Our planet is full of amazing animals, each are adapted to different environments and ecosystems. They all have special and unique characteristics that make them the species they are, but have you ever wondered what would happen if we were to mix together some of those traits so they can better live on Earth? Many television shows and video games have done animal hybrids within their own worlds! Every week we each will make new and different animal creations from our imaginations alongside real world science. This class is ideal for learners that love animals, art, and invention.

Learners will be able to choose different species of animals (2 or more) they want to mix and mash to create beautifully blended beasts in which will be best adapted to the variety of biomes we will explore. We will learn about various ecosystems, how animals may adapt to them, and the strengths and weaknesses that may be present. This will allow us to problem solve and figure out what characteristics our creatures will have to take on their lives and challenges.

Example: 
Tropical Desert- Creatures will face Hot/ Dry daytimes and Cold/ Dry nights. What time will they choose to live in? What will they eat and find in order to survive? How will they find or store water?
Creature: Body of Kangaroo with the head of Fennec Fox and Tail of a Scorpion. Nocturnal

Tropical Rainforest- Creatures will face Hot/ Wet Days and Nights with high amounts of competition from other creatures and organisms. Will they be highly camouflaged and hide from predators or stay stealthy and ambush their food?
Creature: Body of a Salamander, color and claws of a Tiger, and head of a Viper.

This is where we will use science and biology to deepen our understanding such that our imaginations can create an animal mashup that is reflective of the prompt and adapt as best as possible.

We will get to share our ideas with each other as we each create a creature and a story/ life history for them too. Learners will get to ask me questions about ecosystems, environments, and how these animals can survive within our prompted topics. Everyone will have the individual opportunity to share if they desire and invent whatever their brain may come up with. At the end of class, everyone will have a chance to present their work and show to myself and peers if they would like.

This class is a great tool for learners to use what they may already have learned about our world and its ecosystems, prehistoric past, as well as use their imagination to invent species that may evolve far into the future. Every class I will show slides of the environments as well other species that may live there in the present or past. I will provide suggestions, conceptual help, and guidance to drawing and how to best create what their mind in imagining.


Environments/ Biome Prompts will go as listed below:

November 24- Week 1. Dry Forest/ Scrub
December 1- Week 2. Polar/ Tundra/ Ice
December 8- Week 3. Tropical Desert
December 15- Week 4. Tropical/ Temperate Rainforest
December 22- Week 5. Deep Sea
December 29- Week 6. Coral Reef
January 5- Week 7. Temperate Forest
January 12- Week 8. Underground: Caverns/ Burrows
January 19- Week 9: Swamps/ Marshes: Flooded Biomes
January 26- Week 10: Savanna Grassland
February 2- Week 11: Volcano
February 9- Week 12: Sky/ Atmosphere
February 16- Week 13: Islands
February 23- Week 14: Mountains
March 2-Week 15: City/ Cosmopolitan Area
March 9- Week 16: Open Ocean
March 16- Week 17: Temperate Grassland/ Plains or Prairie
March 23- Week 18: Ice Age/ Prehistoric Pleistocene
March 30- Week 19: Mesozoic- Age of Reptiles/ Dinosaurs
April 6- Week 20: Farms/ Cropland
April 13- Week 21: Domestic Animals/ Pets/ Houses
April 20- Week 22: Robot
April 27- Week 23: Beach/ Coastline
May 4- Week 24: Rivers/ Streams 
May 11-Week 25: Lake/ Pond
May 18-Week 26: Mythological Monsters

This is an interactive class with many opportunities to ask and answer questions from myself or other students. I will also share screen/ airplay to show my drawing for the week/ reference pictures/ slides.

No prior knowledge or experience is needed to take this course. A love for animals is most definitely appreciated :)
Come prepared with your materials, to have fun, and learn!!
Feel free to join as you'd like! Topics will repeat and new animals may be created for each prompt, if you'd desire to come back to your favorite ecosystems/ prompts and participate again!