Grab your umbrella…we’re going to the rainforest!
Who wouldn’t love to take a trip to the tropical rainforests of South and Central America, Hawaii, Thailand, or Australia? If we can’t go in person at least we can visit via research and a spectacular, 3-dimensional, student art project.
The plants in a rainforest release water into the atmosphere through transpiration. The plants release so much water that they actually water themselves. In fact, each tree canopy can release up to two hundred gallons of water into the air each year! This moisture forms a thick cloud cover that hangs over the atmosphere of the rainforest and keeps it humid and warm, creating the perfect habitat for some seriously amazing plants and wildlife.
The plants that grow and the creatures that live in the rainforest are so spectacular and unique that many artists are drawn to study them. From Frederic Edwin Church to contemporary artist Oenone Hammersley, artists have long sought to capture the other-worldly elements of the rainforest.
And your students can, too! Our Rainforest Mixed Medium Composition project encourages students to study the rainforest and choose a plant or animal to bring to life in 3-D on stacked mounting board. Students then use pastels, oils, and watercolor to communicate the vivid colors and patterns of their creatures. The finished piece is a bold, dimensional, mixed-media piece that will transport you to the rainforest, even if just for a moment.
Download a complete lesson plan for this project, including images, step-by-step directions, and a materials list, today!
For Grades 6-8.
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