Teacher guide animal adaptations, Rousseau, and chimera

Teacher Guide:Animal Adaptations, Henri Rousseau,

& Chimera

Amy Zschaber azschaber@stancoe.orgazschaber@stancoe.org

What are Adaptations?• An adaptation is a feature that helps a plant

or animal survive

Polar BearHow does the color of a

polar bear help it to survive?

Leaf InsectHow does the shape of a

leaf insect help it to survive?

Let’s Review

• Tigers are mammals

• Tigers eat meat (carnivores)

Why do you think. . .• Tigers have stripes?• Tigers have big teeth?

• Tigers have good hearing?• Tigers like to hunt at night?• Tigers have long legs?

Tiger Adaptations

• Stripes• Teeth• Long legs• Hearing• Night-vision

Tiger Adaptation: Stripes• Tiger stripes are an adaptation.• Stripes help tigers hide. This makes it hard for

both predators and prey to find tigers.

Tiger Adaptation: Teeth• Tiger teeth are an adaptation.• Tigers have strong jaws with big teeth that

help them kill, chew, tear, and bite.

Tiger Adaptation: Long Legs• Tiger legs are an adaptation.• The long legs of a tiger are very strong. A tiger

can jump up to 33 feet.

Tiger Adaptation: Hearing• Good hearing is a tiger adaptation.• Tigers have very good hearing. They can hear

things that even other animals cannot hear!

Tiger Adaptation: Vision• Tiger vision is an adaptation.• Tigers have very good vision; they can even see at night

(night-vision). Tigers are mostly nocturnal hunters. This means they like to hunt at night.

Henri Rousseau• This is Henri Rousseau.

• What is Rousseau doing?

• Does Rousseau live today or long ago?

• Where is Rousseau?

• Why was this picture of Rousseau made?

Henri Rousseau• This is Henri Rousseau.

• Rousseau lived 1844-1910

• Rousseau is an artist.

• Rousseau is French.

• Rousseau did not begin making art until he was very old. He retired from his job, and taught himself how to paint.

Rousseau loved painting jungles• Rousseau never

left France.

• There was little photography in Rousseau’s time.

• How do you think Rousseau knew what jungles look like?

Rousseau used his imagination to paint scenes of jungle life.

Rousseau used his imagination to paint scenes of jungle life.

Rousseau used his imagination to paint scenes of jungle life.

Rousseau used his imagination to paint scenes of jungle life.

Rousseau used his imagination to paint scenes of jungle life.

Read: Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

• Read aloud: https://youtu.be/gh0RzikLtx4

What is the story about?

How does Mr. Tiger feel? What does he do about it?

How do the other animals feel about Mr. Tiger’s actions?

What do they do about it?

Same / Different?

Illustration from Mr. Tiger Goes Wildby: John Brown

Tiger in a Tropical Stormby: Henri Rousseau

Same / Different?

Illustration from Mr. Tiger Goes Wildby: John Brown

Jungle with Tigerby: Henri Rousseau

Do you think Peter Brown was inspired by Henri Rousseau? Why / Why not?

Read What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?

http://goo.gl/Z50Kjp

Chimera • A make-believe “monster” that is made by

combining parts of different animals.

In a way, Rousseau was painting chimera.

• Imagine how animals looked based on descriptions

• Imagine where animals live based on descriptions

• Guess what animals adaptations were based on descriptions

Pretend you are Rousseau:What could these animals be?

Pretend you are Rousseau: What could these animals eat?

Pretend you are Rousseau: In what habitat might these animals live?

Brainstorm. . . & Build a Chimera

http://switchzoo.com/zoo-original.htm

http://bestiary.ca/

Optional: Complete Information About Your Chimera & Print

Design a Chimera

Sculpt your chimera,

and build an environment where s/he

can live

Open your bag

of Model Magic

Remove the

Model Magic

from the bag

Pinch into 3 parts:

1 – head2 – body3 - extras

Sculpt your

head and body. Stick them

together.

Continue to sculpt

your Model Magic

Continue to sculpt

your Model Magic

Continue to sculpt

your Model Magic

Continue to sculpt

your Model Magic

Continue to sculpt

your Model Magic

Continue to sculpt

your Model Magic

Continue to sculpt

your Model Magic

Continue to sculpt

your Model Magic

Continue to sculpt

your Model Magic

Add any other

“extras” to your chimera

Gather materials to color

your chimera.

You can use

markers or

paint

Color your

chimera

Check all sides of

your chimera for color

Gather:-markers-crayons-scissors- 2 white sheets of

paper

Fold one sheet of paper in

half

foreground

background

middle ground

Identify & Define Foreground, Middle Ground, & Background

foreground

background

middle ground

Identify & Define Foreground, Middle Ground, & Background

background

middle ground

foreground

Create an environment where your chimera can

live.

foreground

background

middle ground

On the 2nd sheet of

paper draw a few

“extras”

Draw a “tab” at

the bottom of each

extra

Color and cut out the extras

Fold the tabs down and find your

environment

Glue the extras down

Add your chimera to

your environment