Exploring Our Lovely Desert Habitat Through Art- 2nd Grade
2nd grade just finished up an awesome unit in which we learned about the Sonoran Desert habitat, our amazing saguaro cacti, and the interesting connection between the cactus, woodpecker and elf owl. We also had a chance to go outside and draw some of the beautiful plants and cacti in our own backyards (well, own schoolyard :) and had the chance to get our hands dirty with pastels.
We began by exploring what makes the desert so... desert-y. We also learned about the great saguaro with a little fun activity that helped us determine the age of some of the saguaros we have on our campus (hint, they are OLD!!!)
To see the Keynote we used as we explored, click MEDIA and scroll down to 2nd Saguaro. :)
We spent an entire day outside drawing from life and looking closely at the different plants that we see in the desert. Before we set out, we looked at some of the artwork of Tucson's own (and one of my good friends) Danny Martin. Danny loves creating prints and paintings centered around all things Tucson... The kids really loved looking at his drawings of saguaros on Tumamoc Hill.
Danny's Work:
The kids had so much fun drawing outside!
After we explored outside, we began our saguaro collages. The cactus was first drawn in glue on black paper. Then we reviewed our color theory, noting that the color neighbors (or analogous colors) could be used to create value on our saguaros. Using pastel chalk, the kiddos began to add color to their cacti. This was a great time to introduce some other artists that use the desert as their subject matter, such as pastel artist Jenny Willigrod from Prescott, AZ. (The kids LOVED her colorful take on cacti! :)
Students had the choice of either creating a traditional cactus color scheme of greens and yellows, or to explore a more colorful approach inspired by Jenny Willigrod.
Up next was to explore the interconnectedness of the saguaro, the gila woodpecker and the elf owl. We learned about the woodpecker and how it is uniquely adapted to live in the desert and why it makes its home within the saguaro. After the woodpecker moves out, the adorably petite elf owl then moves in.
For the woodpecker, students practiced first drawing it before they felt confident they could create their final rendering. For the elf owl, students returned to pastels and learned about ways to create texture by changing the types of marks they make.
After both birds were completed, they were cut out and collaged on their saguaros. These turned out absolutely beautiful!
