Artist's pallet

Source:

The Moine Mhor National Nature Reserve, local schools pack

Time

30 minutes

You will need

• white card cut to the shape of an artist's pallet
• coloured paint charts or strips from paint companies
• glue sticks
• scissors
• waterproofs or plastic bags to kneel on
• camera (optional)

Did you know?

Some bog plants, like sundews and butterworts, are insectivorous and have sticky hairs to trap the insects that they feed on. Look out for these colourful plants when you visit a bog.  

Before the activity

Ask the pupils what colour they think a bog is?  Do they think they will find any bright colours in a bog and what do they think these colours might come from (they may say flowers or butterflies)? You could also do the activity First Impressions in the Landscape section.

The activity

Explain that bogs are easily damaged by trampling so get the children to tread carefully and keep on the dry bits. Ideally stick to any board walks provided.

Let the class look closely at the bog and point out some of the colours to be found, everything from the blue of the sky to the reds and gold of the bog plants. Hand out the paint charts and show them how to match a colour by introducing sphagnum moss and getting them to all try matching a colour to this moss. Explain how important this plant is and how the bog is formed by the laying down of layer upon layer of this moss as it dies and grows.

Get everyone to look closely at the bog. Let them spend as long as possible down at bog level searching for colours and looking really closely at the detail of the little plants and moss filled hollows and lichen covered hummocks. Let them choose favourite colours by matching a bog colour to the paint chart.

Take photos that can be displayed when back inside on the computer or on an interactive whiteboard (to show up detail).

Suggested Follow up

Draw plants or make sketches of a little plant community on the bog and add in any mini-beasts spotted. Stick on little bits from the paint chart to remember particular colours

Back in the classroom, show the photos taken and make paintings of the bog using the artist pallets as a guide to the bog colours. 

Downloads

• All About Sphagnum Moss in the series 'Education and Teachers Resources' see SNH Publications
• Schools Out Peatlands pack - particularly the illustrated sheet 'Peatland Plants' and the worksheet  'My Favourite Plant' 

Curriculum Links

• Science - main
• Expressive Arts - main

AgeRange

1,2