First graders at Rowe Elementary School participated in a Side x Side program that integrated a literacy and science unit on Maine birds with drawing and sculpture. The program kicked off with a visit from Sparks’ Ark who brought a live barred owl into the school! After choosing a bird to research, students created fact cards focused on the physical features that help their birds survive. With teaching artist Jill Osgood, they then created scientific drawings and sculptures using papier-mâché and paint to capture their bird’s unique colors and patterns. The program culminated in a Celebration of Learning where students shared their fact cards, scientific drawings, and sculptures with students and families.