentences. The students will
name their creature, describe what their monster looks like using adjectives, and create a short
story, describing where their creature lives, what he or she likes to do, etc. As the teacher, I
would set up the creatures in a display area, almost like a pretend art gallery and then host an art
critique. Students will be welcome to share their monsters and read their short stories to the class.
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Questions and interpretations will be open and welcomed. The students also have to be
respectful, kind and courteous to other students while discussing and critiquing.
10. Assessment
Studio Production
Excellent: Student was able to sculpt and mold a highly creative imaginative creature by
successfully joining two pinch pots together with two or more limbs and textures. Student
displayed a great understanding of the slip, score, and coiling technique.
Good: Student was able to sculpt and mold a creative imaginative creature by
successfully joining two pinch pots together with at least two limbs and two textures.
Student displayed an understanding of the slip, score and coiling technique.
Fair: Student was somewhat able to sculpt and mold an imaginative creature by joining
two pinch pots together with only one limb and one texture. Student somewhat displayed
an understanding of the slip, score and coiling technique.
Poor: Student was not able to sculpt and mold an imaginative creature by joining two
pinch pots together. No limbs or textures were incorporated. Student did not have an
understanding of the slip, score and coiling technique.
Art History
Excellent: Student displayed a high level of participation and interaction during group
discussions. Student was able to describe in detail what kind of limbs and textures are
created and what animal or source the limbs and textures derived from.
Good: Student displayed a level of participation and interaction during group discussions.
Student was able to describe what kind of limbs and textures are created and what
animal or source the limbs and textures derived from.
Fair: Student somewhat displayed level of participation and interaction during group
discussions. Student was somewhat able to point out what kind of limbs and textures are
created and what animal or source the limbs and textures derived from.
Poor: Student did not participate and interact during group discussions. Student was not
are able to point out what kind of limbs and textures are created and was not able to point
out what animal or source the limbs and textures derived from.
Art Criticism
Excellent: Student was very kind and courteous when interpreting peers’ work. Student
was highly keen and observational when interpreting peer’s work. Student was also very
knowledgeable of academic language used in this lesson and was able to apply
academic language accurately.
Good: Student was kind and courteous when interpreting peers’ work. Student was keen
and observational when interpreting peers’ work. Student was also knowledgeable of
academic language used in this lesson and was able to apply academic language.
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Fair: Student was somewhat kind and courteous when interpreting peers’ work. Student
was somewhat keen and observational when interpreting peers’ work. Student was
somewhat knowledgeable of academic language used in this lesson.
Poor: Student was not kind and courteous when interpreting peers’ work. Student was
not keen and observational when interpreting peer’s work. Student was not
knowledgeable of the academic language used in this lesson.
Art Aesthetics
Excellent: Student was able to easily identify how imagination can be utilized to tell
stories and in creating imaginary creatures. Student wrote a highly descriptive story with
5 or more sentences describing their imaginative creature. Students were able to
construct a highly creative short story about their imaginative creatures using numerous
adjectives, showing evidence of imagination to a high degree.
Good: Student was able to identify how imagination can be utilized to tell stories and in
creating imaginary creatures. Student wrote a descriptive story with at least 5 sentences
describing their imaginative creature. Students were able to construct a creative short
story about their imaginative creatures using some adjectives, showing evidence of
imagination.
Fair: Student wrote a highly descriptive paragraph with fewer than 5 sentences,
describing their imaginative creature. Student was somewhat able to construct a short
story about their imaginative creatures using a few adjectives.
Poor: Student was not able to write a paragraph describing their imaginative creature.
Student was not able to construct a short story about their imaginative creatures.
11. Special Needs Considerations
Autism
Children with autism have a developmental disability that significantly affects both verbal
and non-verbal forms of communication. Since students with autism are often non-verbal, it is
essential for these children to express themselves through art. Each child with autism responds to
stimuli in their surrounding environments. Although some kids with autism are very
knowledgeable and are able to do things inherently well on their own, they seem to have trouble
expressing and communicating clearly. Advance preparation and positive interactions creates a
stimulating and fun learning environment (Achieving With Autism, 2007).
I would make sure the student is comfortable and familiar with the art room's
surroundings. It would be best to minimize all possible distractions such as flickering lights and
extremely loud noises. Instead of positioning autistic students in front of the room where they are
easily distracted and overstimulated, I would have them sit a few rows back. "Although these
students did not verbally relate their concerns and anxieties, they communicated in physical ways.
When talking with students, it was important to speak calmly, using simple commands." (Dorff,
2004) Children with autism often feel lost without contact from teachers. For this reason, I would
be in contact consistently, providing guidance, ensuring they feel less stressed and more secure.
