Olivia Beard

ARTS 305 Elementary Art Education

UNIT TITLE: Transformation
LESSON TITLE: Recycled Material Jellyfish

GRADE LEVEL{S}: 5th grade

AIMS: This project teaches students about the impact of waste on the
environment. Students create jellyfish sculptures out of recycled
materials to visualize the effects of pollution on marine ecosystems.
Students learn about recycling as a means to reduce waste and
preserve the environment.

STANDARDS OF LEARNING:

The student will execute and complete works of art with

attention to detail and craftsmanship.
The student will identify and apply ethical decisions in art
making.

Students intentionally take advantage of the qualities and

characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to
enhance communication of their experiences and ideas.

MATERIALS:

Recyclables (e.g., plastic bottles, bags, ribbon, plastic netting,

wire, clothes hangers, Styrofoam cups/bowls, etc.)
Scissors
Glue
Paint and paintbrushes
Tissue paper
Pipe cleaners
Glitter and/or glitter glue
Pretty much anything else available!

VOCABULARY:

Assemblage: a work of art made by grouping found or unrelated

objects.
Ecosystems: a biological community of interacting organisms and
their physical environment
Environmental Art: an umbrella term for a range of artistic
practices encompassing both historical approaches to nature in
art and more recent ecological and politically motivated types of
works.
Reclaimed Materials: material that has been previously used in a
building or project which is then re-used in another project. The
material might be altered, re-sized, refinished, or adapted, but is
not reprocessed in any way, and remains in its original form.
Recycle: to convert waste into reusable material
Sculpture: the art of making two- or three-dimensional
representative or abstract forms, especially by carving stone or
wood or by casting metal or plaster

MOTIVATIONAL ACTIVITY:
Show students recycled art: http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/ecotourism/blogs/ocean-debris-makes-cool-art-but-its-still-not-cool

What is a jellyfish?
Jellyfish live in the sea and are found in all oceans and sometimes in
freshwater.
Several types of Jellyfish, including the Moon Jelly and Lions Mane
Jellyfish, live in the Chesapeake bay.
Jellyfish can be transparent (see-through) or translucent (semitransparent).
Jellyfish eat plankton. Some sea turtles eat jellyfish.
Although the word is mentioned in their name, Jellyfish are not actually
fish.
A group of jellyfish is called a bloom, swarm or smack.
Jellyfish dont have brains.
Jellyfish can use their tentacles to sting. Although most stings are
harmless to humans, some species (such as the box jellyfish) deliver a
sting that can be very painful and sometimes kill.

ADVANCED ORGANIZER

Show students the recycled art.

Group discussion about what they see and feel.
Talk about what is a jellyfish?
Show teachers example.
Lay out materials.
Begin creating jellyfish.

LESSON SEQUENCE
1. Cut a hole in top of bottle, cup or bowl.

2. Decorate the inside and outside of the bottle, cup or bowl using
glue and tissue paper, glitter, and/or paint.
3. Gather and assemble materials for the tentacles.
4. Tie the tentacles together using the ribbon.
5. Pull ribbon through the top of the bottle and tie a loop.

CLOSURE:

Take photo of the class holding their finished jellyfish; submit

photo to the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Museum.
Tell kids about the aquarium and encourage them to visit.
Discuss ways kids and their families can incorporate recycling
into their everyday lives.

MODIFICATIONS:
For students who need more help, the teacher will assist more.

REFERENCES, BIBLIOGRAPHY, RESOURCES

http://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/jellyfishsculpture-lesson-plan/