BE ADVISED: On Thursday, October 17 our museums will participate in a brief earthquake drill. Guests will hear an overhead announcement, but are not required to participate, nor will the building be evacuated. Please plan your visit accordingly or contact us at info@nhm.org or 213.763.DINO if you have any questions or would like to reschedule your visit.

Take a Walk on the Urban Wild Side: Scientific Illustration

Learn the basics of scientific illustration as we follow the story of P–22, a mountain lion who found his way to Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California.

Colorful artwork of TAC Guide 1 which shows downtown LA, parrot, snake, flowers, and gemstones

Overview

Meet P–22, one of L.A.’s resident mountain lions! In this museum guide, we’ll follow the story of P–22, a mountain lion who found his way from the western Santa Monica Mountains to Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California. Along the way, we’ll better understand urban carnivores, or meat-eating animals that live in cities, and the physical features, or anatomy, of mountain lions that help them survive in their environment. We’ll utilize camera trap images of P–22 and practice nature journaling and scientific illustration to draw an accurate portrait of P–22. We’ll even learn how to draw headshots of P–22 and one of his distant relatives, Shadow the house cat!

Materials


Standards

VAPA: Creating Anchor Standard 3 - refine and complete artistic work
Common Core ELA: RST.11–12.7
NGSS: HS–LS2–6, HS–LS2–7, HS–LS2-8