SPRING BIRDS – Colour, Texture, Shading

Students will be able to:

• create an oil pastel drawing of a bird they have researched;
• use contrast to make the drawing seem 3-dimensional;
• blend colours and use line to create texture;
• create a composition that moves the viewer's eye through the picture plane;
• demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity.

Have students:

• work in small groups to create a media text about some aspect of migratory birds in Canada, for example, brochure; poster; video;
• use oil pastel techniques as part of their work; 
• share and discuss their work with their peers.

1. Prior to this lesson have students explore oil pastels using the Exploring Oil Pastel lesson plan available on this website.
2. Gather and make available a variety of bird books, for example, National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North America: The Best Birding Book for Kids from National Geographic's Bird Experts, by Jonathan Alderfer; Birds, Nests & Eggs, by Mel Boring; and Birds: Explore the world of our feathered friends, by DK.
3. Download and display the Contrast, Texture and Colour posters available on this website.
4. Download images of Canadian birds from the Internet, for example,
   Sparrow
   Robin
   Chickadee
   Blue Bird
5. Provide sufficient time for students to choose and research a Canadian migratory bird. Encourage them to keep all their research in a sketchbook.

1. View one of the bird photographs, for example, Sparrow.
2. Draw attention to:
   - colours 
   - textures 
   - highlights
   - shadows 
   - proportions 
   - composition 
3. Demonstrate and/or ask volunteers to demonstrate a technique on a large piece of black paper.
   - colours - blend colours to mix new colours to match bird
   - textures - small strokes in contrasting colour over base colour
   - highlights - white oil pastel blended into base colour
   - shadows - black oil pastel blended into base colour, small touches of black along outer edges 
   - proportions - size of head relative to body
   - composition - placement of bird on paper, what to include, what to leave out so viewer's eye travels through the picture plane
4. Introduce the challenge.

1. Display the drawings as a ‘body of work’.
2. Ask students to gather in front of the display and look at the works thoughtfully.
3. Ask them to find 3 things they find interesting about any of them.
4. During the discussion include references to:
   - composition - placement of bird on paper
   - details - things that add to the overall effectiveness of the drawing
   - textures - that have been created using different strokes of oil pastel
   - colour - how it has been blended to create new colours that match the bird
   - highlights and shadows - how different values create the illusion of depth 
   - feelings the works evoke
   - challenges they may have had and how they solved them
5. Ask them to tell how they felt about doing this project.

1. Observe students as they work – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting
2. Observe students as they discuss the drawings – active listening, insightful contributions, supporting ideas with evidence found in the artwork and from personal experience.
3. Use a checklist to track progress. (Download - Birds_tracking.pdf)
4. Have students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Downloads - SpringBirds_self-assessment.pdf, or SpringBirdsPrimary_self-assessment.pdf)