Ramona Lapsley, Art Instructor
Mountainside Elementary, Ft. Carson, CO
(719) 382-1430

Generalization: Students learn about topics and gain information through visual means as well as through the hands-on approach. In other words, many students are visual learners so they process and retain information as well as synthesize information by viewing it as well as becoming involved & doing it.

Concepts: Third grade students science unit on the life in the Rain forest. The inhabitants of the rain forest are interesting, endangered, and in some cases only found in that biome fount on the planet. Animals, birds, reptiles, and insects are some of the most colorful and interesting. Are there species in the rain forest that are fluorescent colored? Are fluorescent colors found in nature?

Lesson Activities: Students have been studying the rain forest and have prior knowledge about the rain forest already. Students look at books and pictures of rain forest species. Read the story, The Great Kapok Tree and show them pictures of the creatures of the rain forest. Students sketch creatures on white paper, trace with black crayon, and color using fluorescent crayons. Tell them they must fill the space with color and the environment in which the creatures are found (Leaves vines, branches, canopy trees, ferns...) Once this is done, students paint black, blue, purple, or green watercolor on to the crayon drawing and let dry.

Instructional Objectives: Students learn additional information about the rain forest the illustrator of the book, and the crayon resist method of using crayon and wax resist with watercolor. Students can add additional things such as pop-up shapes to the rain forest or mount on another paper and decorate with a pattern.

Motivational Resources:

Pictures from National Wildlife or Ranger Rick magazines.

The Great Kapok Tree - A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry, Gulliver Books, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publ. 1990.

Flashy Fantastic Rainforest Frogs by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, Scholastic Books, NYNY 1997.

Life in the RAINFOREST by Melvin Berger 1996 Newbridge Communications, Inc. NYNY.

Materials: Watercolor or heavy white construction paper, Water containers, Watercolors, black, green, blue, purple, watercolor brushes, Fluorescent Crayons, Pencils & erasers

Synthesis / Evaluation: Students are evaluated on their use of knowledge in incorporating prior knowledge into the design of their picture or utilizing the resources present during the art lesson. Did student draw large and fill space? Did they incorporate rain forest creatures into their design? Did student follow the directions and utilize the materials as demonstrated?

Standard Applications: If successfully taught, the student will have met Colorado Visual Art Content Standards three and four regarding the knowledge and application of materials, tools, techniques, and processes and well as the relation of art to history, science and culture.