Invertebrate art program

Learning activities 

Students will conduct a first-hand investigation by collecting invertebrates in the school gardens and then observing the features of the invertebrates. They will then create an eye-catching painted canvas of an inverterate to take home. 

Inquiry questions

• What types of invertetebrates are found in the leaf litter and shrubs and what are their structural features?
• How can we represent the details of living things in artworks?

Invertebrate investigation

The focus of this session is for students to work cooperatively to conduct an investigation, using simple equipment, to explore and discover invertebrates living in the leaf litter and shrubs and observe their features. Students will work in small groups to search for and collect leaf litter invertebrates in the gardens around their school. Collected specimens will then be examined using magnifiers.

Invertebrate art

Students will examine the features of one or two chosen invertebrates using a range of magnifying equipment, paying particular attention to detail including numbers of legs, sections of the body, colour, shape, structure, texture and patterns. 

After careful observation of their invertebrate students will create an artwork on canvas. This will involve the use of a variety of media including rollers, pencil, brushes and paint. Upon completion the canvases will be displayed for a short exhibition in the afternoon allowing students to appreciate and evaluate their work.