Thursday, February 10, 2011

Jellyfish-Step 1

I have always loved working with students with Special Needs. Last year I was disappointed to learn that some kids didn't make it to art at all due to their developmental levels. Working with the Special Education teachers, we created an adapted art class which has started this year. One of the great benefits of this (besides working with those kids I was missing out on, and helping them reach their IEP goals) is that they get to have an art project in the Art Show this year! A few of them will even have two-the ones that are creating a project with their class and in adapted art. Following our Hawaiian theme, they will be making paper mache jellyfish.

I started by cutting many shades of pink tissue paper into small squares-about two inches each. I also cut computer paper into smaller squares-about one inch each. The paper doesn't crumple as easily as the tissue paper, so bigger squares were too challenging and I didn't think the kids would stay focused with that much challenge.

I blew up on balloon for each child and tied a large washer to the bottom. I drew a line about halfway down the balloon, and added the child's name. I am hoping that the washer will anchor them enough to limit frustration during the paper mache process. The line is their guide for how low to continue to paper mache.

The following pictures are the photos I took to create their storyboard. It shows them step by step how to complete the first part of the project. My Action Research for Grad School is implementing Storyboards to attempt to help them gain independence. We have a shortage of educational assistants, so gaining independence would help everyone involved!


Paint the balloon with paper mache

Put tissue paper on the balloon, and add paper mache on top of the tissue paper.


Overlap the tissue paper.

Continue with the tissue paper until the top of the balloon is filled to the line.
Paper mache white paper over the tissue paper.

Overlap the white paper.

Continue to cover all of the tissue paper with white paper.

Add a layer of tissue paper over the white paper.

Overlap the tissue paper.

Cover all of the white paper with tissue paper.
A preview into step two, I have a pink crepe paper roll that the kids will use as the larger tentacles of the jellyfish. I hope to find some cheap, plastic bead necklaces at the party store that I can have the kids put around the outside edge of the jellyfish for the smaller tentacles. The store I went to so far didn't have them, so that plan may change to yarn. The sparkle of the beads would be so much nicer though! These will be just inside the door at our art show (the only place without a very tall ceiling in the Art Show area), so they will make a wonderful welcome to all of our guests!

5 comments:

Becca Ruth said...

I am so excited to see the outcome of this lesson. I would really like to do this with my kids. THanks for sharing!

Sheena said...

I LOVE your action research idea. So awesome! Can you tell me how you display your story boards? Do you print them? Show them in a slide show? I am very curious as I have been thinking about doing the same...I just didn't know there was a name for it!

Jodi said...

Thanks! So far I have only used the storyboards with my CID (Autism) kids and they come in small groups (5-8), so I have just printed them out. I'm thinking of expanding on the idea next year and using them for cleanup procedures. I figure that's a good place to start, since there's really a handful of main things to do that can be repeated class to class. Then I'll either make a poster(s) and/or put them on the smartboard. I tried the smartboard first, and found the kids worked at too different of paces and I was advancing and backtracking the slides too much to be effective.

Kelly Hankamer said...

I love these! We are starting this lesson and I was wondering how you attached the string to hang. I saw where someone used paperclips but I know my kids would pop their balloons doing this.

Thanks jellied in Texas.

Jodi said...

I did these with my CID kids, so I only had 13 to store. I waited for them to be dry and then poked a hole in the top with a push pin. I wiggled it around a little to make the hole bigger and then put the lacing cord through the hole. I added a knot on both sides of the jellyfish body so the loop wouldn't fall out.