Watercolor Club: Habitats Across the 7 Continents & the Sea (8 Weeks)
In this class, students will learn about the world's major biomes and explore watercolor painting techniques. There are 8 videos of guided painting instruction and details about each continent and its critters.
Teacher Amanda Bestor
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(48)
What's included
8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentProjects
1 hour per week. I provide feedback on all posts that students make. Optional end of class: Create one painting representing a biome you want to visit or of an animal that you would like to see and then share it on the Padlet with a description of your art.Grading
Students either share paintings with me for feedback or post them on the Padlet, and I will give positive feedback there.Class Experience
US Grade 4 - 8
Beginner - Intermediate Level
I love teaching painting classes and sharing my love of travel and nature. I've been a Science and Social studies teacher and have traveled to 19 countries. This class combines my experience with my love of art and travel. Students will get 8 video lessons of painting instruction in acrylic paint (40 minutes-1+ hours a week, depending on the painting) and an interactive Padlet classroom to ask questions and share art. I will teach students the tools used while painting and how to start a project. I will introduce brush and blending techniques in each lesson. I will cover setting up, storing paint, and sketching a template when planning a painting project. In each session, I will share facts and stories about each region and discuss some beautiful places I have seen. I will also talk about the natural resources in each region and some of the wildlife there. Each week, students will receive a video lesson they can watch while they paint. This is a great resource because they can stop and replay videos as needed. I will make the paintings listed below each week. I will also provide some reference photos for ideas of other items that they could make. In each lesson, I will talk them through the techniques that I am using and how they can do them. Projects for weekly video lessons: Lesson 1: North America (The Desert & the Kit Fox) Lesson 2: Australia (The Temperate forest and Koalas) Lesson 3: South America (The Rainforest and Toucan) Lesson 4: Europe (The Boreal Forest and the European eagle owl ) Lesson 5: Africa (The Grassland and Giraffes) Lesson 6: Asia (Temperate Rainforest & the Red Panda) Lesson 7: Antarctica (The Arctic & Penguins) Lesson 8: The Ocean: (Fish & the Coral Reef) I am skilled at differentiating content for many ages and learning needs in a kind and supportive style. I will have a camera on my hand while I paint, but it will also be visible on the screen at the beginning and the end of the lesson for directions. Learners will not need any prior experience but will need painting materials. I encourage parents and students to reach out with questions or technology struggles if they need help. I can help problem-solve or make additional mini-lessons when requested. I always strive for a positive five-star experience for my students and love teaching this class.
Learning Goals
Students will learn the following:
- Facts about the world's biomes and how some continents have more than one biome. As well as information about the wildlife and natural resources found in these biomes and what makes a biome a certain way.- Stories of wildlife in each biome and some reference ideas to explore beyond our painting of the week.
- I love painting and find it a relaxing and enjoyable hobby.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created CurriculumStandards
Aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)8 Lessons
over 8 WeeksLesson 1:
North America (The Desert & the Kit Fox)
In this painting lesson, we will learn about the desert in North America and a special animal that lives there—the kit fox! We'll start by talking about the desert, a very dry and hot place with little water and only a few plants like cacti. Lesson 2:
Australia (The Temperate forest and Koalas)
In this painting lesson, we will explore the temperate forests of Australia and meet one of its cutest animals—the koala! First, we’ll learn about the forest, a place filled with tall eucalyptus trees, plenty of rain, and cool, shady areas. Lesson 3:
South America (The Rainforest and Toucan)
In this painting lesson, we will explore the amazing rainforests of South America and meet the colorful toucan! First, we’ll learn about the rainforest, a place with tall trees, lots of rain, and so many plants and animals. Lesson 4:
Europe (The Boreal Forest and the European eagle owl )
In this painting lesson, we will explore the chilly boreal forests of Europe and meet the majestic European eagle owl! The boreal forest is full of tall evergreen trees, snow-covered ground, and a variety of animals that are adapted to cold weather. Other Details
Parental Guidance
Students will have access to a class Padlet where they can see images of and like the work of others. All posts need to be approved by me, so only appropriate posts will go up. The Padlet works like a giant bulletin board where students can see their peer's work and get more ideas about what to try independently. They can also ask questions in the classroom and share techniques that work. I will also use Google slides to show reference images to look at. When parents enroll in the class, they will get a QR code and a video on how to post on Padlet. Padlet is free to join. I just log-in with my Google account. My videos get too large, so I post them using a private YouTube video link that will work for viewing the lesson each week.
Supply List
- Watercolor paint in various colors (Palette or tubes)- Not just the primary school palette with 5 colors. (There are many on Amazon) - Paint brushes of various sizes (small-tipped brushes, especially-not just the one brush that comes with watercolor paints) - Watercolor paper or other thick painting paper - Masking tape - A covered workspace (Newspaper or an old towel works great) - A cup of water - Paper towels - Paper and a pencil - Small plastic container for mixing paint. A yogurt lid or glass plate works well. - A waterproof ultra-fine marker or micron pen
1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined May, 2022
4.9
48reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Montana Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
I've been a classroom teacher for 16 years, taught 5th or 6th Grade Science for 10 of those years, and have been teaching painting on Outschool for a year. I have taught students to paint in my school's after-school program and at summer camps. I love to paint and teach art.Reviews
Self-Paced Class
$10
weekly or $78 for all content8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content
Completed by 1 learner
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Ages: 9-14
