Third Grade Nocturnal Animal Art Unit Plan

Art Education
Time: 50 hours

Stephanie Clements
Grade 3

Overview of this Unit

This is the second unit plan of the school year. The unit is set to start during the last two weeks of
September to align with Halloween and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo presentations that were
scheduled a year in advance. Since each 3rd grade class meets once a week, the unit will require
at least 6 weeks to complete.
In this art unit, we will be discussing the importance of importance of learning about and
appreciating nocturnal animals in our environment in order to develop an artists eye that views
life in a creative and beautiful way. This website is designed to support student learning
happening in the art room. In addition to in class instruction, the students will learn online with
interactive digital activities that investigate artistic techniques and demonstrate their
understanding of art elements and basic information about nocturnal animals in Ohio, around the
world and throughout art history. Throughout the unit the students will also practice using a
variety of lines, colors, patterns, tools and materials.
The unit contains a good combination of individual practice and group work. As the students
work collaboratively, they will abide by the clear expectations outlined in the rules listed in the
classroom that unsure active participation, positivity and respectfulness of myself and fellow
peers. By the end of this unit, the students will have created a unique work of art and will share
their experience on the class blog. This unit will empower students with the necessary steps and
techniques for drawing and designing in future projects and objects in their environment.

Rationale for the Unit

This unit will develop students imagination,
creative thinking skills and efficacy as artists
that are inspired by the animals, people and
objects in their surroundings. The unit is also
intended to reinforce the elements of line,
shape, pattern and color observed from their
environment.

Unit Objectives

Throughout this unit plan the students will

complete the art related projects and

Prerequisite Learning
1. Students will need to have some personal
experience, relationship or schema about
nocturnal animals and the elements of line,
shape, pattern and color to recall the
vocabulary words and concepts.
2. Students will need some previous
experience searching the internet, using
digital tools and creating art with materials
such as paint brushes, pencils, oil pastels
and crayons.

Standards that will be used to

meet these Objectives
ART STANDARDS
2PE- Provide examples of how we encounter

assignments planned for each lesson using

a variety of technology tools, art materials
and techniques.
Using new technology tools and apps the
students will extend their comprehension of
the main topics by participating in group
assignments and independent practice
outside the classroom.
The students will observe and actively
engage in the class presentations, videos
and discussions and blogs of local and/or
international experts.
The students will build a trusting
relationship with their teacher and peers by
demonstrating ethical digital conduct.

art and artists in everyday life.

1PR- Demonstrate skill and expression in the
use of art techniques and processes.
5PR- Show increasing attention to the nuances
or elements and principles of design when
creating personal works of art.
5RE- Use feedback and self-assessment to
improve the quality of personal artworks.
SCIENCE STANDARDS
Science Knowledge (D):
Requires student to use scientific inquiry and
develop the ability to think and act in ways
associated with inquiry, including asking
questions, planning and conducting
investigations, using appropriate tools and
techniques to gather and organize data,
thinking critically and logically about
relationships between evidence and
explanations, constructing and analyzing
alternative explanations, and communicating
scientific arguments.
ISTE STANDARDS
1. Creativity and innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking,
construct knowledge, and develop innovative
products and processes using technology.
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new
ideas, products, or processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal
or group expression

Digital Content & Tools

1. Visme.com elements of art infographic.
2. Google Forms for pre-unit survey to
gauge students general knowledge, skills
and feeling about art.
3. Prezi.com overview of unit topics.
4. Soundboard.com nocturnal animal
sounds.
5. Videos:

Materials
1. Nocturnal Animals Zoobooks Series
2. National Geographic Readers: Bats and
National Geographic Readers: Hoot, Owl!
3. Recycled matte board (for mounting finished
artworks)
4. School Smart Hexagonal No. 2 Pre-Sharpened
Pencil with Latex-Free Eraser
5. Prang Non-Toxic Watercolor Masterpack

6.
7.
8.

Youtube animals and art techniques

w/Refill Trays, Assort. Color, Pack of 36
Educreations demonstration video.
6. School Smart Camel Hair Watercolor Paint
Canva.com grid or infographic.
Brush Set, Assorted Size, Black, Set of 72
Skitch.com drawing practice.
7. Canson XL Heavy Weight Watercolor Pad, 140
Wickispaces web searches and class
lb, 9 X 12 in, 30 Sheets
response.
8. Classroom set of Crayons
9. Tagul.com vocab word cloud.
9. Rubric
10. Class Blogs self-assessment tool.
10. Nocturnal Animal Prezi
11. Mindmapmaker.org word graph/concept 11. Provived in classroom: drying rack, Smart
mapping.
Board, projector, Chromebooks, teacher
12. Toondoo.com story telling.
computer

Summary of Classes:
Day 1: The first day of the unit focuses on showing students how to use their 5 senses to
understand their environment and how nocturnal animals use special senses and adaptations.
Power Objectives:
- The students will engage their imaginations and build on prior knowledge of nocturnal
animals by using their senses to listen, observe, experience and be inspired by nature.
- The students will work respectfully in groups to name, define and explain 3 natural science
facts and characteristics about a chosen nocturnal animals using the Zoo Books and National
Geographic resources.
- The students will recognize, compare and distinguish differences and similarities between
the images of animals in the literature resources.
- The students will document and share what they know, wonder and have learned about
animals in the literature resources.
- The students will reflect on classmates responses, identify key terms and develop a word
cloud using the most important key terms from the classroom discussion.
Day 2: Delves further into senses, adaptations and facts about nocturnal animals.
Power Objectives:
- The students will visualize, research, examine and identify special senses and adaptations
that nocturnal animals have and basic shapes within their nocturnal animal's natural
environment.
Day 3: Focuses on identifying and drawing shapes and lines that when combined form ojects and
animals. This lesson also touches on drawing techniques that other artists mention in their blogs.
Power Objectives:
- The students will define the shapes and lines in their own environment.
- The students will practice drawing combinations of basic shapes and lines to illustrate the
animals body use the Skitch tool.
Day 4: Focuses on the symbolism of animals in art history and aboriginal artists are design
animals with lines, colors and patterns.
Power Objective:

The students will select a nocturnal animal and practice sketching a combination of basic
shapes to illustrate the animals body appropriately within the space of a nature setting.
- The students will draw colorful and unique designs using at least three different types of
lines and/or patterns inside the animals and objects in the nature scene.
Day 5: After watching the drawing and coloring demonstration, students will use the class time
to draw their nature scenes. This lesson reviews line, pattern, space and color concepts.
Power Objective:
- The students translate the ideas generated in their sketches and draw their composition onto
watercolor paper.
- The students will use patterns of colors, lines and shapes to create a design inside the their
nocturnal animal and the objects in the nature scene.
Day 6: Students watch the watercolor videos and finish their art projects by painting with
watercolor and salt. In this lesson students will work together to create a story that deepens their
understanding of the concepts and increases appreciation for their peers artwork. Being the last
day of the unit, the students reflect on their progress and complete the post-unit survey that will
measure their growth from the beginning of the lesson.
Power Objective:
- The students will demonstrate their beginning skills in painting a gradated wash using
watercolors and applying salt to manipulate the medium.
- The students will collaboratively work in a group to develop a story that connects the group
members' artistic creations.
- The students will evaluate their effort and success in their self-assessment by listing three
things that they liked or performed well, two interesting facts about nocturnal animals and
one reason why animals and the environment are important.
- The students will use the feedback shared by their peers and a self-assessment to develop
and improve the quality of their work.