DEEP SPACE

TIME REQUIRED:

2-3 @ 40-minutes

WATERCOLOR

4TH GRADE

TRUFFULA TREES

D E E P S P A C E S P A R K L E & T H E M E M B E R S C L U B !2

WATERCOLOR TRUFFULA TREESWHAT ARE TRUFFULA TREES?

According to Dr. Seuss Wiki page, Truffula trees have yellow or white & black striped bark with

large tuffs at the top. The tuffs are typically a warm color (red, orange, yellow, pink and

occasionally purple) are softer than silk and and smell like butterfly milk.

It takes 10 months for a Truffula seed to germinate and ten years to sprout and another ten to

fully grow.

Truffula trees appear in the book, The Lorax.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: • 12” x 18” 90 lb school-grade watercolor paper

• Oil pastels

• Watercolor paints ( I used tray watercolors)

• Medium round paintbrush & water

D E E P S P A C E S P A R K L E & T H E M E M B E R S C L U B !3

STEP ONE: Using a black oil pastel, draw the trees in the

FOREGROUND first. Starting in the bottom

third-half of the paper, draw a large truffula tuft.

Then draw the skinny trunk and extend of

bottom edge of paper. Draw 2-3 trees in the

foreground.

STEP TWO: Draw a line for a hill behind foreground trees.

Try to contain this line in the bottom half of the paper.

STEP THREE: Draw a series of Truffula trees in the middle part of the paper. Then draw the HORIZON LINE.

STEP FOUR: Draw the trees in the BACKGROUND. Add clouds or a Seuss-Like bird! The drawing step takes about one class period (40 minutes)

HERE, NEAR & FAR TREES

13

2

4

D E E P S P A C E S P A R K L E & T H E M E M B E R S C L U B !4

OIL PASTEL DETAILS

Using a variety of colored oil pastels or crayons, add stripes to the

trunks of the tree. In the book, the trunks are yellow, but feel free to

add your own colors.

You can create IMPLIED TEXTURE by drawing short lines in the truffula

trees or you can draw patterns, swirls or dots!

Additional details can be applied to the grass, hills and sky.

If you see some children’s artwork with a large space for the sky,

suggest adding a Seuss-like bird, cloud formations or both.

TIP: Use the oil pastel to create patterns and

line, not for coloring in the shapes.

D E E P S P A C E S P A R K L E & T H E M E M B E R S C L U B !5

One strategy I used in my classroom with great

success was to systematize the painting step

with watercolors. Too often children pick a color

and just start painting. Sometimes this leads to

messy work, messy paint and kids who give up.

Instead, you may want to consider these tips: STEP ONE: Decide whether to paint the

BACKGROUND or the TREES first. For this

example, let’s go with the trees first. Select ONE

color and paint as many trees as you want in that color. Then clean brush with water, and select

another color. Paint the next tree or set of trees with the second color. Repeat cleaning and

selecting of new color and paint more trees. This technique is successful because children don’t

waste as much time deciding on a color and then cleaning the brush each time. It also reduces

wear and tear on the paint trays.

STEP TWO: Once all the trees are painted, children can now select colors for the background

(hills, grass, sky, clouds). Paint from one side of the paper to the other. STEP THREE: Younger students can select ONE color per area. Older kids can have fun mixing

colors together. Paint with a strategy (not natural for 4th graders) by starting and completing an

area before switching colors and moving to another area.

WATERCOLORS1 2

3

D E E P S P A C E S P A R K L E & T H E M E M B E R S C L U B !6

WATERCOLOR TRUFFULA TREES

D E E P S P A C E S P A R K L E & T H E M E M B E R S C L U B !7

WHAT DRAWINGS FROM THE LORAX DID YOU USE IN YOUR ART?

