Year 7 SoW examining the work of Yinka Shonibare and the idea of what it is to be an alien. Students work towards creating an alien from found materials.

1. You will use your imagination to create your own
alien sculpture and develop your skills in
construction by using found materials to build
with. You will develop a pattern based on your
cultural heritage to decorate your alien.
During this project you will explore the work of Yinka Shonibare
and discover how he represents how alien you can feel in a new
environment.
You will learn about the ideas, methods and
approaches used by other artists who have looked at similar
ideas in their work. You will also be introduced to artists who
attempt to express their cultural heritage in their work.
SoW: Aliens (Year 7)

2. Do now…..Drawing Techniques
Can you draw different animal textures?
For example: fur, scales (snake or fish), tough
rhino/elephant skin, feathers etc.
How many can you think of?
Fold the piece of paper on the
desk into at least four sections
and draw a different texture in
each one.
Label each texture.

3. Lesson 1: ‘Consequences’
Learning objectives. By the end of the task you will:
● Be able to combine found images and your imagination to create a
creature
● Work successfully within a team.
Learning outcomes.
By the end of the task you will have played the game ‘Consequences’ and
contributed to the creation of three Alien designs
Surrealists believed that the parlour game,
‘Consequences’ was a pure creation of the mind. They
saw it as exploiting the ‘mystique of accident’.
The Chapman Brothers version of the Surrealist game feature
comic-horror imagery: skulls, eyeballs on stalks, grotesque
animal, writhing intestines, and claw-like hands and feet.

4. Inspiration:

5. Do now…..
Write the date, the question and your answer in the back of your sketchbook.
What does it mean to be an alien?
To be an alien means to be…
To be an alien feels like…

6. Lesson 2:
Understand the work of our key
artist: Yinka Shonibare
Learning objectives.
By the end of the task you will:
● Understand the issues behind
‘Dysfunctional Family’ by Yinka
Shonibare’s.
● Explain why Shonibare uses specific
patterned fabric.
Learning outcomes.
By the end of the task you will have worked
collaboratively to complete the research sheet
about Shonibare.

7. ‘Dysfunctional Family’ by Yinka Shonibare
In pairs, answer the following questions:
Explain what you see in the picture?
Can you recognise the different
members of the family? If so, how
do you know?
How would you describe the
patterns?
Do you associate the patterns on
the fabric with a particular place?
What do you think the artist is
trying to say in this art work?
Explain your reasons.
This art work is part of a series of
art works called ‘Alien Nation’.
How would you define an ‘Alien’?
Does the title help you understand the
artwork?
What are your first thoughts about this work?

8. Watch this: Who is Yinka Shonibare? | Tate Kids
and answer the questions on the worksheet. Shonibare intro worksheet (Stick the
worksheet in your sketchbook)

9. ‘Dysfunctional Family’ by Yinka Shonibare
In pairs, answer the following questions:
Explain what you see in the picture?
Can you recognise the different
members of the family? If so, how
do you know?
How would you describe the
patterns?
Do you associate the patterns on
the fabric with a particular place?
What do you think the artist is
trying to say in this art work?
Explain your reasons.
This art work is part of a series of
art works called ‘Alien Nation’.
How would you define an ‘Alien’?
Does the title help you understand the
artwork?
Can you elaborate on any of your first thoughts?

10. The importance of the fabric Shonibare
uses in his work.
Watch this- Shonibare: Fabric

11. The trail of Shonibare’s fabric….

12. Begins with an Indonesian batik technique.

13. Developed in Holland

14. Mass produced in the north of England

15. Exported and sold to north Africa.

16. ‘Dysfunctional Family’ by Yinka Shonibare
In pairs, answer the following questions:
Explain what you see in the picture?
Can you recognise the different
members of the family? If so, how do
you know?
How would you describe the
patterns?
Do you associate the patterns on the
fabric with a particular place?
What do you think the artist is trying
to say in this art work? Explain your
reasons.
This art work is part of a series of art
works called ‘Alien Nation’. How
would you define an ‘Alien’?
Does the title help you understand the
artwork?
Can you add any more information to your sheet?

17. Homework:
1. Add the title ‘ Dysfunctional Family’ 1999 by Yinka Shonibare to the next page in your
sketchbook.
2. Draw one or more of the figures in colour.
3. Write up your comments from the questions completed in class. Try to use the specific
vocab below.
Developing:
Write out each question and answer
each one in full sentences.
Secure:
Use the answers from the class task to
help you write a short paragraph about
this work.
Excelling:
Collect more information about other
themes Shonibare addresses in his
work. Write a short paragraph
covering the answers from the lesson
and introducing the information you
have discovered.
Think carefully about the overall
presentation. You may wish to create a
border featuring some of the patterns
Shonibare uses or include images of
his other work.
Useful Words
Pattern Batik Sculpture
Identity Alienation Installation
Multiculturalism Stereotype Colonialism

