Fish

Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2

K-2 students will have fun creating some artworks of fish. There is a terracotta clay fish to make and students can create some texture on the fish for scales. Refer to the included reference images and learn about the parts of the fish to include in their clay work. We have a fun pet fish rock to create with its own small pond to swim in and a gorgeous koi fish, mixed media artwork to create using chalk pastels. Draw and add detail to the koi using permanent marker and then add colourful chalk pastel. Complete the work by placing the fish in the lily pond. You can even add some waterlily flowers.

In this unit kids can make the easy clay fish. It is a good artwork to create as a first work in clay and the kids will also learn how to cut clay and create texture on their work. We will get crafty making the pet fish rock adding details with coloured permanent markers and adding features and fins.

The koi fish are inspired by Japanese fish ponds. The emphasis on this project is on drawing the shapes to suggest movement and colouring with soft chalk pastels to create different intensities of colour. Students will enjoy learning about fish and creating these colourful artworks.

Grade 3 and 4

The zentangle fish is an imaginary comic-style fish kids can draw and add fun details to. There is lots of colour mixing with acrylic paint and the work is done on large, A3 paper. When the paint has dried, we focus on pattern and shape. The fish is divided up into sections and we explore pattern to decorate each section differently. Coloured markers are used to add details and patterns in this four week project. We use a limited colour palette and look at pattern, shape, repetition, analogous colours and contrast.

Students will learn about line, colour, shape, pattern, form and repetition. We’ll look at analogous colours and learn some drawing and painting techniques.

Grade 5 and 6

In the fish unit for grade 5 and 6, students we will explore creating with textiles and clay in these two, textured fish art projects. Using textiles in a range of cool or warm colours kids will create a fish artwork from collaged fabrics. We’ll learn how to use colour for contrast and harmony and to imply shadow and form. We’ll paint a background and then add coral, seaweed and anemonhes in fabric with contrasting colours to make the fish stand out.

Students will practice their observation skills and create a detailed reef scene in clay. This project is done with air dry clay but if you have glazes and a kiln you could adapt it to a fired clay project. We will explore a variety of textures and learn joining techniques to layer the components onto a background slab. We use household objects to create a variety of textures and forms and then when it is all assembled and joined paint with acrylic paint, and you can spray with varnish to complete.

Fishy Jokes for the classroom

Here are some fun fish jokes you can share with your class to introduce this unit:
Where does a fish keep his money? At a riverbank
What kind of fish only comes out at night? A starfish
What kind of fish belongs in a circus? A clown fish