Birch Tree Art Lesson

Here is one of the art lessons I did my last practicum. Its a Birch Tree art lesson I linked to my science unit on medicinal plants and trees, and also linked to language arts reading and writing.
First I read the legend, "How the Birch Tree got its Stripes," and used the prediction reading strategy with the students.
Then we did the Birch Tree art lesson. We started by etching the birch trees on white paper with black paint, and then set aside the birch tree paintings to dry.
Then I let the students choose from 3 colored construction papers to do the background picture for the birchtrees. I picked teal, purple and brown for background colors. I gave the students pastel colors to use for their back ground picture, and I gave them a choice to draw in clouds, sun or moon, grass with lake or just grass.
We had a discussion about the legend, "how birch tree got its stripes," how the birch tree looked in the legend, and I also asked the students how a real birch tree looks from our fieldtrip to Kager Lake in the beginning of October. The students were eager to share their answers in the class discussion on birch trees. After the painted birch trees were dry, the students cut out their birch trees and glued them on to their background picture. I gave the students a choice to have thin, thick, tall or short birch trees in their art project. The students loved this art project :)
The following day I asked the students to write a small moment story about birch trees for their writers workshop assignment (Language Arts). I was so happy to be able to link birch trees to art, science, and language arts reading and writing.