The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse
TIP: Have children create their own painted papers and make animals inspired by Eric Carle’s book.
Students will follow along with Eric Carle to use their imaginations. Have you ever seen a polka-dotted donkey?
Prompting Questions:
- What kind of lines do you see in this picture?
- What choices did the artist make in this book?
- What other imaginary animals can you think of?
Related Creative Activities
Multicultural Colors and Self-Portraits
Animals, Colors, and Senses, Oh My!
Tear It Up!
A Portrait of One’s Own
After spending time exploring aspects of the Ancestor Portrait and the importance of ancestor portraits in the Chinese tradition, students will create an ancestor portrait using mixed media materials and present it to the class.
Combining Human and Animal Forms
Students will use visual observation skills to carefully examine the Assyrian Bird-Headed Deity limestone relief and explore the movement, sounds, and traits of different animals. They will first explore these aspects in humans and birds of prey, as seen in the limestone relief, and will then do the same with “animals” they create from two or more animals. This lesson enables children to draw upon previous knowledge and imagination in order to act out the movement, sounds, and other traits of the animals they create.
If You Give a Man a Horse
Students will read the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff, explore Charles Deas’ painting Long Jakes, and exercise their imaginations to create their own cause-and-effect story.
