Imaginary Zoo Pet Portraits

     In preparation for their field trip to the Akron Zoo, the kindergartners created these wonderful imaginary zoo pet portraits.  We started out by reading Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathman, and we then had some pretty funny discussions about the similarities and differences between zoo animals and domestic animals that we have as pets.  We realized that there are some pretty important reasons that some animals live only in the wild and at the zoo, and not in our homes!

     Because we can do anything with our imaginations and with art, the kindergartners made their artworks based on the idea that they really could have a zoo animal as a pet.  To help them draw, I had photocopies of the kinds of animals from Good Night Gorilla.  The students drew themselves and their pets in whatever environments they wanted to imagine.

     The students colored the smaller shapes of their drawings with watercolor crayons, and then painted the rest with regular tray watercolors.  We talked about how nicely analogous colors mix with one another, and students who were quick painters were encouraged to try this.  I absolutely love these paintings and took lots of photos!