Whale Watchers

Create a crayon resist of your favorite kind of whale.

• 1.

  Research and organize information about each whale species, including their physical characteristics. Share pictures of whales to discern coloration, shape, size, and other features.

• 2.

  On watercolor paper, use black Crayola® Crayon to outline an imaginary whale sighting, including ocean waters and sky in the background. Draw wavy lines to indicate the water's motion. To make water bubbles, cover small circles with white crayon.

• 3.

  Cover your work area with recycled newspaper. Using Crayola Watercolor Brushes, wet the paper with clear water. Add drops of water to Crayola Washable Watercolors. Paint each area of the crayon drawing with a bright watercolor wash. Mix and vary colors. Dry.

• 4.

  Hold an imaginary whale watch to identify the whales in their paintings. Post a number on each one. Identify the whale species based on structural characteristics included by the artist.

Benefits

• Children research physical characteristics and ocean habitats of common species of whale.
• Children create artwork illustrating characteristics of a particular species of whale using a crayon resist technique.
• Students identify different species of whales painted by classmates.

Adaptations

• Go on a whale watch or watch a video of one. Investigate why and how whales make sounds. Discuss how physical characteristics make whales able to leave the water habitat.
• Write a poem from a whale's point of view. What does the whale see? What do they think of the people and cameras on board the whale-watching vessel?
• Find out about the whale hunts recently resumed by the Makah Indian Nation of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Why are they resuming this tradition? What are the controversies?
• Younger children and those with special needs may benefit from short practice sessions experimenting with this crayon resist technique before creating whale artwork.