Deadly and Dangerous

Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2

Lions and snakes are interesting animals, and there are some fun facts to find out about them too!

Snakes don’t have legs, but they can still move fast by wiggling their bodies. They come in many colours and sizes and another odd fact about snakes is that they don’t have eyelids. Instead of blinking, snakes have special scales over their eyes that protect them. The most brightly coloured snakes are often venomous or poisonous.

Enjoy our papercraft art project to create, a patterned 3D snake. Kids can create patterns using line, shape and a limited colour palette. Cut and paste the patterned sections to make a fun articulated snake.

Lions sleep 20 hours a day, every day! That’s more than a new born baby. Lions are known for the big, fluffy manes, but only male lions have a mane. The female lions are good hunters and they like to eat meat. They hunt together in the wild, and take naps after a big meal. Lions roar really loudly! Their roars can be heard from very far away, even up to 8km (5 miles) away. It’s their way of talking to each other.

We’ll create a male lion head by making painted papers. We also use commercially printed papers to add to the mane. We cut the papers into shapes and strips. Kids can add drawing details to complete their king of the jungle. Kids can develop drawing, cutting, gluing and collage techniques with these two deadly and dangerous art projects.

Grade 3 and 4

Poison dart frogs are an amazing natural phenomenon. They can be found in central and south America. They are very small frogs that secrete poison through their skins. Their vibrant colours range from bright yellows to reds, greens, and blues. Their bright colours serve as a warning to potential predators about their toxicity. The poison comes from their diet, which mainly consists of ants and termites. When they have a different diet they are not toxic at all!

Kids will create three watercolour drawings of poison dart frogs. They can learn to draw the main shapes of the frog and then refine their drawing.  They can then choose one poison dart frog to make a 3D clay model from.

Students will learn about line, colour, shape, pattern, form and repetition. We’ll look at analogous colours and learn some modelling and drawing techniques with these deadly and dangerous inspired works of art.

Grade 5 and 6

The blue-ringed octopus is one of the most venomous marine creatures in the world. It is known for its striking appearance and potent venom. The blue-ringed octopus gets its name from the vibrant blue rings that appear on its body when it’s threatened or agitated, serving as a warning to potential predators. Despite its small size, the blue-ringed octopus is incredibly dangerous. It typically measures only 10 to 20cm (4 to 8 inches) but its venom can be fatal to humans. Blue-ringed octopuses are found in coastal waters including areas like Australia, Japan, and the Philippines. They live in shallow reefs and tidal pools, often hiding in crevices or under rocks.

Students can create a detailed drawing of the blue-ringed octopus using lead and coloured pencil. We’ll learn about the basic shapes and then refine the drawing, identifying and using coloured pencils to match the included reference image. Add shadows with pencil and highlights using gel pen for a realistic portrayal of the Blue-Ringed Octopus.

Lionfish are a fascinating and visually striking fish, known for their venomous spines and unique appearance. Lionfish also live in the coastal regions of Japan, the Philippines, and Australia. One of the most notable features of lionfish is their long fins, which contain venom. These spines are used for defence against predators, and the venom can cause intense pain, swelling, and, in rare cases, more severe reactions in humans.

Create a drawing and watercolour artwork of this fascinating marine creature. Learn to sketch the basic shapes and refine your drawing. Choose colours and learn about colour mixing to add colour to your artwork.