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Year 7

Artist responses to plastic pollution

I can transform and recycle plastic bottles into new artworks.

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New
New
Year 7

Artist responses to plastic pollution

I can transform and recycle plastic bottles into new artworks.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest threats to the planet.
  2. Artists transform waste into thought-provoking pieces that inspire sustainability.
  3. The manipulation of waste materials can add meaning, deepening the thought provoking effect of the artwork.

Keywords

  • Thought-provoking - something that makes you think deeply or consider new ideas. You could hear or see something that gets you wondering or asking questions, maybe even challenging what you already know or believe.

  • Transform - to change something completely or make it look or work in a very different way

  • Manipulate - how we handle or work with different materials to shape, form, or change them into something new

Common misconception

The material of an artwork cannot communicate meaning.

Many artists carefully select materials to deepen the meaning of their work. The materials chosen for an artwork can often communicate meaning through common associations or contextual connections.


To help you plan your year 7 art and design lesson on: Artist responses to plastic pollution, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

The Additional materials contains further information and ideas.
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Equipment

Paper, pencils, plastic bottles, push pins, clear tape, scissors, thread and needles.

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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

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which is the correct term for the definition 'something that makes you think deeply or consider new ideas'?
imaginative
mind-bending
Correct answer: thought-provoking
Q2.
Transforming something is to something completely or make it look or work in a very different way.
Correct Answer: change, alter, modify, reshape, reimagine
Q3.
What does 'manipulate' mean when working with materials?
to break materials without a purpose
to copy materials without making changes
Correct answer: to handle, shape, or change materials into something new
to ignore or avoid using materials
Q4.
What is pollution?
keeping the environment clean and safe
recycling materials to reduce waste
Correct answer: rhe process of making the air, water, or land dirty and harmful
using natural resources responsibly
Q5.
How can artists recycle waste materials in their work?
by avoiding recycled materials because they lack value
Correct answer: by reusing plastic and other materials in their studio
by throwing away old materials and buying new ones
Correct answer: by using discarded or waste materials to create new artwork
Q6.
Which is the most likely reasons an artist could select and use plastic waste in their artwork?
because plastic waste is the only material available
because plastic waste has no other use
to make their artwork look unfinished
Correct answer: to raise awareness about pollution and environmental issues

5 Questions

Q1.
Match theses key words with their definitions.
Correct Answer:thought-provoking ,something that makes you think deeply or consider new ideas
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something that makes you think deeply or consider new ideas

Correct Answer:transform,to change something completely or make it look very different
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to change something completely or make it look very different

Correct Answer:manipulate,how we handle or work with materials to shape, form into something new
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how we handle or work with materials to shape, form into something new

Correct Answer:sustainability,taking care of the Earth so it stays healthy for a long time
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taking care of the Earth so it stays healthy for a long time

Correct Answer:pollution,when people make the world dirty through waste, chemicals or fuels
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when people make the world dirty through waste, chemicals or fuels

Q2.
Artists might aim for their work to be -provoking and inspiring.
Correct Answer: thought
Q3.
Which is the most likely reason artists create work about plastic pollution?
because plastic is a useful material for making art
because plastic makes art more colourful
Correct answer: because plastic pollution is a major threat to the planet
because plastic pollution is not a serious issue
Q4.
Which is the most likely option explaining how artists use waste in their art?
They hide it so people don't see pollution.
Correct answer: They transform it into thought-provoking pieces that inspire sustainability.
They throw it away and use traditional material to create thought-provoking pie.
They use it only because it is cheaper than other materials.
Q5.
How can manipulating waste materials impact artwork?
Correct answer: It adds meaning and deepens the thought-provoking effect.
It makes the artwork harder to understand.
It makes the artwork less interesting.
It removes meaning from the piece.

Additional material

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