Watercolor Drawing & Biology: Learn About Animals & Drawing

I love animals, have had many pets, and have traveled to 19 countries. My favorite thing while traveling is to get out into natural spaces and learn about animals and plants. I also planned on becoming a zookeeper before I knew that I wanted to be a Teacher, and have had some amazing experiences interning and working in three different zoos. These videos will walk students through drawing and painting skills as well as a plethora of information about the biomes that the animal lives in, as well as the animals behavioral and physical adaptations.

Weekly lessons: 
I will plan three weekly projects and post a video lesson on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday by 10 am MST. Students will have three video lessons to go with our animal theme, and these will be of me talking about animals as I draw sharing facts about their behaviors and adaptations. This is a flexible class, so students may work on projects when it works for their schedule.  See the schedule for each topic. I will use watercolors, watercolor pencils, a micron pen, graphite pencils, and a blender stump for shading. 

Three video lessons a week. Each video lesson will be 15-40 minutes long each week, depending on the animal.
Week 1: Giraffes, Foxes, & Lions
     - Pencil shading and drawing animals by shape. 
     - Adaptations of Predators and prey, as well as specialty adaptations of giraffes, lions, and foxes. 

Week 2:  Owls, Sloth, Deer
     - Working on eye shape and ears.
     - Adaptations of Predators and prey, as well as specialty adaptations of owls, sloths, and deer. 

Week 3:  Iguanas, Geckos, and Bearded Dragons
     - Working on legs and limbs to make them realistic.
     - Adaptations of cold-blooded animals and specialty adaptations of iguanas, geckos, and bearded dragons.

Week 4: Polar bears, Penguins, and Caribou
      - Working on fun, fins, and antlers.
     - Adapting in cold habitats and special adaptations of polar bears, penguins, and caribou.

Week 5:  Hammerhead sharks, Alligators, & Whale sharks
     - Working on fins and teeth!
     - Adaptations of water predators and sharks as well as specialty adaptations of sharks, alligators, and whale sharks.

Week 6: Praying mantis, Butterflies, and Beetles
      - Working on insect legs and wings to make them realistic.
     - Adaptations of insects and special adaptations of the praying mantis, butterflies, and beetles.

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 on their own. I will also use Google slides to show reference images to look at while drawing or painting in the videos. I am skilled at differentiating content for many ages and learning needs in a kind and supportive style.