What can we learn from studying our own backyard as a micro-biome about how to create a more realistic Earth-like setting?

Students will create a 10’x10’ quadrat in their backyards and inventory the biodiversity within it as it changes across the course of the spring. Students will learn about visual representations of mathematical thinking, with advanced content for high school students in calculating and creating visual representations for rates of change and other mathematical relationships. Art studio curriculum will be integrated to develop realistic nature journals using a mix of drawing and photography, and to explore the concept of scale through miniature worlds and animation tools.

How can we enhance a storyline with the physical appearance of the creature we create?

Students will learn about visual design languages, and how Pixar and other animators use shape and color to convey particular character traits. They will design physical representations of their creatures using a variety of media, and articulate how their design decisions relate to the choices they have made throughout the project about the biome, role in the food chain and persona of their creature.

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