TRANSFORMATION COLLAGE
Learning Description
Students will create a collage that takes a concrete written thought about themselves or the world and change it. Each student will write down thoughts on a square and must transform that square into a collage that is positive.
Learning Targets
"I Can" Statements
“I Can…”
- I can use the art of collage to express myself and create meaning.
- I can change objects and thoughts.
- I can use artistic processes to help me transform my thoughts and feelings.
Essential Questions
- How can we change objects or thoughts?
- How can we apply artistic processes to assist us in transforming our thoughts and feelings?
Georgia Standards
Curriculum Standards
HE5.1 Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
HE5.1.c Describe and apply the basic health concept of mental and emotional well-being.
Arts Standards
VA5.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.
VA5.PR.1 Plan and participate in appropriate exhibition(s) of works of art to develop identity of self as artist.
VA5.CR.5 Demonstrate an understanding of the safe and appropriate use of materials, tools, and equipment for a variety of artistic processes.
VA5.RE.1 Use a variety of approaches for art criticism and to critique personal works of art and the artwork of others to enhance visual literacy.
VA5.CN.3 Develop life skills through the study and production of art (e.g. collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication).
South Carolina Standards
Curriculum Standards
Standard 1: “Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health” (NHES, 2007).
M-5.1.1 Describe coping strategies to promote mental health.
Standard 6: “Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health” (NHES, 2007).
M-5.6.1 Develop a plan to reduce and manage stress.
Arts Standards
Anchor Standard 1: I can use the elements and principles of art to create artwork.
Benchmark VA.CR I can combine several elements of art to express ideas.
Indicator VA.CR NM.1.2 I can combine several elements of art to construct 2D or 3D artwork.
Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art.
Benchmark VA.CR NM.2 I can use some materials, techniques, and tools to create artwork.
Indicator VA.CR NM.2.1 I can use two-dimensional art materials to explore ways to make art.
Anchor Standard 4: I can organize work for presentation and documentation to reflect specific content, ideas, skills, and or media.
Benchmark VA.P NL.4 I can show and describe the idea of my artwork.
Indicator VA.P NL.4.2 I can describe my artwork.
Key Vocabulary
Content Vocabulary
- Feelings - Conscious experiences we have in response to emotions, thoughts, or sensory input
- Thoughts - The mental processes we use to make sense of information—such as ideas, opinions, beliefs, and problem-solving
- Change - The process of becoming different, whether in form, nature, or condition
Arts Vocabulary
- Collage - A composition developed by gluing colored paper, photographs, magazine pictures, fabric, and other two-dimensional materials onto a flat surface
- Watercolor wash - A painting technique where a thin, diluted layer of watercolor paint is applied evenly across the paper to create a smooth background or base of color
Materials
- 9X12 black paper
- 6X6 mixed media paper
- Pencils
- Permanent markers
- Glue
- Oil pastels
- Chart paper–one for each word–each labeled with “happiness”, “sadness”, “fear”, “anger”, and “surprise”
- Paint chip samples or other colored papers in a variety of shades
- The Perfect Square by Michael Hall read aloud (Story Time in the Galleries)
- Sketchbook
- Watercolor paints
- Paint brushes
- Water cups
- Paper towels
- Optional: Scissors
Instructional Design
Opening/Activating Strategy
- Direct students’ attention to the chart paper posted around the room labeled with the following emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, and surprise.
- Pass out paint chip samples–one per student. Have students write a feeling/emotion word on it. Students should choose words other than the ones on the chart paper.
- Have students post their paint chip on poster paper with the emotion that it most relates to.
- Provide students several minutes to circulate and read the various words. Ask them to observe whether they see any similarities among the colors chosen for each of the emotions.
Work Session
- Have students spend a few minutes reflecting on what makes them feel sad, angry, or fearful. Students should write down words associated with these things.
- Next, pass out square pieces of paper. Have students use permanent markers to write their feeling words on the paper.
- Have students identify colors that are associated with these feelings.
- Using watercolors, students should use a watercolor wash to paint their entire square paper in the color(s) they identified.
- While their paper is drying, read The Perfect Square with students.
- Facilitate a discussion about how the square changed throughout the story.
- Next, have students tear their paper into small pieces.
- They will then rearrange the pieces into something positive (it can be representational or nonrepresentational) and glue them down on 9X12 paper.
- Students should plan their composition in their sketchbooks and play with placement before gluing the pieces down.
- Provide students with oil pastels to add details to their collages.
Closing Reflection
- Provide students the opportunity to share their original feelings/emotions written on the paper and what they transformed them into.
- Encourage students to share their design process.
Assessments
Formative
- Teachers will observe whether students can identify feeling-related words and associate them with colors.
- Teachers will observe students during the planning and artmaking process.
Summative
Differentiation
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Accelerated:
Remedial:
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Credits
U.S. Department of Education- STEM + the Art of Integrated Learning
Ideas contributed by: SAIL Grant Teacher Leaders–Chad Itnyre, Kristen Alvarez, Leah Patel, Lucerito Gonzalez, Tamu Clayton, Sandra Cash, Erin Smullen
*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.
Revised and copyright: August 2025 @ ArtsNOW