Lesson: Clay Creatures

In this lesson, fifth-grade students examined paintings based on mythology or story-telling. Looking at such paintings as Sodoma's Saint George and the Dragon and Copley's Watson and the Shark, students were asked to consider the beginning, middle, and end of the stories told by each painting. They also took time to examine the "creatures" in the painting, and sketch details (teeth, claws, tail, etc.) of each creature.

Later, the students were asked to create a creature of their own, basing it on a story they'd like to tell. They took time to consider the character traits of their creatures, and decide whether it would be a "hero", (protagonist), or "trouble-maker" (antagonist).

The students created their creatures using Model Magic and basic modelling tools. Before starting, they were instructed to refer to their previous sketches of teeth, claws, and other features. Later, they were asked by their classroom teacher to write a story about their creature. These stories were printed and displayed next to their creatures as "labels".