18. Prompt sheet
Explain what you see in the picture?
In the picture I can see a ____
Can you recognise the different members of the family? If so,
how do you know?
There are two adults and two children in the piece of work. I
know this because (of the size, the patterns)
This artwork is part of a series called ‘Alien Nation’. How
would you define an ‘Alien’?
An alien is (someone who is lost / someone who is in a new
place / someone who finds their surroundings strange)
Does the title help you understand the artwork?
How would you describe the patterns?
The patterns are …
What is the story behind the fabric?
The patterns on the fabric were developed by the (English,
African, Dutch), for the (indonesian / Chinese / British)
market.
The patterns were mass-produced in (Manchester /
Birmingham / London) before being exported to (China,
Indonesia, Africa)
What do you think the artist is trying to say in this artwork?
The artist is saying in this work that (there are aliens in the
world / Don’t judge a book by it’s cover / we are culturally
diverse) What evidence do you have to support this
statement?
Other
aliens to
draw

19. Do now…..
Write the date, the question and your answer in the back of your sketchbook.
Shonibare uses specific patterned fabric.
Put the countries in the correct order that
shows the ‘journey’ the fabric has made.
North Africa Indonesia
Holland Manchester (Industrial north
of England)
What bigger meaning does this fabric have?
Shonibare uses this fabric to show us….

20. Lesson 3: Alien Design
Learning objectives.
By the end of the task you will be able to identify the idea that has the most
potential
Learning outcomes. By the end of the task you will:
● Adapt the consequence outcomes into a design that is far more personal to
you.
● Imagine how it your alien look from different angles by drawing your alien
from different viewpoints.

21. Inspiration:

22. Do now….. Alien fact file
Write the date, the question and your answer in the back of your sketchbook.
What is your aliens name?
Where do they live?
What is their habitat like?
What do they like to eat?
How would you describe their community?

23. Lesson 4 : Making the Alien- armature
Learning objectives. By the end of the task you will:
● Identify the most appropriate materials to make a sound base for your sculpture;
● Choose the best method of construction to achieve your ideas.
Learning outcomes.
By the end of the task you will have created the armature for your alien.

24. What is an Armature?

25. An ARMATURE is a skeleton or framework used by an artist
to support a sculpture being modeled.
An armature can be made from any material that is rigid
enough to hold other materials such as clay, plaster and
papier maché which are applied to and shaped around it.

26. Your armature is the filled, plastic bottle.
The rice, sand etc inside the bottle gives it
weight so that you can build your alien
around it.

27. Construction techniques
Experiment with using
scrunched and rolled paper
to build up the shape of your
alien and add volume.

28. Use tape to fix the paper in place.

29. Construction
This may take 3-4 weeks.
The following slides have separate ‘Do now’ tasks for the
construction lessons.

30. Do now…
Write the date, the question and your answer in the back of your sketchbook.
What is an armature?
What could an armature be made from?
What is your alien’s armature made from?

31. Do now…
Write the date, the question and your answer in the back of your sketchbook.
How would you fix this construction issue?
The alien keeps falling over and is unbalanced.
To make sure the alien stands up I would….

32. Do now…
Set a target for your neighbour. Discuss what
should be completed and write all targets down
on a post it note.

33. Do now…
Write the date, the question and your answer in the back of your sketchbook.
How would you fix this construction issue?
The alien’s limbs are hanging limply, how can you
give them more shape and expression?
To give the alien’s limbs more shape I could…

34. Lesson 5-8: Making the Alien- construction
Learning objectives. By the end of the task you will:
● Identify the most appropriate materials to use for different parts of your sculpture.
● Choose the best method of construction to achieve your ideas.
● Plan further developments.
Learning outcomes.
By the end of the task you will have achieved the target set for you at the start of the
lesson..
Developing:
I have developed my practical
skills and choosen the most
appropriate materials and
techniques to make my alien.
My sculpture is sturdy and has
no loose bits hanging off.
Secure
I have developed my practical
skills and construction
techniques and can choose the
most appropriate tools and
materials to make my alien.
Excelling
I have experimented with and
explored the potentials of materials
to plan future developments in my
work.
I collected useful images and
materials (without being asked by
my teacher) to develop my alien.
I applied my practical skills and
technical knowledge to achieve my
alien design in 3D.
Set targets for your neighbour at the beginning of every construction lesson. Discuss what
should be completed and write all targets down on a post it note for the plenary at the end.

