Students can make penguins using paper mache pulp and recycled drinking bottles.
By Andrea Mulder-Slater
Objectives:
Identification:
- Students will learn about penguins – where they live, what they eat. They will also learn about the shape of a penguin. Did you know that there are 17 species of penguins?
Creation:
- Students will create a penguin using a juice bottle and paper mache.
Appreciation:
- Students will learn to appreciate the art created not only by them, but by others as well.
Vocabulary:
penguins, South Pole, feathers, fish, ice, black, white, birds, swim, fly, tuxedo, sculpture, 3-dimensional, additive sculpture, paper mache, feathers, fur, antarctica, rookery.
What You Need:
- Pictures and/or books about penguins.
- Paper Mache Pulp. See recipe at the bottom of this page. You could instead use ready made paper mache pulp mix or “Sculptamold” To see what Sculptamold is, click here: Sculptamold® – Papier Mache
- 1 small juice bottle per student
- A yogurt container for each child for the paper mache pulp
- Water based paint (black, white and red).
- Paintbrushes
- Water and water containers
- A covered work area
- Paint smocks or old shirts
What You Do:
- Give each child a yogurt container with paper mache pulp in it.
- Have the children put small amounts of the mix on the juice bottle until the entire bottle is covered.
- Put a ball of paper mache pulp on the top of the juice bottle to make a head.
- Let the penguin dry for 12 to 24 hours.
- When dry, kids can paint their penguin and put him on display.
- Take the opportunity to talk about penguins and where they live. Do they have feathers or fur? Do they eat fish? Can they fly?
Paper Mache Pulp:
Make paper mache pulp by placing several sheets of newspaper (torn into tiny pieces) into a blender or food processor with some water. Strain the pulp using a colander or sieve. Mix the pulp with one tablespoon or more of white glue.
OR
Take shredded paper or newspaper, 1 quart of hot water, a microwave safe bowl, spoon, colander or wire strainer, 1 cup of wallpaper paste or one cup of white glue or a 1 cup water/1 cup flour mixture.
Put the pieces of torn or shredded paper into the bowl until the bowl is almost full. Slowly pour the hot water over the paper, stirring constantly. When the paper is soaked, it should be just covered with water. Put the bowl into the microwave oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove and let stand. Repeat every hour for about 5 hours. Using a wire strainer, squeeze the excess water out of the pulp, making sure to leave just a bit of water. Add the glue or wallpaper paste to the mixture and mix well. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
You can also do this using a pot on a stove. In that case, bring the mixture to a boil in a pot and let sit for a few hours until paper starts to disintegrate. Using a wire strainer, squeeze the excess water out of the pulp, making sure to leave just a bit of water. Add the glue or wallpaper paste to the mixture and mix well. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Resources:
Emperor Penguins
www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/creature_feature/0101/penguins.html
