Paper Mache Fish

Overview

Students are introduced to paper mache as a visual arts material, including a brief history and safe use of common materials. They will explore how an outline can guide the construction of a simple 3D fish form that will be decorated in a later lesson.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• learn about paper mache and where it has been used historically
• practise using the idea of an outline to plan a fish shape
• identify and describe how visual arts materials and processes create a 3D form
• begin a basic 3D fish outline that will be finished and decorated later

Success criteria

• I can explain what paper mache is and name the main materials I will use.
• I can describe what an outline is and how it helps my fish look like a fish.
• I can identify at least one process step (for example, tearing paper, applying glue, shaping) and describe how it changes the artwork.
• I can show my plan (outline) before I add paper mache to start building the fish shape.

Curriculum links

• Visual Arts — Developing Practices: students explore and experiment with visual conventions, visual arts processes and materials to create artworks, and identify and describe these in artworks they create.
• Visual Arts — Developing Practices: students use visual arts language to document their exploration using viewpoints to develop questions and annotate what they are doing.
• Visual Arts — Creating: students use visual conventions, visual arts processes and materials to create artworks that communicate ideas and perspectives, beginning with shape planning (outline) for a fish.
• Visual Arts — Exploring: students explore artworks and discuss why materials and processes are used, connecting to how paper mache has been used across time.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook (paper reveal). Teacher shows two sample objects: one flat paper craft and one small paper mache model fish (teacher-made or picture). Students share quick observations: what looks different and why.
2. 5–12 min · Direct teach (paper mache + safety). Teacher demonstrates paper mache ingredients (paper and glue paste) and explains paper mache as a material made from paper and glue, plus a short history in simple terms (long ago people used it to make lightweight, strong objects). Teacher models safe practice: keep glue/paste off clothing, wash hands, use work mats, clean spills. Students repeat key phrases: “Paper Mache” and “Outline”.
3. 12–20 min · Introduce the fish outline plan. Teacher shows an example 3D fish outline (a simple shape without decoration). Teacher explicitly defines outline as the basic shape of the fish, and demonstrates tracing/marking a guide on a sheet or using a template. Students choose one of two fish template sizes and draw/trace their outline in pencil on a planning sheet.
4. 20–30 min · Build: start the 3D fish form. Teacher demonstrates one building method: shaping a base (for example, scrunched paper or a foam/cardboard base covered lightly), then starting paper mache on the outside using torn paper strips and glue paste. Students begin their own fish construction, focusing on keeping the outline shape and smoothing rough edges.
5. 30–38 min · Guided exploration check (viewpoints + questions). Teacher prompts with viewpoints to develop questions: “How does the outline help your fish look like a fish?” “Which step makes the shape stronger?” “How is the surface changing as you add paper?” Students add 2–3 short annotations in their workbook next to their fish-in-progress using sentence starters provided by the teacher.
6. 38–44 min · Clean up + quick share. Teacher and students clean tools and wipe glue benches. Students do a quick gallery walk in pairs and use one prepared sentence to describe a process they notice (for example, “I can see torn paper strips are used to…”).
7. 44–45 min · Exit ticket. Students complete a 1-minute exit prompt: “Paper Mache is… and my outline is….”

Resources

• Paper mache base materials (teacher-prepared glue paste, plus paper scraps/strips)
• Torn paper (newspaper/office paper or suitable craft paper) in small trays
• Work mats, disposable gloves (optional), and paper towels
• Fish outline templates (2 sizes) and pencils/erasers
• Planning sheet for annotations (with sentence starters)
• Brushes/spread sticks, cups for glue paste, and a water rinse container
• Rubbish bins for paper and paper towel waste
• Examples or photos of finished paper mache objects/fish
• Handwashing facilities access plan and class rules poster

Assessment

• Teacher observes students during building: Can they keep the fish’s outline shape and start applying paper mache in correct steps?
• Teacher listens during gallery walk and annotations: Do students use visual arts language (paper mache, outline, process words) to describe what they are doing?
• Exit ticket: checks understanding of the definition of paper mache and outline, plus one process step.

Differentiation

• Support: provide partially drawn outlines for students needing scaffolding, and offer sentence starters for annotations (“My outline helps because…”, “When I add paper mache, my fish becomes…”).
• Support: use small “process step” cards (Tear → Glue → Cover → Smooth) at tables to reduce confusion.
• Extension: students add one design intention to their plan (for example, “I will make my fish’s mouth bigger/smaller” or “I will add fins higher”) and write a question to guide decoration in the next lesson.
• EAL/SEN: allow students to draw arrows or use word banks for key terms, and pair them with a supportive partner for the gallery walk and oral sharing.
• Physical support: offer choice of base-building method (teacher can provide a ready-to-cover base) to ensure all students can access the process.