Art Lesson: Animal Habitats and Sculptures
Lesson Plan
45 minutesGrades2Visual and Performing Arts
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Written by Jessica Jozak, Sustainable Jersey for Schools
About this lesson
Students discuss animals and their habitats in New Jersey and create animal sculptures.
Inquire: Students identify animals living in New Jersey and the kind of habitats they live in.
Investigate: Students choose an animal that lives in New Jersey and create a sculpture of it.
Inspire: Students discuss solutions to save the animals in New Jersey.
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Suggestions
- This lesson can be taught during a unit on sculpting.
- This lesson can be taught in conjunction with a science or English Language Arts unit on biomes.
- Once the sculptures are dry, they can be painted and used for the next lesson.
- Discussions on the changing climate may bring up anxiety for some students. Consider using resources from the Climate Anxiety: SEL Resource for Teachers including a template to inform caregivers of the topics in the unit and sentence frames for discussions.
Prerequisites
- This is lesson 1 of 3 in our 2nd grade Art Unit: Animals and the Changing Climate.
- Students may need to review what a biome is prior to the lesson.
- The following materials are required for the Investigate section: air dry clay, cups of water to share between students, rolling pins, paint brushes to use for scoring, and pencils.
- There should be enough clay for each student to create a sculpture approximately 3 inches tall.
Differentiation
- Differentiated student reflection sheets can be found in the Student Document.
- Reference images that students can use before they draw their animal of choice can be found in the Student Document.
- To extend their learning, students can research the New Jersey animal they chose to sculpt.
- Students can write an informative text on an animal found in New Jersey.
From the scientist review
Students will be able to recognize common wildlife in New Jersey and understand how their habitats are being affected by climate change. Additionally, they will pick up some basic artistic abilities to illustrate the solutions needed to preserve the species in their natural habitats. We reviewed the lesson thoroughly and found that it passed our scientific credibility assessment.
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About the teacher writers
Jessica Jozak
Jessica Jozak is an elementary educator with 4 years of teaching experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a concentration in iSTEM from The College of New Jersey. Jessica holds a K–6 Elementary Teaching Certificate and serves as a Green Team Leader.
Sustainable Jersey for Schools
Sustainable Jersey is a network and movement of municipalities, schools and school districts working collectively to bring about a sustainable New Jersey. Acting with state agencies, non-profit organizations, foundations, academia and industry, Sustainable Jersey researches best practices for what communities could and should do to contribute to a sustainable future.
