Second graders read Ruth Heller's," How to Hide an Octopus" They discovered that camouflage is a form of adaptation for survival. To celebrate their reading and completion of "Open Court Reading's, Take a Second Look," unit, they created a work of art that would show an animal using camouflage. To enhance their background knowledge of nature art, they studied works by artists Henri Rousseau, John James Audubon, and Beverly Dolittle.

To begin creating their piece they carefully chose an environment for their background and then their animal. Students selected construction paper and animal print paper, scissors and glue for their work. Students practiced contour drawings of their animal before drawing on the animal print paper. Having lots of nature books was a real plus. When children struggled with contours I had them trace over animal picture slowly, several times, then repeat the lines on practice paper. Only a few children needed my assistance to get the drawn shape. Next they created their backgrounds. I encouraged filling in their backgrounds with flora and fauna. I taught them paper sculpture techniques like over lapping, curling the paper, and going beyond the space of the page for plants. To make their art more polished they created a frame from their animal print paper.

When the art was completed, it was time to evaluate their work in small groups using the language of art to talk about their pieces. Students wrote artists statements, as the final step of the experience, deciding upon their audience, and if they wanted to inform, persuade, or entertain. Giving them choice allowed them to be creative and to have a strong voice.

I displayed everyone’s work just in time for California Art Education Association's Youth Art Month. Not only could they enjoy their art work, so could the rest of our school, and families.