Alien Outlook

Design, create, and paint your own fantasy creature using paper maché and recycled materials.

• 1.

  Discuss with your classmates the characteristics that make animals and/or people unique. You may wish to make a list of these features using Crayola® Erasable Colored Pencils.

• 2.

  What characteristics could you combine to make a truly unusual creature, such as an alien or fantasy animal. What could be different about facial features, body parts, posture, hair and skin colors, and other characteristics? Choose at least one point of interest, something that is very different from anything that exists. You may wish to sketch your imaginary creature so you have a plan.

• 3.

  Cover your work area with newspaper. Choose a recycled box as a base for building your 3-dimensional creature. Attach various-sized cardboard rolls and/or other boxes to your base with Crayola School Glue. Dry.

• 4.

  To prepare to cover your creature with paper maché, tear newspaper into narrow strips. Combine equal parts of glue with water. Dip the newspaper strips into the glaze, and use your fingers to wipe away excess glue.

• 5.

  Cover your base with one or two layers of paper maché. Dry. Continue adding one or two more layers and drying after each until your creature is well covered.

• 6.

  Paint your creature with Crayola So Big Brushes and Crayola Washable Paint. Dry.

• 7.

  Glue on decorative craft items such as yarn, feathers, or buttons to make your creature one of a kind. Dry.

Benefits

• Students compare and contrast various familiar animals and/or people to identify which characteristics make each one unique.
• Children design, create, and paint their own unique, imaginary 3-dimensional paper maché creatures emphasizing a particular point of interest.

Adaptations

• Write a story about your creature. Include facts about it, such as where and how it lives. Describe its adventures. Share your story with the class, or with younger children.
• Compare your life with that of your creature. Divide a paper into two columns. Write about your perspective in one, and your creature's contrasting viewpoint in another. For example, you might eat cereal, fruit, and milk for breakfast. What does your imag
• Discuss questions such as these: What attributes do all people share? In what ways do we differ? How can we show respect for our similarities and differences? How do friends treat each other? How much do appearances really matter?
• Younger children and those with special needs may benefit from working together with a partner while constructing creatures. Provide masking tape for easy attachment of rolls and small boxes to box bases.