Chinese Zodiac Animal Drawing • Elementary Art Lesson • Romero Britto
- PDF
Description
In this Chinese New Year activity, elementary art students will draw the animal corresponding to their lunar birth year in the Chinese zodiac. You'll get step-by-step instructions for an easy drawing of all 12 animals, along with a key to the lunar years of that animal. There is also a list of characteristics for each animal. After drawing the animal, students can pick a characteristic they share with that animal and describe how that trait might help them succeed. This gives this activity a great growth mindset connection.
The zodiac animal drawings are in the style of Romero Britto, a popular contemporary artist. There are also several pages of pattern ideas so that students can add patterns to their animals in the style of Britto. The print & go pages make this an easy lesson even for non-art teachers. The steps and patterns are right on the drawing page, along with a space for writing. There are 2 sets of Print & Go pages. The second set has a few lines of the animal started. This is helpful for students (and adults!) who have never made a grid drawing before.
Your Students Will
- Draw an animal of the Chinese zodiac using the grid method.
- Add patterns and color to the animal drawing.
- Write about the characteristics of the animal.
- Complete a timeline of Romero Britto's life.
The great thing about this activity is that it isn't tied to a particular year and can be used year after year!
What you Get:
- Teacher Instructions (7 pages)
- Chinese Zodiac Info (1 page)
- Color Tips (1 page)
- Animals Drawing (3 pages)
- Roll & Draw Patterns (2 pages)
- Choice Drawing Patterns (2 pages)
- Print & Go Pages (12 pages)
- Print & Go Starter Pages (12 pages)
- Coloring Samples (2 pages)
- Timeline Activity (3 pages)
- Romero Britto Portraits (3 pages)
- Drawing Pages (2 pages)
- Writing Page (1 page)
>>>>> A total of 51 pages!
Integrate:
- Art History
- Drawing
- Chinese Culture
- Growth Mindset
- Science - Lunar Cycle vs. Solar Cycle
You'll get steps for an easy drawing of all 12 animals along with a key to the years of that animal. There is also a list of characteristics for each animal. After drawing the animal, students can pick a characteristic they share with that animal and describe how that trait might help them to be successful.
This lesson is a fun activity for any age, even adults. The Print & Go with starter lines will give them a little boost and make the drawing relatively stress-free. The bright patterns make a stunning finished product and it’s lots of fun to compare the animals to the artists as you walk around and see the finished works of art!
For older students, this is perfect as a precursor to a larger grid drawing! The concept of grid drawing can be tricky, even for some 5th graders. Having students do a small easy grid drawing will save lots of frustration for you and your students when they make a larger drawing.
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