Becoming Scientific Illustrators

This week we are dwelling in the world of flowers and plants.  I told the children I knew a "scientific illustrator" - a person who draws illustrations of nature.   We had our own bean plants growing and I took one and displayed the roots, stem, and leaves.    I told them we were going to be "scientific illustrators" and draw/label a flower plant.   We looked at photographs in books at the parts of real flowers and compared it to our bean plant.

They were so excited when we began drawing.  They kept telling me more to add to the drawing - such as the sun, dirt and rain!  One student inquired, "How do the plants stand up with out falling over?"  We observed the plant we had removed from the soil.  "What do you think?"   It was amazing - they knew!  It was the root system that "anchored" the plant.

Materials needed:  sharpies and cardstock for the drawing, watercolors

Here's how to draw this illustration:

Step One:  Draw a horizon line.  Put the seed in dirt.

Step Two:  Give the seed a solid root system.  Draw these like little wiggly worms.

Step Three:  Add the stem that has grown up out of the seed!  Use two lines to make the stem.

Step Four:  Make a circle at the top of the stem.  Add the pollen as dots.  Add the petals as ovals.

Step Five:  Finally, let's add two leaves.  I like making pointy ovals.

Step Six:  Label the roots.

Step Seven:  Label the seed.

Step Eight:  Label a leaf.

Step Nine:  Label the stem.

Step Ten:  Label the flower, sun, rain and dirt.

Step Eleven:  Watercolor!