Fantasy Animals

Disciplines/Subjects: ELA/Visual Arts

Key Themes: Animals, Surrealism, Creativity, Hybrid Creatures

Learners played Exquisite Corpse to explore surrealism and creativity. They then brainstormed, sketched, and designed their own fantasy animals by combining features from at least three different animals.

To prepare for their final artwork, learners participated in a watercolor techniques workshop, practicing wet-on-wet, dry brush, salt texture, and alcohol effects. They applied these techniques to create their fantasy creatures using drawing, watercolor, and ink.

As an ELA component, learners wrote aproximately 50-word background stories describing their creatures. Sentence starters, vocabulary prompts, and peer feedback supported their writing.

The project concluded with presentations, where learners shared their artwork and stories.

Habits of mind:

1. Curiosity – explored surrealist ideas and experimented with techniques to create meaningful and unique creatures.
2. Growth Mindset: attitude to challenge, revision, seek help.

Cognitive skills:

1. Selecting Relevant Sources – learners used animal references, surrealist art (Dalí), and mythological creatures to inspire their designs.
2. Planning and Carrying Out Investigations – they completed a worksheet, sketched ideas, experimented with watercolor techniques, and planned their creature’s story before the final piece.
3. Aesthetic creation, expression, perception, connection – learners combined animal features, used surrealist techniques, and connected art to storytelling through visual and written descriptions.
4. Feedback and reflection – peer reviews helped refine designs and writing, and final presentations encouraged self-reflection on their creative choices, teacher feedback.

Content Knowledge:

1. Surrealism art movement
2. Watercolor skills
3. Observational and imaginative drawing