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      Create a background using reclaimed materials

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use reclaimed materials to create a collage.

      Key learning points

      1. Using reclaimed materials to make a collaged background for your nocturnal animal.
      2. Understanding foreground and background help to plan and make your picture look complete.

      Keywords

      • Background - the part of the artwork that appears furthest from the viewer

      • Foreground - the part of the artwork that appears nearest to the viewer

      • Collage - arranging different materials and sticking them together on a surface

      • Recycle - reusing discarded or leftover materials

      • Repurposed - when a discarded item is used again, becoming useful in another way

      Common misconception

      Some pupils may think they can only use scissors to cut paper.

      Model tearing and cutting and explain to pupils that choice between the two is important. Tearing makes soft textures like grass or clouds. Cutting makes sharp edges for shapes like windows. Think about which works best for your design.

      Teacher tip

      Have a tray of ready-to-use materials in the classroom. Alternatively, set it as homework for pupils to bring in clean recyclable materials.

      Equipment

      Coloured scrap paper, buttons, beads, bottle tops, or small clean recyclables, fabric scraps, card, magazines or old newspapers. Tools include: scissors, glue sticks, PVA glue, pencil and paper.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      4 Questions

      Q1.
      What tool can you use to make lines that look like fur in your clay animal?

      A paintbrush
      Correct answer: A toothpick or fork
      A sponge
      A glue stick

      Q2.
      What could you use to add texture to your plaque?

      A peg
      Clay tools
      Scissors
      Correct answer: All of the above

      Q3.
      Why do you use a rolling pin when making a clay tile?

      Correct answer: To make the clay soft and smooth
      To make the clay bumpy
      To cut the clay into shapes
      To paint the clay

      Q4.
      Put these steps in the right order for making a plaque:

      1 - Roll out the clay slab using a rolling pin
      2 - Use a template to cut out the shape
      3 - Perforate around the edges
      4 - Use a knife to cut out the shape
      5 - Let it dry or harden
      6 - Add paint

      4 Questions

      Q1.
      What does it mean to recycle materials?

      Throw them away
      Correct answer: Use them again to make something new
      Burn them
      Hide them

      Q2.
      Put these steps in the right order to make a collage using reclaimed materials:

      1 - Plan your picture
      2 - Decide what will be in the background and foreground
      3 - Choose the materials you want to use
      4 - Stick materials onto your paper

      Q3.
      Match the words to their meanings:

      Correct Answer:Foreground,Things close to you in a picture
      Correct Answer:Background,Things far away in a picture
      Correct Answer:Repurposed,Using old things in a new way

      Q4.
      What do we call the part of a picture that looks far away?

      Correct Answer: Background

      To help you plan your 2 art and design lesson on: Create a background using reclaimed materials, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...