Paper Bag Monsters

Paper Bag Monsters

Materials: paper bags, decorating materials (feathers, buttons, yarn, googly-eyes), glue, scissors, paint, old t-shirts for smocks
Setup: trash bags taped down to cover the table, paint diluted in cups, scissors and glue spread around the table, materials at the head of the table with the teacher to distribute

Lesson Plan:
1) Put on a smock, take a paper bag, and choose a seat (2)
2) The goal: paper bag monster, give some ideas, ask for ideas, show an example (3)
3) Painting (10)
4) Adding body parts with decorating materials (10)
5) Discussion of monsters to keep ideas flowing: what is this monster’s special power? is it a scary monster or a gentle one? does this monster have a name?
6) Clean-up: decorating materials back to the top of the table, monsters left on the windowsill to dry, paint poured out and brushes rinsed, scraps in the trash, floor swept (5)

Comments:
The cleanup was a disaster because there were too many students and too much to do. Maybe next time eliminate the painting aspect and use crayons instead, or have a team of volunteers who can help kids with specific tasks like collecting the glue or bringing the paint to the sink. With painting, it’s probably better to leave the final monsters on the table and move them yourself rather than asking the students to move them – they’ll just make a mess! Otherwise, the activity went well because the students are more engaged with paint and a variety of materials to work with.