By Mischa Rosenberg, Teacher
The fauna of Bing’s outdoor spaces offer abundant opportunities to learn about the local natural world. In the spring, however, an animal ambassador visited from farther afield. Turok, a chahoua gecko natively found in the trees of New Caledonia in the South Pacific, joined Center Room for an afternoon of observational drawing in the art area.
Teachers often share their passions with the children, providing an organic entry into a love of learning about unexpected topics. Teacher Shawn Hott, for example, lives with a menagerie of animals, including Turok.
As the children interacted with the little gecko through sight and gentle touch, they were captivated by his surprisingly soft skin, webbed toes, and strong, prehensile tail. They theorized about Turok’s diet and how his body helped him adapt to life in the trees. They used watercolors to artistically convey his many shades of green and brown.
Painting Turok helped the children practice their fine motor skills as they carefully translated his features onto paper. It also encouraged them to sharpen their powers of observation, as they picked out small details like the shape of his eyes or the curve of his toes. Turok’s visit touched on art and science, and meeting the small creature also nurtured empathy. As the children gazed at Turok, they began to muse about his inner world.
