Article Reading Through the Arts
How theater and visual arts can help to engage your students to read.
Adjective Monster
How can you creatively tell stories and express emotions through the use of adjectives?
In this K-2 lesson, students will create their own adjective monsters using paper sculpture techniques. They will explore the connections between visual art and language arts, and how both are used to creatively tell stories and express emotions.
Lesson Content
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Ask and answer questions about unknown words or details in the text.
- Define “adjective” and identify example words.
- Create a monster that reflects a chosen adjective.
- Recognize and name basic geometric shapes.
- Combine shapes to make new shapes.
- Design features using paper sculpture techniques.
Standards Alignment
Recommended Student Materials
Editable Documents: Before sharing these resources with students, you must first save them to your Google account by opening them, and selecting “Make a copy” from the File menu. Check out Sharing Tips or Instructional Benefits when implementing Google Docs and Google Slides with students.
Websites
Additional Materials
- Interactive board
- Assorted colors construction paper
- Black construction paper
- Chalk or light-colored crayon
- Assorted color crayons or markers
- Scissors
- Glue
Teacher Background
Teachers should view the Slide: Monsters Around the World for photos of architectural monsters that you may wish to post to inspire students. Review and create sample Paper Sculpture Techniques.
Student Prerequisites
General knowledge of basic shapes.
Accessibility Notes
Adaptive scissors and other assistive technologies may be helpful throughout the lesson. Allow extra time as needed.
Engage
- Read the book Go Away Big Green Monster and discuss adjectives with the students.
- Explain how adjectives can be used to describe an emotion or describe an appearance, like, “grumpy” or “hairy.” To illustrate this point, read the sentence from the book where these two words are used. Continue to reference the book and make a note of the adjectives used in the book like “sharp” and “squiggly.” Always read the sentence the adjective is used in so students can get a clearer picture of what an adjective is and how an adjective is used.
Build
- Explore images from Slide: Monsters Around the World. As a class, brainstorm a list of adjectives. Create a “t-chart” on chart paper or interactive board, one side titled “Emotion” and the other titled “Appearance.” Students can use the List the Adjectives handout to create their own “t-chart.” Ask students use the word in a sentence.
- Ask students to identify the names of geometric shapes using the Naming Geometric Shapes resource: square, triangle, circle, rectangle, and oval. Distribute the Drawing Shapes handout and have the students draw a shape next to its name.
Apply
- Have students choose an adjective for their monster from the list they created at the beginning of the lesson. Refer to the list on the board.
- Pass out a large sheet (12x18) of black construction paper and a light-colored chalk stick or crayon to each student. Have students write “Go Away Big ___ Monster” at the top of their black paper. They will then fill in the blank with their chosen adjective. Walk around the room and check for understanding.
- Have students choose a shape that they will use for the head of their monster. Explain again that this shape will be the shape of their monster’s face. Tell them that they should carefully consider that the shape and the adjective they are using should complement each other.
- Discuss how to make the face reflect the chosen adjective. Ask the students to make the face of a “mean” monster and discuss with them what their eyes, eyebrows, and mouth do. Using chart paper or an interactive board, illustrate that when you make a mean face with the eyebrows point down to the nose, when you make a happy face the eyebrows arch upwards, when you make a sad face the eyebrows dip down towards the ears, etc. Pass out construction paper and scissors so students can cut out a shape for the face. Have students begin to cut out and design their monster’s head using the construction paper.
- Explain to the students that they will be creating their features with construction paper and Paper Sculpture Techniques. Demonstrate some paper sculpture techniques for the students. Some suggested techniques include: cut a small strip of paper and curl it around a pencil, fold a small strip of paper in small accordion-like folds, cut the paper in small grass-like strips, fold a small strip of paper in a zig-zag shape, and create hair strands that pop out on the monster. Add these to the monster for hair, 3D eyes, noses, etc. Show students your completed example. Remember to share your chosen adjective. Encourage students to come up with their own ideas for sculptural effects.
- Monitor students’ progress and remind each student that his/her monster must have eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, but may also have multiple features. Provide feedback and comments, explaining to students how they can make the features reflect the adjectives.
Reflect
- Assess students’ knowledge of adjectives by presenting their monsters to the class. Ask students to discuss how the chosen adjective is reflected in the features of each monster.
-
Original Writer
Barbara Gardner
-
Adaptation
Amy Heathcott
-
Editor
JoDee Scissors
-
Updated
December 18, 2023
Related Resources
Article Stories Brought to Life
Learn about ways to increase student participation and skill building during interactive read-alouds.
Article Music Matters
Incorporating music makes content lessons more exciting and memorable. And it's easy to do!
Collection Language & Literary Arts
How do fables and myths explain the unknown and preserve cultures? What makes a good story? How do plays comment on societal issues? Grab a pencil and prepare to create original poems, experience the Civil War through letters, and parse symbolism and metaphor in this exploration of language arts.
Article Developing an Artistic Eye for the Math Classroom
Middle school math teachers will unlock students’ “artistic mathematical eye” with arts objectives, lesson openings, essential questions, and student choice.
Article How Teachers Can Transform Learning in Inclusive Arts-Integrated Classrooms
Inclusion teachers can bolster engagement with arts integration by adapting time, classroom tools, and instructional techniques.
Lesson Animal Habitats
In this K-2 lesson, students will create a story page about animal habitats using a non-traditional book illustration method. They will be introduced to animal habitats through story, song, and dramatic play using children’s picture books.
Lesson Creating AB Patterns
In this K-2 lesson, students will construct patterns using visual arts designs and math manipulatives. They will identify patterns existing in the natural and man-made world, art, math, and science.
Kennedy Center Education provides resources and experiences that inspire, excite, and empower students and young artists, plus the tools and connections to help educators incorporate the arts into classrooms and learning spaces of all types.
Connect with us!
Sign up to stay informed!
Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Genesis Inspiration Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;
Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..
The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.