ArtStream  Ava Summer School Journal

Ava Summer School ArtStream Journal
by Jenna Weston, project artist.

This ArtStream project combined hands-on art and nature experiences. An assortment of fourth through sixth graders participated in field trips to both stream and pond environments. On site, they broke into two groups. One group studied aquatic flora and fauna under the instruction of project leaders. I led the other group in sketching various plants found growing in and beside the different water habitats. The groups switched halfway through so that everyone could do both activities, each of which enhanced the other.
Students drawing aquatic or riparian zone plants	Name That Critter: a tadpole turning into a frog
Collecting macroinvertebrates with naturalist Kevin Hogan	Picking macroinvertebrates
Feeding catfish at a pond in Ava	Sketching around the pond
I instructed my sketchers to closely observe the structure, variations, irregularities, and significant features of the different plants they chose to draw. In order to add interest and make for more naturalistic depictions, the students were encouraged to look for details such as branch and leaf vein patterns, evidence of insect damage, size and shape variations, and overlapping of parts. In all each student made at least six different drawings.
Pond Critters	Another pond critter shows up
	Next >>  Making Linoleum Blocks

The development of content for ArtStream has been funded through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region VII, through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, has provided partial funding for this project under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.