LIST THE COLORS YOU USED IN YOUR ARTWORK?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR DRAWING? (You can use “I” statements and talk about your inspiration and what creating

this piece of art means to you)

Artist StatementYour name

D E E P S P A C E S P A R K L E & T H E M E M B E R S C L U B !8

CREATING Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work — elaborate on imaginative ideas—

apply knowledge to develop personal ideas in artwork

Organize and develop artistic ideas and work — create personal artwork—demonstrate

understanding proficient use of materials—construct everyday life representations

Refine and complete artistic work—elaborate visually by adding detail during art-making

that enhances meaning

Presenting/producing Analyze, interpret and select artistic work for presentation— Investigate and discuss

possibilities and limitations of spaces for exhibiting artwork

Develop and refine artistic work for presentation — Identify exhibit space and prepare

works of art including artists’ statement for presentation

Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work — identify and explain how and

where different cultures record and illustrate stories and history of life through art

Responding Perceive and analyze artistic work- Speculate about processes and artist uses to create—

determine messages communicated by images Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work — interpret art by analyzing use of media to

create subject matter, characteristics of form and mood

Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work— evaluate an artwork based on a given criteria

Connecting Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art- develop a work

of art based on observations of surroundings

Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding —develop a work of art based on observations of surroundings

NATIONAL CORE ARTS STANDARDS-third grade

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

D E E P S P A C E S P A R K L E & T H E M E M B E R S C L U B !9

CREATING Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work — brainstorm approaches for design

problem—set goals and create purposeful and meaningful artwork

Organize and develop artistic ideas and work — explore and invent art-making

techniques-care for materials while art-making—document and describe environments

Refine and complete artistic work—revise artwork in progress through insights gained from

peers and discussion

Presenting/producing Analyze, interpret and select artistic work for presentation— Analyze how past, present

and emerging technologies have impacted preservation and presentations of artwork

Develop and refine artistic work for presentation — Analyze the various considerations for

presenting and protecting work in all settings and forms

Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work — compare and contrast

purposes of art museums, etc. and the types of personal experiences they provide

Responding Perceive and analyze artistic work- compare responses to artwork after experiencing the

medium analyze messages in visual imagery Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work — interpret art by referring to contextual info

and analyzing relevant subject matter, characteristics and media

Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work— apply one set of criteria to evaluate more than

one work of art

Connecting Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art- create works of

art that reflect community cultural traditions

Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding

NATIONAL CORE ARTS STANDARDS-fourth grade

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

D E E P S P A C E S P A R K L E & T H E M E M B E R S C L U B !10

• Today I will learn about LINE and SHAPE, so that I CAN draw a LANDSCAPE of Dr. Seuss’s

TRUFFULA TREES using black OIL PASTEL.

• Today I will learn about ATMOSPHERIC PERSPECTIVE, so that I CAN break up the space of the

paper to include a FOREGROUND with larger trees, a MIDDLE GROUND with medium trees, and

a HORIZON LINE with smaller trees for the BACKGROUND.

• Today I will learn about COLOR and WATERCOLOR RESIST, so that I CAN draw PATTERNS on my

trees creating IMPLIED TEXTURE and add WATERCOLOR paint making sure the pastel lines show

through.

I CAN STATEMENTS FOR TRUFFULA TREES

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.7 Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.

After reading the book, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss to introduce some of Dr. Seuss’s illustrations, you can talk with students about how he used line and color to contribute to the meaning or mood of the text. Encourage students to refer to specific sections and illustrations when explaining their answers.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

After students finish their art, you can have them fill out the artist statement worksheet (page 7 of this packet). This information leads them to reflect on the process of art making while forming an opinion about their own work based on the processes used, materials used, inspirations, etc.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

You can communicate to students that using conventions of standard English grammar when writing their answers to the artist statement worksheet should be emphasized. This is a wonderful way to help students see cross curricular connections between subjects!

COMMON CORE STANDARDS FOR TRUFFULA TREES

D E E P S P A C E S P A R K L E & T H E M E M B E R S C L U B

ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST

Student Name:

Did the student draw a landscape in the style of Dr. Seuss?

Did the student use atmospheric perspective?

Did the student use watercolor resist effectively?

Main Ideas from:

WATERCOLOR TRUFFULA TREES