Grade 4 – Food Webs (2014-15)

Alongside the class theme of food webs, pupils worked in groups each corresponding to a different diverse habitats e.g. desert, mountain, rivers, rainforest to create 3d dioramas illustrating essential elements of the food web for each environment. To help present the landscapes, animals and vegetation to best effect, pupils worked on the skills of painting and 3d clay modelling skills and after investigating texture, pattern and camouflage were encouraged to use appropriate colour mixing. As pupils went on in pairs to study an ocean animal in the classroom, art lessons were used to aid comprehension and presentation through the production of a 3d representation of the selected animal. The form was first of all sketched out through the translation of 2d image to 3d object using a small amount of clay. Following that, cardboard, masking tape, newspaper and paper mache paste were used to assemble and define a larger 3d form of each animal. Finally pupils were asked to carefully mix paint in accurately representing the colour, pattern and textures of the animal. The end results were currently on display in the classroom.