 Adirondack
Curriculum
Project • www.adkcurriculum.org 
NYS Content Area Standard
The Arts
1. Create, perform, participate in the arts; Students
will use a variety of art materials, processes, mediums, and
techniques, and use appropriate technologies for creating and
exhibiting visual art works.
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Title: Adirondack Leaf Animals
Grade Level:
5-7th Grade
Author: Terry Huff, Potsdam CSD
Email: terhuff@hotmail.com
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Adirondack Curriculum Content Area
_X__ Natural History
___ Human History
_X__ Culture & the Arts
___ Government & Civics
___ Economy
___ Health, Recreation & Life Skills |
Investigative Question or Issue: How might we use leaves
from trees common to the Adirondacks to create a realistic image in a
display about an animal from the same region?
Challenge:
Context for this Challenge -
In preparation for this challenge, students should
do the following:
- With the help of your teacher, get a partner to work with you on this
project
- Together, research information about the types of trees and animals
that are both common and native to the Adirondacks. Select one of these
animals that is of interest to you.
- Collect several examples of the Fall leaves you've learned are native
to the Adirondacks and bring them to class.
The Challenge
With your partner,
create an aesthetically pleasing and informative
display that shows us the Adirondack animal you have selected. Your
display must be composed of the following elements:
- A recognizable image of the animal that is no smaller than a 9 x 12 "
piece of drawing paper. This image must be made up of the leaves you
have collected that are native to the Adirondacks (see suggestions for
construction below)
- A written description about the animal that is composed of complete
sentences and includes at least two facts about the animal and how it
lives in the Adirondacks.
- Drawings that accurately depict three different kinds of leaves
native to the Adirondacks that you used to create the image of the
animal in your display. Each drawing must be labeled with the proper
name of the tree/leaf.
Your
animal should be constructed on tagboard, properly dried, and matted. You will have _____ to
complete your work.
Suggestions for construction:
- Collect and prepare
fresh fall leaves by soaking then in warm water and drying between
newspaper, flatten with
heavy book.
- Make
a contour
drawing of the animal to use as a guide for creating the animal with
leaves. The animal should fill a 9x12" piece of drawing paper.
- Prepare a 9x12" piece of tagboard
with a
simple watercolor background.
- Lightly draw the Adirondack animal onto the
watercolored paper.
- Arrange leaves (do not tear or cut leaves to
fit) on the drawing to create the animal.
- Glue leaves using slightly watered down white
(Elmers) glue with a brush.
- Mat and label, dry project
- Flatten project under
pressure (heavy book, box of clay, etc.) throughout the process.
Project may be sprayed with matte clear acrylic sealer.
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Quality Standards:
Display
- Work is completed on time
- Leaves and animal depicted are common and native to the Adirondacks
- Display of animal is recognizable and aesthetically pleasing
- Display is no less than 9 x 12" in size
- Description of animal is written in full sentences
- Description of animal includes at least two facts about how the
animal lives in the Adirondacks
- Drawings of leaves are labeled with correct indentification of the
tree/leaf
- Drawing of leaves accurately depicts shape & other
characteristics of the leaf
- Final work is matted properly
Examples
of Student Work
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Adapted for the Adirondack
Curriculum Project from
the work of Education By Design TM and Leading EDGE, LLC
©ACP 2002
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Arts Forever Wild: This project was very
successful. We hung the finished animals in the main lobby and have
enjoyed countless compliments. They are beautiful animals! We
enjoyed our fall Adirondack Challenge.