The girls learned to draw animals using body parts (ovals) to get the form correct before adding the pattern and texture of fur and feathers. These chalk drawings were completed at the beginning of their animal study. They also researched their animals on National Geographic for Kids and other links to learn about the foods they eat, their natural habitats, and special considerations for each animal.
The girls are now building their exhibits after a great trip to the zoo. There, they participated in a ZooLab customized for their art and technology unit. They learned about what zoos do (education and conservation) and who the different constituents are that make zoos work: the animals, the zookeepers, and the visitors. They compared old zoo exhibits to new exhibits and learned that some animals like the cheetah like to be together whereas the leopard likes its own space. Then, they walked around the whole zoo looking for examples of fences and other borders, shelters, zookeepers facilities, and animal enclosures.
The girls took pictures and made a "field notes" book collecting ideas and information to design their own exhibits. Here they are revising their first exhibit drawings to include their new ideas.
