Drawing from Observation with Fourth and Fifth Grade

We started off October with some drawings from observation. Students chose from a variety of plants that I brought to school, and worked on looking closely and making contour line drawings of leaves and flowers in their sketchbooks. I love drawing from nature because it is very forgiving. No one will know if you don't draw a leaf exactly the way it looks! We may go back and use some watercolor techniques to paint these drawings at a later date.