Celebrating Through Sculpture

Overview

• Unit Title: Sculpting Food for VE Day
• Lesson: 4 of 4
• Lesson Title: Collaborative VE Day Food Sculpture Installation
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Class Size: 30 students (Year 4)
• Subject: Art and Design
• National Curriculum Area: Art and Design (KS2 – Years 3-6)
• Curriculum Reference:
  • Art and Design — Key Stage 2
    • Pupils should be taught to:
      • “improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including sculpture with a range of materials”
      • “learn about great artists, architects and designers in history”
      • “to develop their creativity and design skills through experimentation, collaboration and reflection”

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Combine individually sculpted food items into a cohesive collaborative installation
• Design, problem-solve, and negotiate within their group to place sculptures strategically
• Understand and visually represent the significance of VE Day through 3D art
• Reflect on the outcomes of their collaborative process and shared artistic vision

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Success Criteria

• Sculptures are harmoniously united in a thematic, visually effective installation
• Children can describe their role in the collaborative process
• The installation clearly relates to VE Day through visual cues and symbolic representation
• Pupils participate in a reflective discussion, commenting on group decision-making and outcomes

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Resources Required

For each table group (6 groups of 5 students):

• Individual food sculptures from previous lessons (air-dry clay, painted)
• Mounting bases (cardboard, wooden plinths or reused packaging boxes)
• Masking tape, glue guns (controlled use with adult supervision), Pritt sticks
• Paints, paintbrushes (for touch-ups and background/base)
• Small Union Jack flags, vintage-style bunting, paper labels
• A large table or surface area per group to build their section
• Reflective journals or sketchbooks
• Camera or tablet for photographing the final work and presentations

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Key Vocabulary

• Installation
• Collaboration
• Composition
• Visual impact
• Symbolism
• Representation
• Victory in Europe (VE) Day
• Mixed media

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Prior Learning

In Lessons 1–3, students:

• Explored the history of VE Day and the types of celebratory foods popular at the time
• Designed and sculpted individual ‘food items’ (cakes, sandwiches, fruit displays etc.) using air-dry clay and paint
• Studied the work of Claes Oldenburg and other artists who sculpt food
• Developed skills in shaping, detailing and colouring clay to resemble real food

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Lesson Structure

⏱ Starter (10 minutes)

Historical Hook:

• Show a short slideshow or printed images of real VE Day food tables and street parties from 1945.
• Ask pupils:
  • “How do we show celebration through food?”
  • “What values or ideas did people want to represent during VE Day?”

Transition Question:

• “How can we do this in our art – not just as individuals, but as a class community?”

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🎨 Main Activity (40 minutes)

Group Task: Create a Collaborative VE Day Food Table Installation

Step 1 – Form the Installation Groups (5 mins)

• Each table (group of 5) becomes a working design team.
• Each team will assemble a food table display using all team members' food sculptures.

Step 2 – Planning & Placement (10 mins)

• On sugar paper, sketch out a top-down plan of the layout:
  • Symmetry, central focus, layering, and height to be discussed
  • Incorporate visual elements from VE Day (bunting, flags, colour themes)
• Decide which sculptures go where for maximum realism and artistic cohesion

Step 3 – Construct the Display (15 mins)

• Mount pieces onto their group platforms using adhesive techniques
• Paint or enhance the base area if needed (tablecloth effects, shadows, etc.)
• Add decorative finishing details (names of dishes, mini placards, flags)

Step 4 – Assemble Whole-Class Installation (10 mins)

• Push tables together or align team platforms to form one long celebratory “food table”
• Fine-tune the overall layout: discuss composition, theming and flow
• Teacher roams to facilitate group decisions and prompt vocabulary-rich discussion
  e.g. “Which direction does the viewer approach from?”, “How have you represented history in your choices?”

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✍️ Plenary / Reflection (10 minutes)

Gallery Walk and Peer Feedback:

• Students circle the finished installation like a mini gallery.
• Volunteers take turns presenting their group’s contribution (1 min per group).
• Guiding questions:
  • “What did you learn about working with others today?”
  • “How does our work reflect what people celebrated in 1945?”

Reflection in Sketchbooks:

• Pupils respond to prompts:
  • “I’m proud of our group because…”
  • “One thing I learned from another group was…”
  • “My sculpture was used in the final display by…”

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Extension / Differentiation

Extension:

• Invite able learners to write a short label for the overall installation, offering context for viewers:
  • E.g. “This food display represents how communities came together after the war to celebrate peace during VE Day in 1945...”

Differentiation:

• Mixed-ability grouping within teams
• Use of visual supports (photographs, food image cards, scaffolded plans)
• Provide speaking frames for presentations
  • E.g. “We decided to place ___ here because ___...”

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observation of collaborative skills and creative input during group work
• Contributions to discussion and ability to justify artistic choices
• Completion of reflection sheets/sketchbook entries
• Visual coherence and historical relevance in the unified sculpture installation

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Cultural Capital & British Values

• Deepens appreciation of historical events through creative expression
• Promotes democratic decision-making and mutual respect within teams
• Celebrates British heritage and communal resilience through shared artmaking
• Fosters pride in public presentation and respectful peer evaluation

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Home/Family Connection

• Send home a photo of the collaborative sculpture with an invitation for families to view the final installation (if possible)
• Optional extension project:
  • Pupils draw or write about a celebration in their own family that involves food

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Teacher’s WOW Moment 🎉

End by dimming the lights slightly, projecting a black-and-white photo of an actual VE Day table behind the finished sculpture, and adding a soft marching tune or 1940s jazz in the background. Let pupils gather and take a class photo with their ‘celebration table’—a powerful visual celebration of history, teamwork and creativity.

Let history come to life not only through facts, but through the collective hands of a classroom.