Adjective Monsters

A more detailed version of this lesson plan can be found on ArtsEdge

This lesson explores the connections between visual art and language arts, and how both are used to creatively tell stories and express emotions. Students will read the book Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley. They will be introduced to adjectives as descriptive words then create their own monsters using paper sculpture techniques.

Materials:

Black const. papercut to 12X18
Colored const.paper.
Ideas for paper sculpture (twisting, curling, folding,etc)
White chalk or pastel
Sample list of adjectives

1. Read book to students. Discuss the use of adjectives in the book, and ask volunteers to think of some good adjectives. ( discuss adjectives that describe an emotion or the way something looks.

* It is up to you to decide to use a sample adjective list. I usually do this project with 2nd graders and sometimes we end up with a lot of the same adjectives. Encourage using a very unusual adjective.

2.Instruct that once they have decided on an adjective, to think of how they will make their monster look like that word.

3. All parts of the monster face will be cut from paper, no drawing. Instruct that the head must be big, almost as wide as the black paper, and it can be any shape (not nessesarily round)

4. They will write the words at the top half of the black paper: Go Away Big              Monster  with their chosen adjective written in the blank.

5. Demonstrate how they can make their paper parts "stick out" by bending, curling, cutting and folding the paper different ways.

6. They will create their monster keeping in mind to make it look like their adjective.