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New
New
Year 3

Draw the rainforest: studies of plants and leaves

I can observe and sketch a variety of leaves.

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New
New
Year 3

Draw the rainforest: studies of plants and leaves

I can observe and sketch a variety of leaves.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Using organic and geometric shapes for the basic structure creates a more accurate leaf sketch.
  2. Different line styles can be used to improve a drawing of a leaf.
  3. Applying tone and shading can be used to make an observational drawing more realistic.

Keywords

  • Line - a mark made by a moving point, such as a pencil or brush

  • Geometric shapes - shapes that have uniform measurements and do not appear in nature

  • Organic shapes - shapes that do not have straight lines and are found in nature

  • Tone - how light or dark something is

Common misconception

Pupils often think that leaves are uniform in shape, when in fact rainforest leaves vary greatly in shape and size.

Highlight the diversity of plant forms and individuality of shape in the lesson.

Weather permitting, take the children outside to gather plants and flowers from around the school grounds. If it’s not suitable to collect them outdoors, have some purchased flowers available for the children to observe and explore.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

Plants and flowers

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following tools would be best for creating bold lines in your drawing?
Correct answer: charcoal
a ruler
eraser
water
Q2.
Which of the following is a key part of creating a collage?
using only one colour
Correct answer: cutting out and gluing different materials together
only drawing with pencils
making sure everything is painted
Q3.
Match the drawing tool or technique to its purpose.
Correct Answer:colouring pencils,to add rich colour to the drawing, often used for shading
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to add rich colour to the drawing, often used for shading

Correct Answer:fine line pen,to create precise, detailed lines
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to create precise, detailed lines

Correct Answer:watercolour paints,to create soft transitions of colour, often used for backgrounds
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to create soft transitions of colour, often used for backgrounds

Correct Answer:charcoal,to create deep shadows, bold lines and textures in dark areas
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to create deep shadows, bold lines and textures in dark areas

Q4.
What is the best way to add texture to a collage?
using flat, smooth paper only
Correct answer: adding materials like fabric, buttons, or textured paper
only drawing with coloured pencils
using only glitter
Q5.
Frottage is an art technique where you over a textured surface, like a leaf or wood, with a pencil or crayon to capture its pattern.
paint
Correct answer: rub
press
sketch
Q6.
How might an artist like Henri Rousseau show the diversity of animals in a rainforest scene?
by using dull colours and simple shapes
Correct answer: by using bright, bold colours and exaggerated shapes for the animals
by only painting the animals in the background
by using soft, neutral colours for all the animals

4 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:geometric shapes,shapes that have uniform measurements and do not appear in nature
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shapes that have uniform measurements and do not appear in nature

Correct Answer:organic shapes,shapes that do not have straight lines and are found in nature
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shapes that do not have straight lines and are found in nature

Q2.
What colours would you use to shade this green leaf realistically?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q3.
When drawing a leaf, you can show the veins by using lines to follow the leaf’s shape.
dots
Correct answer: curved
zig-zag
straight
Q4.
Put these steps for drawing a leaf in the correct order.
1 - Observe the leaf carefully.
2 - Sketch the outline lightly.
3 - Draw the veins of the leaf.
4 - Add shading to show light and dark areas.
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