← BACK TO TEACHER LESSONGrade 4 · Cartooning · Pencil, eraser, and optional black drawing pen on paper

MODERN ART LESSONS · STUDENT WORKSHEET

Raincoat Dog: Make a Place for the Story

Make a cartoon setting with a character featuring a dog with a tiny raincoat. The character wants to keep dry on a walk, but the coat covers only the head. One possible ending: it uses the coat to shelter a smaller friend. Invent a different kind ending if you prefer.

Character reference shared across ten skill lessons—not a picture of the completed assignment. Study the example for possibilities, then close or cover it. Your work should make different choices.

Story starter and example

The character wants to keep dry on a walk, but the coat covers only the head. One possible ending: it uses the coat to shelter a smaller friend. Invent a different kind ending if you prefer. The character is largest near the important object. Three simple environmental clues locate the action without filling every space.

What to do

  1. Your finished project is a cartoon setting with a character featuring a dog with a tiny raincoat. Read the story seed: The character wants to keep dry on a walk, but the coat covers only the head. One possible ending: it uses the coat to shelter a smaller friend. Invent a different kind ending if you prefer.
  2. Start with floppy ears, long body, and a small hood. These are helpful shapes, not a tracing template.
  3. Choose an ordinary place where this problem could happen. Draw two small arrangements.
  4. Place the main character and prop first. Add only three background clues that explain the location or problem.
  5. Use overlap and a clear ground line; keep background marks quieter than the character’s outline.
  6. Ask a partner where the scene happens and what they notice first. Remove or move one distracting detail. Compare two arrangements and revise one unclear visual clue after peer feedback.
01

My project: a cartoon setting with a character featuring a dog with a tiny raincoat. My chosen ending is…

02

Two small setting plans…

03

Three useful place clues are…

04

The viewer should look first at… One distracting detail to change…

05

Story clue: How will I show that the character the coat covers only the head?

06

Before feedback, I wanted the reader to notice… The reader actually noticed…

07

Revision: I changed… because…

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