Myths about teaching can hold you back
- Year 11
Mixed media sculptures: combining diverse materials and techniques
I can choose and combine materials to make a mixed media sculpture that is expressive, integrated and experimental.
- Year 11
Mixed media sculptures: combining diverse materials and techniques
I can choose and combine materials to make a mixed media sculpture that is expressive, integrated and experimental.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- The choice of materials becomes part of the message; each one can evoke different emotions, histories, or associations.
- Successful mixed media sculpture depends on understanding how to physically and visually integrate different materials.
- Mixed media expands creative boundaries, encouraging experimentation, recycled elements, or unconventional techniques.
Keywords
Integration - combining materials so they work visually and physically
Experimentation - testing new techniques, found objects, or recycled elements
Common misconception
Mixed media just means throwing lots of materials together.
Each material should have a purpose — it must add meaning or structure, not just make it look busy.
To help you plan your year 11 art and design lesson on: Mixed media sculptures: combining diverse materials and techniques, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 art and design lesson on: Mixed media sculptures: combining diverse materials and techniques, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 art and design lessons from the 3D Design unit, dive into the full secondary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Clay, wire, card, wood, fabric, paper, string, glue/PVA, glue gun, tape, pliers, scissors, knives, mats, recycled/found/natural objects, sketchbooks.