Paper Sculpture

Each grade level used basic materials (paper, glue sticks, tape, and pencils) to make a variety of inventive three-dimensional forms, ranging from TK paper strip constructions to 5th grade designs of city building corners.

Emphasis on the Elements of Art: space and form.

California Arts Standards for Public Schools

CREATING—Anchor Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. 

2.1 Enduring Understanding: Artists and designers experiment with forms, structures, materials, concepts, media, and art-making approaches. 

Essential Question: How do artists and designers learn from trial and error? 

Process Component: Investigate

TK: Explore Three Dimensions - Construct with Paper Strips

PK.VA:Cr2.1 Use a variety of artmaking tools.

Artist Connections

Sopheap Pich, Morning Glory, 2011

Sopheap Pich, Compound, 2011

Sopheap Pich: A Room

Kindergarten: Explore Facial Features - Build a Face

K.VA:Cr2.1 Through experimentation, build skills in various media and approaches to artmaking.

Artist Connections

Chris Roberts Antieau, Good with Scissors, 2007

Matthew Leighton, Yolanda, 1998

1st grade: Fun with Shapes - A Way to Travel

1.VA:Cr2.1 Explore uses of materials and tools to create works of art or design.

Artist Connections

Julian Opie, Cars?, 1998-1999

Red Grooms, Red Star, 1980

2nd grade: Nature’s Creatures - Paper Guinea Pigs

2.VA:Cr2.1 Experiment with various materials and tools to explore personal interests in a work of art or design.

Artist Connections

George Catlin, Portraits of a Grizzly Bear and Mouse, 1846-1848

Art Prof Demo by Guest Teaching Artist Julie Benbassat and Teaching Artist Cat Huang (Segment on sketching live guinea pigs)

3rd grade: Expressive Dinosaurs

3.VA:Cr2.1 Create personally satisfying artwork using a variety of artistic processes and materials.

Artist Connections

William Parsons, Majungatholus, 1998

Jane Yolen (Author) and Mark Teague (Illustrator), How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read?, 2018 (Picture Book)

4th grade: Textured Birds

4.VA:Cr2.1 Explore and invent art-making techniques and approaches.

Artist Connections

Calder, Alexander, Flamingo (outdoor sculpture in Chicago, Illinois), 1973

Myfanwy Macleod, The Birds (outdoor sculpture in Vancouver, BC, Canada), 2010

5th grade: Details of a Building Corner

5.VA:Cr2.1 Experiment and develop skills in multiple art-making techniques and approaches through practice.

Artist Connections

Ana Serrano, La Yarda, 2013

Ana Serrano, Neveria, 2012