Make a Collage!

A collage is a picture or design created by adhering flat elements to a flat surface. The word “collage” comes from the French word coller, meaning literally “to glue”. And glue is one of the most important elements in collage art. Other materials can include almost anything that can be glued or otherwise adhered to a flat surface, including (but not limited to) paper scraps of all kinds, newspaper, string, cloth, magazine clippings, candy wrappers, playing cards, and postcards.

When introducing collage activities, teachers should provide students with different kinds of adhesives and a variety of materials to explore. Teachers may want to allow children to freely explore and create collages without setting parameters, objectives, or themes at first. Another fun way to explore collage is to provide collage “recipes” indicating how many of each type of collage material must be included (1 playing card, 2 candy wrappers, etc.) or indicating what kinds of content must be included (1 musical piece, 2 things that are shiny, etc.)

Because collage lends itself well to any theme, collage lessons can easily be linked to topics studied by students in the regular elementary classroom, or in their middle school studies. When it is possible, you can work with other teachers to link collages with topics of study. For example, a fourth grade class studying birds might create bird collages using a variety of materials to express flight, parts of a bird, or a collage of bird-themed materials.

But collages provide more than just an opportunity to explore materials and textures, they also provide student artists with a way to express all of the thoughts, ideas, and feelings about experiences and subjects in which they are interested. Rather than just a single image, collage provides an opportunity to include many images within one composition. Encourage students to express their opinions about issues that are important to them through collage, using images to share what they believe to be true.

Collage Lesson Plans:

Critical Thinking with Art and "The Snowy Day"

I like this lesson because it is the kind of lesson that can be shared with the first grade classroom teacher and/or the school librarian. After the children learn about Caldecott Awards and read "The Snowy Day", the art teacher can do a second reading of the book with the children, focusing on their favorite pictures and discussions about what makes each illustration a favorite. If weather and school guidelines allow, invite children to create their own marbleized paper using oil paints in an outdoor art space. 

Exploring Nature: Symbols of Life

I recently did this lesson with a class of third grade boys. They enjoyed the “art in the dark” experience of exploring a still life as much as the actual art activity. Challenge your students to look for symbols that represent who they are, not what they like. Before creating, I had my students write words on my chalkboard wall, describing who they are -- their strengths (strong, creative, friendly, brave). Next we discussed what kind of picture they might find in a magazine that could stand for each describing word. We did this lesson about a month into the school year and I saw a transformation in the way these boys saw themselves and each other. I highly recommend this one!

Drawing with Scissors – Developing Imagination with the Paper Cut-Outs of Henri Matisse

Introduce the concept of collage in third through eighth grades with this simple collage activity focused on the art created by Henri Matisse in his later years. Be sure to use the resources provided to show student example of Matisse’s collage art to inspire students.

Romare Bearden

This lesson is an artistic way to connect to history, culture, and jazz. It includes a short, kid-friendly biography of Romare Bearden as well as biographical information related to some of his works. Each work is directly linked to the lesson plan for easy display for classrooms either on individual computers or on a screen. Continue on to the Bearden Art-Making Workshop to create Bearden-inspired artwork with students in third through eighth grades.

Non-Objective Cut Up Painting Collages

This plan clearly lays out a two to three art period series of activities in which middle school students learn -- by experience -- the difference between non-objective and abstract art while creating a collage. Using the element of surprise and encouraging freeform art, this lesson enables students to go back to their early art years of exploration to create several paintings. Teachers will need to create their own introduction to non-objective and abstract artwork (little information is provided here), but this lesson does include a sample self-assessment rubric that offers a meaningful avenue for students to reflect on the experience. 

Discussion Question:

How do you teach your students about collage techniques?