Lesson Plan: Duck & Fish

Activities for this Lesson Plan

Explore Duck & Fish
Storytelling
Paper Collage Illustration

Resources

Write a Story (worksheet)
Make a Collage Illustration (worksheet)
Glossary

Time: Three hours
Grade Level: Elementary School
School Subject: Language Arts (storytelling, writing), Visual Arts (drawing, collaging)

Objectives:

Students will:

  • Read Duck & Fish by Megan Coyle.
  • Learn about Megan Coyle and her collage illustrations.
  • Learn about settings, characters, and plot.
  • Write a story and make a paper collage illustration to go along with it.

Materials:

Lesson:

Tell students you will read Duck & Fish by collage artist Megan Coyle. After the story, they will study artwork from the book and look at other artwork by the artist. Students will also write and illustrate their own story inspired by Duck & Fish.

For pre-readers:

  1. Read Duck & Fish to the class.
  2. Read the brief biography of Megan Coyle to familiarize students with the artist.
  3. Have students look at Megan Coyle’s collages. What are their favorite collages? What colors does the artist use? What is the setting for each collage?
  4. Print out the story template and have students write a short story or dictate their story to you. Have them imagine their own Duck & Fish inspired adventure. What would they do if they could fly or swim? Where would they go? Who would they meet?
  5. Tell students about book illustrations. What makes something an illustration?
  6. Review the Make a Collage Illustration instructions. Pass out art materials and tell students to make a collage that illustrates their story.

For readers:

  1. Read Duck & Fish to the class. Ask students which illustrations they liked best. Which character is their favorite? Why?
  2. Have students study other collages by Megan Coyle. How are the collages in her online galleries similar or different to the collages in Duck & Fish?
  3. Have students begin the online lesson activities: Explore Duck & Fish, Storytelling, Paper Collage Illustration, and read the artist biography. Talk about Coyle’s collage illustrations – What colors does she use? What are the animals doing? How were they feeling at the beginning, middle, and end of the story?
  4. Print out the story template. Review the instructions with the class and have students write their own story.
  5. Print out the Make a Collage Illustration instructions and review them with the class. Pass out materials to make collages. Review Megan Coyle’s collage technique. Have students make an illustration based on their story.

Assessment:

  • During class discussion, did the student show a good understanding of the book?
  • Did the student complete a story inspired by Duck & Fish?
  • Did their paper collage illustrate the main idea of their story?
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