Polish Szopka Multi-Media Collage
Materials and
Resources:
Objectives:
Glue sticks and tacky glue (or school glue)
8”x10” black, blue, or white poster board
Smaller pieces of poster board for pop-outs
Scissors
Metallic foil paper* cut into 3 ½”x5” rectangles and various sized squares(keep the scraps)
Aluminum foil
Glitter glue
Corrugated cardboard spacers (approx. ½” squares)
Visuals of szopki or PowerPoint (many images can be found online)
3 flat boxes or bins to keep the metallic paper in, labeled “Pick 2”, “Pick
3” and “Pick 4”
Embellishments – gems, beads, buttons…anything shiny
1. Introduce students to the folk art tradition of the Polish szopka, or “Christmas
Crèche”.
2. Students will make a collage of a szopka by creating the building from
geometric shapes that they have cut from metallic paper. The szopka should have
a base and at least two towers, all three needing to be topped by a roof, dome, or
spire.
3. Students will add a line element to their szopka using glitter glue and coils of
aluminum foil.
4. Students can use either symmetry or asymmetry in their work.
Vocabulary: Szopka (szopki – plural)
Folk Art
Architecture
Symmetry/Asymmetry
Tradition
Recycled
Spire
Horizontal/Vertical
Geometric Shape
Tower
Cupola
Structure
Arch
Tower
Roof
Preparation: 1. Cut poster board into 8”x10” rectangles.
2. Pre-cut metallic paper into 3 ½” x 5” rectangles, and place these in the
“Pick 2” box, since each student will need two of this size. Out of the scrap paper,
cut lots of squares of varying sizes, and put them in the “Pick 3” box”. The
smallest scraps get placed in the “Pick 4” box – not one inch of the paper is
wasted!!
3. Organize embellishments so students will have a good selection to choose
from, and place them on the tables only when students are ready to start adding
them. (It’s amazing how fast the acrylic gems disappear!)
4. Give each student a blue, black or white piece of 8”x10” posterboard.
© Denise Rudd – 2008
Instruction: 1. Introduce students to the history of the szopka using a PowerPoint, visuals,
books, or other resources. Szopki are type of Polish folk art that were built by
masons and builders who needed an additional source of income during the
holidays.
2. Students can hold their posterboard either vertically or horizontally. Start by
demonstrating how to center one of the 3 ½”x5” pieces of metallic paper on to the
cardboard, and glue it down with a glue stick about an inch from the bottom. Cut
the other large rectangle in half vertically – the two skinny rectangles will become
the base of the towers. Glue these down as well.
or….
3. Talk about the different elements of architecture that szopki have – towers,
windows, domes, spires, arches, roofs, and the variety of shapes that each of these
take. Demonstrate how to cut these out of the metallic paper and start to arrange
them, building on the base of the szopka.
4. Students should arrange and rearrange the shapes in their composition before
even thinking about glue. Encourage them to experiment with layering smaller
shapes on top of larger ones, and even smaller shapes to add fine details (like door
knobs, or window panes.) Once they are satisfied with the arrangement –
demonstrate how to glue down the pieces using the glue stick (being especially
careful to get the edges), moving from the bottom layer up to the smallest shapes.
5. To add pop-outs: Cover the back of a larger piece of metallic paper with
a glue stick, and glue down to a piece of poster board. Students can then
cut a few shapes out. (The pop-outs need to be backed with cardboard – otherwise
they curl!!) Instruct them to use the school glue to stick one of the corrugated
cardboard spacers on the back, and then glue this to the szopka. Doors, windows,
and smaller details are great elements to pop out. You can even add pop-outs on
top of pop-outs!
6. Once the gluing is complete, it will be time to start adding the linear elements
to their work using aluminum foil. On the PowerPoint or on the visuals, point out
where the artists use lines and dots made from foil, or see if students can find the
location. Demonstrate how to coil small pieces of aluminum foil to
make thin lines and small dots, and bigger pieces to get thicker lines. The foil
can be manipulated into zigzag lines, swirls, shapes, and other details by simply
© Denise Rudd – 2008
bending and twisting. Students should glue down the aluminum foil with white
school glue or tacky glue, not glue sticks.
7. Students can also add linear elements to their work with the glitter glue –
instruct them to squeeze gently to avoid unsightly globs!!
8. Give each student, as they finish their line work, a small dab of tacky glue or
white school glue. Pass out what you have available for embellishments, and let
them add some sparkle to their work!
Assessment: To receive a grade of 3 on the Standards-Based Progress Report:
1. The student’s szopka must have a base, at least two towers, and these
must be topped with a roof, dome, or spire.
2. The student has used at least 4 different geometric shapes in their
work: triangles, squares, rectangles, circles, etc.
3. The student has used at least four different line elements in their work
using foil and glitter glue: zigzag, spiral, wavy, straight, thick/thin, etc.
4. Student can identify his or her work as being symmetrical or
asymmetrical, and why.
National Visual Arts Standards Met:
Content Standard 1: Understanding and applying media, techniques and processes
Content Standard 3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and
ideas
Content Standard 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
Content Standard 6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
* The metallic foil paper that I use is from a company called Hygloss, and comes in a
package of 24 8 ½”x10” sheets. You can get them with a smooth surface, or embossed
with different patterns.
This lesson plan was created by Denise Rudd, art resource teacher for Albuquerque
Public Schools, and presented at the New Mexico Art Education Association’ annual
conference in November 2011 and the NAEA National Convention in Ft. Worth, TX in
March 2013.
© Denise Rudd – 2008