icon-background-square
New
New
Year 3

Refine and evaluate a robot sculpture

I can add finishing touches to enhance the appearance of my sculpture.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 3

Refine and evaluate a robot sculpture

I can add finishing touches to enhance the appearance of my sculpture.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Using tools, paint, or additional materials to refine adds realism, texture, and character to a sculpture.
  2. Adjust and strengthen the sculpture’s structure by securing joints and balancing weight.
  3. Comparing your final sculpture to your maquette helps to reflect on what worked well and what could be improved.

Keywords

  • Sculpture - a three-dimensional piece of art made by shaping or combining materials

  • Refine - making small changes to improve a piece of art

  • Maquette - is a small, rough model of a sculpture used for planning

Common misconception

Pupils could think the maquette is the final version of their sculpture, rather than a starting point for refining and improving their design.

Remind pupils that a maquette is a guide for their sculpture, not a final blueprint. Emphasise that it's okay to make changes as they work to improve stability and functionality.


To help you plan your year 3 art and design lesson on: Refine and evaluate a robot sculpture, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Remind children of joining techniques by showing examples of each technique. Allow extra time, as refining and decorating may take longer.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

Cardboard, newspaper, magazines, milk cartons, small boxes, pipe cleaners, string, scissors, gum tape, mark making tools, tissue paper, fabric scraps, foil, beads, buttons and bottle caps.

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
A maquette is a finished sculpture.
True
Correct answer: False
Q2.
Cardboard is a recyclable material.
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: True
False
Q3.
This is an image of which joining technique?
An image in a quiz
gluing
Correct answer: slotting
sticking
nailing
Q4.
What is this joining technique called?
An image in a quiz
slotting
Correct answer: nailing
stacking
gluing
Q5.
Which of the following can be used to hold materials together?
paint
cardboard
Correct answer: gum tape
Q6.
How do you create a flange? Order the steps.
1 - Cut slits around the base of tube 1-2cm apart.
2 - Fold the slits carefully.
3 - Apply glue to the folded sections.
4 - Press the flange down.

6 Questions

Q1.
What does refine mean?
Correct answer: making small changes to improve a piece of art
to create something new
to ignore small details
Q2.
What details can you add when refining your sculpture?
Correct Answer: Adding small materials, Embellish it, Create texture, Attach materials, Use paint and markers
Q3.
Stability means something is strong and balanced, so it doesn't fall over or tip easily.
Correct answer: True
False
Q4.
What could you do if your robot sculpture doesn’t stand on its own?
Make the base smaller.
Start all over again.
Correct answer: Reinforce joins with extra tape, glue or folded tabs.
Correct answer: Create a base for the sculpture.
Q5.
How can you check your sculpture can stand on its own?
Throw it and see if it lands on its feet.
Correct answer: Add internal supports like wire or sticks for stability.
Correct answer: Keep both sides evenly weighted.
Correct answer: Gently test the balance after adding each part to adjust if needed.
Q6.
Match the word to the definition.
Correct Answer:maquette,is a small, rough model of a sculpture used for planning
tick

is a small, rough model of a sculpture used for planning

Correct Answer:sculpture,three-dimensional piece of art made by shaping or combining materials
tick

three-dimensional piece of art made by shaping or combining materials

Correct Answer:armature,a skeleton frame, basic shape, that holds a maquette together
tick

a skeleton frame, basic shape, that holds a maquette together