Endangered Animals of the Amazon Rainforest

2nd grade has been learning about the Brazil across different subjects, including art. We started by looking at the Amazon Rainforest, 60% of which is located in Brazil. Specifically, we looked at the endangered animals of the Amazon Rainforest and talked about what it means to be endangered. These animals include the hyacinth macaw, jaguar, poison dart frog, golden lion tamarin monkey, and the three-toed sloth.

We began by learning about the Amazon Rainforest and its environment and climate, as well as reasons why certain animals are endangered there. For example, the jaguar is endangered because people hunt them for their fur and the trees that are home to the three-toed sloth and poison dart frog are being cut down.

Students selected one animal to sketch, using reference images, and drew the animal it its rainforest habitat. Using oil pastels, students added color and thought about the texture of their chosen animal. 

During the following class, students added select details to the background to suggest the Amazon rainforest, such as leaves, branches, and vines. Then they painted over their oil pastel drawing with liquid watercolor to create a resist, since the oil pastel and watercolor paint do not mix.

As a conclusion to the project, students participated in a turn and talk, where they discussed their artwork with a partner using special fortune tellers to help start the conversation. 

We also came up with titles for our work and had a gallery walk to see everyone's finished artwork. Students shared their observations afterwards, noticing that everyone included the rainforest environment in their backgrounds and focused on the texture and pattern on their animal's body. Here are some finished examples:

Zach, 2nd Grade

Emma, 2nd Grade

Jaylyn, 2nd Grade

Jefferson, 2nd Grade

Kate, 2nd Grade