Cubist Paper-Slotted Animals

Access the full lesson with vocab, supply list, teacher instructions, and step-by-step visual student instructions to use it with your classes!

Paper slotting has been a HIT with my students. It has been the project that gets every single student excited about creating—I think because there is such a joy in figuring out how to bring a shape to life. There are multiple ways to go about it, so students really work on their engineering and creative skills in order to pull off their vision.

Students create a set of animals (and can also create a habitat for them) using only paper, scissors, and colored pencils—no glue or tape. We discuss the paper slotting method and different ways to apply it based on the desired shape, and I have students experiment with it for at least one class before starting to actually make their pieces.

I also teach students about animal groups and the Cubist movement, based on their grade level, so students have a lot to think about as they plan for their finished product.

I personally love to watch this project unfold because the options are endless! Students may make whales, 3D waves, and even boats or man-made influences in their habitat, for example. An animal may be holding food or interacting with another animal. Students have so much fun pushing the boundaries!

Grab the full lesson here and let me know how it goes with your classes!