Swainson Hawk

Ryan, from Mrs. Vaage's Grade One Class brought in this Swainson Hawk artifact. We decided to use this beautiful bird to paint artistic renditions.

Notice the large eyes for his especially keen eyesight, and his sharp, curved beak for shredding his prey.

Notice the very sharp talons and the mouse unlucky enough to be captured in the hawk's forceful grip.

Notice the strong, long flight feathers which give the hawk his speed, and the long straight fan of tail feathers needed for balance.

The students used the ideas represented in many of the bird story books that we had read. They noticed different colors, different styles and independently selected a way to express and represent their ideas. They understood that an artist's rendition does not have to be scientifically accurate. An artist has freedom to alter reality. They all used the Swainson Hawk model for their paintings, but each was wonderfully unique.