Narwhal Art Lesson, Arctic Animal Mixed Media Art Project for Primary Students
This Narwhal Art Lesson is an Arctic animal mixed media art project for primary students, recommended for grades K/1 to 4. Students use paint, paper elements and oil pastels to create a narwhal artwork that explores value, texture and layering techniques.
It is a winter or Arctic-themed project that ties art to a study of Arctic animals, so it works well for cross-curricular science and art. Students learn to draw and paint a narwhal step by step, then make their own choices with color blending and texture.
WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING
★★★★ “Love love love the resources from Ms Artastic! My students love the projects and it really helps us to create beautiful art work.” Teaching W.
WHAT'S INCLUDED (PDF)
- Detailed Lesson Plan (2 pages) with learning outcomes, goals, materials and a Teacher Does/Student Does section
- Art Piece Tutorial with step-by-step visual and written instructions
- Step-by-Step Drawing Handout
- Example of Completed Artwork
- Bulletin Board Sign
- Rubric for Marking
- Art Making Reflection Worksheet
- Student Project Reflection
- Artist Statement Template
HOW TO USE IT
Review the lesson plan and gather materials ahead of time, and photocopy the drawing handouts and rubrics. Introduce the project by talking about Arctic animals and their habitats. Then project the step-by-step pages for students to follow, or use them as your own guide while you demonstrate.
Students combine paint, oil pastels and paper elements, then the finished narwhals make a bright winter or Arctic animal bulletin board.
Materials: pencil, eraser, black felt marker, 30 step-by-step drawing handouts, washable felt markers, tempera or acrylic paint, 2 sheets of card stock or thick paper, oil pastels, paint brushes and water.
FAQ
What grades is this for?
It is recommended for grades K/1 to 4.
What art techniques does it teach?
Value, texture and mixed media layering with paint, oil pastels and paper elements.
How much prep is there?
It is low prep. Read the lesson plan, gather materials, print the handouts and teach.
TEACHER REVIEWS
“I was disappointed with this resource because it is advertised as a video art lesson, but there wasn’t actually a video lesson available as I expected. I purchased it specifically because I liked the idea of having a video to guide students through the project while I helped them as they worked. The art project itself is cute and engaging, but the lack of the expected video was disappointing and made the resource less useful for my classroom.” Tattle T.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist who has been featured on NBC LX News and designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.
TERMS OF USE
Images and lessons are copyright products.
YOU MAY: use this art lesson in your classroom for many years, get creative with different materials, and use clip art as clip art, website graphics, binder covers or bulletin board decorations. Additional licenses are available for school-wide use.
YOU MAY NOT: use this on OutSchool, upload it to blogs, websites or shared drives, share it with other teachers, administrators or districts (additional licenses must be purchased), sell it, give it out for free, distribute it or photocopy it for others.
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Ms Artastic