35. Construction techniques:
Cut and slot card.
Score card to help it bend and create geometric shapes.
Alternatively score all along the width of a length of card to help you create a
curved piece.
Wire- especially good for snake
like shapes.
Makes great hands / claws.
Stuffed tights or socks!
Tights stretched over a wire shape is
also good for creating skeletal shapes.
Paper is the most versatile! You can:
•Scrunch it and secure it with tape;
•Roll it into strong lengths;
•Layer it, wrap it, crease it and pleat
it;
•You can roll many balls of paper
and tape them together to create a
muscular effect……

36. Safe use of the Stanley knives.
• Always be sure that blades are properly seated in knives and that knives are properly closed and/or
fastened together before use.
• Never leave a knife unattended with the blade exposed.
• Always use sharp blades. A dull blade requires more force and is more likely to slip than a sharp one.
Change the blade whenever it starts to tear instead of cut.
• Protect your eyes - wear safety goggles when working with knives if possible. Never hold a knife to
someone even as a joke.
• Always keep your free hand away from the line of cut.
• Always pull the knife toward you when making a cut on a flat surface. A pulling motion is stronger and
more positive than pushing the knife away from you, and the knife is less likely to slip.
• Use a ridged, metal ruler when cutting a straight edge. The straight edge needs to be thick enough to
prevent the knife from "riding up" over the edge and cutting you.
• When using a knife to cut through thick materials, be patient - make several passes, cutting a little deeper
into the material with each pass.
• USE A CUTTING MAT!

37. Use wire to create detail.

38. Papier Maché
This may take 2 weeks.
The following slides have separate ‘Do now’ tasks for these
lessons.

39. Do now…
Write the date, the question and your answer in the back of your sketchbook.
Name 3 different construction techniques you
have used in the creation of your alien.
1.
2.
3.

40. Do now…
Write the date, the question and your answer in the back of your sketchbook.
How can you use papier maché to add strength to
your alien sculpture?

41. Do now…
Write the date, the question and your answer in the back of your sketchbook.
What advice would you give to someone who
wanted to create a smooth surface with papier
maché?

42. Lesson 9-10: Papier Maché
Learning objectives.
By the end of the task you will use your knowledge of construction processes and
papier mache techniques to refine your sculpture.
Learning outcomes.
By the end of the task you will have covered your alien sculpture in a pale, base
colour using tissue paper.

43. Tip 1:
Tear or cut your newsprint and tissue paper into strips
BEFORE you start.
Tip 2:
Prepare smaller pieces of paper for the smaller or more
intricate parts of your sculpture.

44. Tip 3:
Apply the ‘paste’
under AND on top of
each piece of tissue
paper.
Tip 4:
Use a sponge or brush
to push the tissue
paper into the details
of your sculpture.

45. Tip 5:
You can use papier maché to sculpt
any details. The wet tissue paper
can be shaped into features, texture
etc.

46. Do now…
Write the date, the question and your answer in the back of your sketchbook.
What is significant about the patterned fabric
that Shonibare uses in his work?

47. Lesson 11&12: Patterns
Learning objectives.
By the end of the task you will have
developed a pattern from your own
imagery to express a personal history.
Learning outcomes.
By the end of the task you will have
collaged your pattern onto the
sculpture.

48. In your sketchbook, simplify one or more of the patterns
you drew for homework.

49. Top Tip: Fold the tracing paper into 4 or
more layers so that you can cut out
multiple shapes in one go.
Carefully draw your
design on the top layer.

50. This bit is really tricky!
Hold tight to all the layers of tracing paper as you cut out the shape.

51. Use the same technique that you used for the papier mache to glue
your shapes onto your sculpture.

52. These patterns designed by Yinka Shonibare are based on everyday

53. Do now…
Write the date, the question and your answer in the back of your sketchbook.
Where might you see artwork on display?
Where would you like to exhibit your alien
sculpture? What about the whole year group’s
aliens (300 alien sculptures)

54. Lesson 13: Details
Learning objectives.
Use your knowledge of the task and
expectations to refine the decoration
of the alien.
Learning outcomes.
You will have successfully combined
tissue shapes, collage and drawing
to complete the alien’s surface.

55. White paint
Use the white paint to add
to the pattern or to add
details.

56. This pattern was made with a cotton bud!

57. Black pen
The black pen can add small
details, more pattern or create a
repetative mark that covers part of
your alien.
Pens must not be used on wet
areas.

59. Final touches
Photocopies of eyes, pipe cleaners and shredded tissue paper can add
character to your sculpture.

60. • Born in Nairobi, Kenya, educated in Britain and resident in New York since the mid-
nineties.
• Her paintings and collages often feature twisting female forms, their skin an eruption of
mutant appendices like gun shafts or machine gears sprouting from the sockets of joints,
their bodies half human, half hyena.
• Mutu commonly works on paper, manipulating ink and acrylic paint into pools of colour.
• Wangechi Mutu's work boldly explores the contradictions of female and cultural identity,
drawing the viewer into conversations about beauty, consumerism, colonialism, race,
and gender.
Wengechi Mutu
Wangechi Mutu (teachers, watch first!)

61. Do now…
Write the date, the question and your answer in the back of your sketchbook.
Write a list of everything you have done
during the Aliens project.

62. Final Lesson: Assessment