Since constant disruptions make concentrating more difficult for students with autism, when
moving on to the next activity, I will play a short music clip to signify a transition from one activity
to another (Achieving With Autism, 2007).
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In studio production, Dorff (2004) states that students preformed best if they were told
what to expect. This lessens the stress and anxiety levels. When demonstrating, the creature
making processes must be broken down step-by-step.
Children with autism tend to have some sense of order, whether it be stacking, or lining
things in rows. This behavior is perfect for making textures or multiple features from clay. Working
with clay will also increase their fine motor skills, whether it be rolling coils or forming multiple
pieces of texture.
Down’s Syndrome
For children with Down syndrome, the creative arts are a form of communication used
when words simply cannot express. Children with Down syndrome tend to have a short attention
span (http://specialed.about.com/od/disabilities/a/downs.htm). Simple and direct
instruction administered within short periods of time with a small amount of activity or information
will support a stimulating learning environment
(http://specialed.about.com/od/disabilities/a/downs.htm).
These students have a very good short-term memory. Presenting new material slowly in
a step-by-step fashion will help aid in the construction process. Working with clay and utilizing
sculpting tools, this will aid in the development of fine and gross motor skills. By creating a
structured atmosphere and keeping the noise levels down, children with Down syndrome would
less likely to be distracted. I would make sure that I would transition into another activity smoothly
by making subtle adaptations. Visual accommodations work best for children with Down
syndrome (http://www.dsamn.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/03/EducationResource2006.pdf). I
would make sure I have plenty of example images laid out while they make their creatures. When
demonstrating the step-by-step clay making process, I would use verbal cues such as rhymes,
keywords and repetitive phrases
(http://www.dsamn.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/03/EducationResource2006.pdf). I would also
allow the students to have an adequate response time to process the material I have just
demonstrated. Some students with Down syndrome have difficulty processing information all at
once. If overwhelmed, they could experience sensory overload. Consequently, I would have them
focus on one task at a time.
12. Integrative Aspects and Curriculum Connections
This lesson would integrate very well with all four, core subjects.
Language Arts: At the end of the lesson plan, Language Arts would be incorporated
through writing a descriptive “story” about the finished creature. Get your students started
by asking them, “What is your name? What does he do? Why does it look like that?
Students must complete a detailed paragraph describing the artist elements of the
finished creature. Students will describe the texture, shapes, limbs, expression and color.
Through the use of story, the students will identify why the monster looks the way that it
does.
Mathematics: Throughout the creature making process, students will learn about
proportion, symmetry and shapes. They will learn how to create elaborate forms using
basic geometric shapes. Through the use of proportion, students will learn how to distort
limbs and features to give their creature unique qualities. With symmetry and asymmetry
they will learn how to create a balanced compositional form.
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History: The history component will be introduced in the very beginning of the lesson.
Students will be acquainted with creatures portrayed in mythology and believed or
worshiped throughout history. Sculptures from ancient times will be shown to the class.
Science: By integrating the science curriculum, students will be introduced to a diverse
set of animal textures and textures found in nature as well.
13. References
Anderson, D. K. (Producer), Docter, P., Silverman, D. & Unkrich, L.(Director). (2001). Monsters,
Inc. [DVD]. United States: Pixar Animation Studios.
Cech, J. (2014). Maurice sendak and where the wild things are: A Legacy of transformation.
PMLA: Publications of the Modern Language Association of America, 129(1), 104-106.
Curlee, L. (2008). Mythological creatures. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Day, M. Hurwitz, A. (2012). Children and their art: Art education for elementary and
middle school. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning
Dorff, J. (2004).Teaching art to students with autism. Southern Connecticut State University, 207.
Down Syndrome Association of Minnesota. (2006). Education resource packet. Retrieved April
13, 2014, from
http://www.dsamn.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/03/EducationResource2006.pdf
Franklin, John. (2007). Achieving with autism: Dispelling common misconceptions is essential for
success. ASCD: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 49(7), 202
206.
Perl, J. (1996). Where the Wild Things Are. New Republic, 214(12), 30-34.
Pixar Animation Studios (Producer). (n.d.). Making of: roundtable [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.pixar.com/features_films/MONSTERS,-INC.#Film-Trailers/node/3948
Roberts, J. (2010). Chinese mythology a to z. New York, NY: Chelsea House.
Schiller, J., & David, D. (2014). Maurice sendak: A celebration of the artist and his work. New
York, NY: Abrams.
Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York, NY: Harper & Row Publishers.
Watson, S. (n.d.). Teaching down’s syndrome students. Retrieved April 13, 2014, from
http://specialed.about.com/od/disabilities/a/downs.htm
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