KS1: Animals
Session 4: Animal masks
Theme 3: Dangerous Animals
Art/Science
Session 4a: Animal camouflage
Art/Science
Range and Breadth: Art: 5c Use a range of materials & processes. Science: 2a
Range and Breadth: Art: 5c Use a range of materials & processes. Science:
PoS
Art: KS1 Knowledge, Skills & Understanding
PoS
Art: KS1 Knowledge, Skills & Understanding
Objectives
Investigate colours and textures to create a camouflaged animal mask
using paint and collage techniques.
Objectives
Investigate colours and textures to create a background for
their animal masks using collage techniques. 4a Visual & tactile
PoS
Science: KS1 Sc2 Life Processes & Living Things
PoS
Science: KS1 Sc2 Life Processes & Living Things
Objectives
Talk about how animals use camouflage to hunt and to hide.
Objectives
Investigate how animals use camouflage to hunt and to hide.
Use simple scientific language to communicate ideas & to name & describe living things
& processes.
[Main]
2a Use simple scientific language to communicate ideas & to name & describe
living things & processes.
4a Visual & tactile elements, including colour, pattern, texture, line, tone,
shape, form & space. 4b Materials & processes used in making art, craft &
design. 2b Try out tools & techniques & apply these to materials & processes.
2a Investigate the possibilities of a range of material & processes.
Sc2 2g About the senses that enable humans & other animals to be aware of
the world around them. 2b Humans & other animals need food & water to stay
alive.
elements, including colour, pattern, texture, line, tone, shape, form &
space. 4b Materials & processes used in making art, craft & design. 2b
Try out tools & techniques & apply these to materials & processes. 2a
Investigate the possibilities of a range of material & processes.
Sc2 2g About the senses that enable humans & other animals to be aware
of the world around them. 2b Humans & other animals need food & water
to stay alive.
Whole class teaching:
Whole class teaching:
Easy/Medium/Hard
Easy/Medium/Hard
Look at the animal pictures (session resource). Explain that these animals have fur and
skins to camouflage themselves. Why do they need to be camouflaged? (to hunt their
prey and/or hide from predators) Discuss how this works. What other animals can chn
think of that use their furs and skins to help camouflage themselves? (Most animals
either use camouflage or bright colours.) Discuss a place where the animal would be
found to be camouflaged (e.g. polar bear/snow). Show pictures of the same animal but
in camouflage (session resource). Spot which animal is hiding in each picture? Have
some cut out animals/shapes & place them against different backgrounds (session
resource). Which background is best to camouflage the animal? Look at some other
animals in camouflage – can chn spot what and where the animal is?
http://ellerbruch.nmu.edu/classes/cs255w03/cs255students/nsovey/P6/camouflage.
html
Chn cut out the card mask (session resource). Mix two paints together to create
different shades of colour (helpful if one of the colours is white). Paint the blank
mask a base colour of different shades. When dry add detail such as stripes and
spots. Use the animal pictures to help add some patterns. This can be done with
paints, pastels, chalk, charcoal, tissue or fabrics (session resource). TD where needed
Ask the chn to talk about their masks – what animals inspired their
Plenary
designs?
[Main]
Show pictures of a tiger and zebra (session resource). Where would we find
tigers and zebras in the wild? (grassy plains and forests/Africa) You wouldn’t
think that bold black and white or black and orange stripes would keep them
hidden, but they do! Both animals are hidden in the grassy plains and forest as
their stripes help them to blend in with their surroundings. Although it maybe
easy for you to find the zebras, lions, who prey on zebras, are colour blind and
only see stripes that look like tall grass. Look at artwork by artist Henri Rousseau
(session resource). Look at how the artist hides the tiger in the bushes and trees.
Visit http://www.abc.net.au/beasts/playground/camouflage.htm and let chn have
a go at camouflaging a cat in different surroundings.
Chn use collage materials to create a background which will camouflage their
animal masks from S4 and protect them from prey and be a successful predator.
Use paper ripped from old magazines, fabrics and layer tissue paper to create a
background. Chn choose colours carefully to ensure their masks will be
camouflaged.
TD where needed
Display
the
masks
on
their
background.
Which ones look effective?
Plenary
Why?
© Hamilton Trust 2008. This activity may be adapted for use by a teacher in his/her own class. It may not be reproduced for any other purpose.
KS1 – AN - S4/4a - Dangerous Animals