By Carol Felixson
Special to The Times

March 7, 2004

There are tree frogs all over the world, but you won't always find them in a tree. They need to stay cool and moist. You see, tree frogs can't drink water; they have to absorb it through their skin. So in warm climates, tree frogs are most often found on rocks near the banks of streams.

After studying the California tree frog, Siddhartha, 9, and Pooja , 7, made a scratch drawing of two of the frogs sitting on a granite boulder next to a stream.

A scratch drawing can be made by coloring a bright piece of paper with a thick layer of black crayon. Then a design is scratched into the dark surface. Where the crayon is scratched off, the paper shows through.

Siddhartha and Pooja practiced the technique by covering colorful magazine pages with black crayon and then making scratches. For their final illustration, they used special scratch art paper purchased from a craft store. The children learned that California tree frogs are typically gray or brown with dark blotches. This helps them to blend in well with tree bark or rocks. With this in mind, the kids chose silvery-gray-colored scratch art paper.

They first drew their design on a thin sheet of white paper, then placed it over the scratch art paper. With a hard-leaded pencil, they traced over their design so it imprinted on the scratch paper. Using the edge of a spoon, they scratched their design into the scratch art paper. Siddhartha scratched the boulder and frogs. Pooja scratched the tree, flowers and birds.

Good job, Siddhartha and Pooja!

About the series: Carol Felixson introduces children to a subject from nature and an art technique. The children then apply what they have learned in an illustration. She is director of education and community outreach for UCLA's Stunt Ranch Reserve and Mathias Botanical Garden. April 4 lesson: stink beetles and acrylics. Previous projects can been seen at nrs.ucop.edu/Reserves/stunt/newsforkids.html.


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Carol Felixson
Director of Education/Community Outreach
UCLA Stunt Ranch Reserve & Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden
310 206-3887, nrs.ucop.edu/Reserves/stunt.html, www.botgard.ucla.edu
LA Times Science/Art Lessons for Kids: http://nrs.ucop.edu/Reserves/stunt/newsforkids.html

Contributing to the understanding and wise management of the Earth and its natural systems
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