Research distinctive animal characteristics to include in a repeated shape landscape like those of Henri Rousseau.

• 1.

  Listen to or read Who Is the Beast?, in which an animal discovers that segments of the "beast" that others fear are parts of its own body. Compile a list of fearsome animals that might be identified by a body part, such as a skunk's stripe. Study photographs and drawings of these animals.

• 2.

  Look carefully at Henri Rousseau's fanciful paintings of rain forest animals. Note the repetition of plant shapes. Compare these plants and animals to rainforest photographs.

• 3.

  Choose one animal to portray hiding in its natural habitat. Study its shape, color, markings, and textures. How might these characteristics help camouflage the animal? Find out what natural elements abound in its environment, too, such as plants.

• 4.

  Draw the animal using Crayola® Colored Pencils or Color Sticks. With Crayola Scissors, cut out and glue the animal to a construction paper background.

• 5.

  On oak tag or poster board, draw a simple outline of one natural element in the animal's habitat, such as a leaf. Plan ahead. Choose a size that will enable you to use several of these shapes to camouflage most of the animal. Cut out the shape to make a stencil. Trace the stencil as many times as needed and cut out the pieces. For variety, exchange stencils with another student portraying the same environment.

• 6.

  Color a thick outline around the edge of each shape with Colored Pencils or Color Sticks. Fill in with light colors (tints). Draw in darker details with Crayola Fine Line Markers.

• 7.

  Experiment to find a pleasing way to lay the shapes on top of the animal drawing and background. Overlap and cluster shapes to create harmony. Use a Crayola Washable Glue Stick to attach the shapes so the fearsome creature appears partially hidden by vegetation.

Standards

• LA: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
• LA: Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting or plot.
• LA: Read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grade level text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
• LA: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade level topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups
• LA: Participate in shared research and writing projects.
• SCI: Make observations about the variety of plants and animals living in an area and identify the specific places they live in order to make comparisons between different areas.
• SCI: Develop and use models to compare how living things depend on their surroundings to meet their needs in the places they live.
• VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.
• VA: Select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.

Adaptations

• Possible classroom resource includes: The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau by Michelle Markel
• Students research the life of Henri Rousseau, the challenges he faced, and the art he produced. Study several pieces of Rousseau's art. Why did art critics of his time dislike his work? What do contemporaries think of his work today?
• Students work in small groups and investigate tropical rainforests and the animals that inhabit these areas. How do the various markings on the animals help to camouflage them?
• Take a nature walk with students in the school yard or local park. Identify foliage and indigenous animals in these areas. Make sketches with notes about the coloring of the animals and foliage, as well as the shapes seen. Create a class mural of local flora and fauna. Post in the classroom for future student discussion.