Feathery Parrot

Feathery Parrot lesson plan

Why would you group the words Quaker, Hyacinth, and Umbrella together? They are all names of types of parrots. Create colorful parrots without any mess using Color Wonder™ Paints.

  • 1.

    There are at least 328 species of parrots--cockatoos, lories, lovebirds, macaws, and parakeets. Look at pictures and find real ones to admire if possible. Notice that every parrot has a small head with eyes and a beak. Where are its ears? Parrots have curved torsos, claw feet, wings, and a tail (sometimes a very long one). What colors are their feathers and beaks? What else makes these elegant birds so special?

  • 2.

    With Crayola Color Wonder™ Markers and Paper, outline a parrot, perhaps sitting on a perch or a tree branch. Fill in the outline using Color Wonder™ Paints. Blend red, blue, and yellow to get a wide variety of bright parrot colors. Use the brush to get different effects--stroke for a feathery look, swirl for a smoother one, dab for a stippled effect. Air-dry the paint.

  • 3.

    How many different species of parrots are represented by the paintings in your class? Consider making a colorful parrot display with labels!

Benefits

  • Children look closely at a bird species and identify details about parrot anatomy.
  • Children reproduce their observations in a colorful painting.
  • Children experiment with a variety of paintbrush techniques to achieve different artistic effects.

Adaptations

  • Follow the seasonal migration of the Orange-Bellied Parrot or another species. How far do some birds fly a season? Watch the movie "Migration" to see a flying company of parrots up close.
  • Parrots are great mimics. Some kinds can learn to copy more than 800 words and sounds. Listen to parrot sounds on the Internet. Try mimicking the different sounds. Listen closely!
  • Older children may be curious about the illegal parrot smuggling trade. Many endangered parrots are threatened. Seventy-five percent of those captured die before reaching their new home. Brainstorm some ways to help stop the capture of wild parrots.
  • Assessment: Did children include the major parts of a parrot in their paintings? Did they use different brush techniques?