Creature Features

Explore the animal kingdom! Shape your creatures and their features—dots, stripes, prickly tongues, or antennae—one creature at a time.

• 1.

  How can you tell which animals are which? It’s not as if they introduce themselves! You learn their main features. Who has a trunk? What animal has a furry mane around its face? Each animal’s physical appearance makes that animal unique and helps you identify it. You can hardly mistake a snake’s long skinny shape, a bird’s uplifted wings, a lobster’s claws, or a ladybug’s wings.

• 2.

  What animal will you make? Cover a handful of white Crayola Model Magic® with color from a Crayola Washable Gel Markers. Blend until you have the hue you want.

• 3.

  Shape your animal’s main features first. Then build the rest of the animal. Model Magic fresh from the pack sticks to itself. Air-dry your creature.

• 4.

  If you wish, add more animal details with markers. Create a menagerie!

Benefits

• Children understand the role of features to identify animals.
• Children isolate features of selected animals.
• Children recreate animals with their distinctive features using simple modeling techniques.

Adaptations

• Read African folktales that tell why animals have certain features, such as why the tiger has stripes or mosquitoes buzz in our ears. Compare stories with those from other cultures.
• Visit a zoo and seek out less familiar animals. Uncover their unique features and keep a sketch journal to share back in the classroom.
• Assessment: Ask children to sort their creatures into various categories such as those with two legs, animals with wings, and other characteristics. Check for accuracy in their sculptures and categorization.