Title
Simple Toy
Description
Year 7 Modified Curriculum
Key Stage 3
Area Making Skills
Objectives
To introduce the students to a 'plastic' modelling materials and to allow their imaginations to run riot
Equipment Required
Polythene sheet, balloons, PVA glue, gluegun glue, newspaper, wool, string, straws and card. Depending on the extras added timber and simple tools will be required too. Long length of string for drying
Richard Murray
Abbey Hill School Technology College
Plan
The students will have encountered papier mache before but it is unlikely that they will have been so ambitious unless they have had some input from art or theatre groups prior to this. Describe the process to the group.
The papier mache will be formed outside a balloon and wool hair, straw crew cuts, card ears and much more will be added. The idea is to produce a terrifying mask but Sonic or VR Troopers/Power Rangers or similar will be entertained too.
The students design their masks and add colour to enhance their sketches. Warts, bumps and very large or wierd noses are to be admired, they may consider an alien!
The students choose their best design and begin by covering a balloon completely with several layers of papier mache. There are a number of reasons for this:-
You get two half masks from a whole balloon and they can choose the best. You can use the left over pieces for other construction/reinforcement work on the masks. If you choose to make a crash helmet style of mask you can pick the strongest walls and cut away the weak bit for the open part. Masquerade style masks on a stick can be made from half masks and students can pair up.
Once the masks are dry (days) they can be cut and the eye holes marked, the best way is while the mask is being held up to the face to ask the student where his/her eyes are and mark it with a wax crayon. A small hole can be made with a brawawl away from the face and the mask tried again. If correct the eyes can be pepper pot perforations or holes.
Details should be added and toilet paper is brilliant if squidged with glue it will stick to the mask and set rock hard after shaping. Ears, extra eyes, noses can be added in card and papier mache and hair etc can be stuck on and the result painted and varnishes when dry.
The masks make a great display with names (ficticious or otherwise) added beneath.
