Make trading cards for each animal, including the one you chose to learn more about.
Meet the Residents of A Hare in the Forest
Discover amazing creatures and plants in a painting
Project Details
- Grade Level K–2, 3–5
- Subject Science, Visual Arts
- Resource Type Close Looking
- Title
A Hare in the Forest
- Maker
Hans Hoffmann (German, 1545/1550–1591/1592)
- Date Created
about 1585
- Materials
Oil on panel
- Dimensions
Unframed (With Radius Of Panel, Right Side): 62.2 × 78.4 cm (24 1/2 × 30 7/8 in.), Unframed (Without Radius Of Panel, Right Side): 61.9 × 78.4 cm (24 3/8 × 30 7/8 in.), Framed [Outer Dim] (Display): 80.6 × 96.5 × 10.2 cm (31 3/4 × 38 × 4 in.)
- Place Created
Germany
- Credit Line
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2001.12
Assignment
In the beautiful world of this painting called A Hare in the Forest, there are many amazing creatures and plants to discover. Can you find all of them in the image above?

Can you find the plant called lady’s mantle in the painting?
Lady’s Mantle
- Description: Lady’s mantle is a delicate green plant with small rounded leaves that resemble the shape of a large cloak.
- Role in the Ecosystem: Lady’s mantle is a producer, which means it creates its own food through photosynthesis. It captures sunlight and uses it to grow and thrive.
- Fun Fact: Lady’s mantle is known for its ability to collect dewdrops on its leaves, making it sparkle like diamonds in the morning light!

Can you find the hare in the painting?
Hare
- Description: The hare is a furry creature with long ears and powerful hind legs, perfect for hopping around. A hare looks like a rabbit with bigger ears.
- Role in the Ecosystem: The hare is a herbivore, which means it eats plants like leaves, vegetables, and berries. It plays an important role in controlling plant growth and spreading seeds.
- Fun Fact: Hares are known for their incredible speed and agility. They can run up to 40 miles per hour when they need to escape from predators!

Can you find the spider in the painting?
Spider
- Description: The spider is a small, eight-legged arachnid with a talent for spinning intricate webs.
- Role in the Ecosystem: The spider is a carnivore, which means it eats other animals like flies and fleas. It helps control insect populations and keeps the ecosystem in balance.
- Fun Fact: Spiders are master weavers! They create silk threads from special glands in their bodies and use them to build webs for catching prey.

Can you find the snail in the painting?
Snail
- Description: The snail is a slow-moving mollusk with a spiral shell on its back.
- Role in the Ecosystem: The snail is a scavenger, which means it eats decaying plant matter and helps recycle nutrients back into the soil. It plays a vital role in maintaining the health of the ecosystem.
- Fun Fact: Snails can retract their bodies into their shells for protection when they feel threatened. Some species even hibernate in their shells during the winter months!
Now it’s your turn to explore Nature’s Pantry and discover more fascinating creatures and plants! Choose another plant or animal in the painting to learn more about.
Glossary
Carnivore
An animal that eats other animals. The spider is a carnivore because it eats other creatures.
Cloak
A type of clothing that covers the body and hangs down from the shoulders. It’s like a long, loose coat that people wear to keep warm or to add style to their outfits.
Herbivore
An animal that eats plants. The hare is an herbivore because it eats leaves, veggies, and berries.
Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and other animals. Omnivores, like humans, eat a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish. They have a diverse diet that includes both plant and animal matter.
Photosynthesis
How plants make food for themselves. They use sunlight, water, and air to create energy. It’s like a magic trick where plants turn sunlight into food! So, photosynthesis is how plants grow and stay alive.
Producer
In nature, a plant or organism that makes its own food. It uses sunlight to create energy through a process called photosynthesis. Plants, like lady’s mantle, are examples of producers because they make their own food by capturing sunlight and growing leaves.
Resident
Someone who lives in a particular place.
Scavenger
An animal that eats dead plants or animals. The snail is a scavenger because it helps clean up the forest by munching on plants, fungus, and rotting food.
Related Materials
Let’s Build Our Local Ecosystem
Developing Models

Create a food chain model to show how plants and animals work together in your community
Critter Cuisine Creations
Researching

Design menus with yummy foods for animal friends
Explore A Hare in the Forest
Close Looking

Discover an amazing painting full of creatures by Hans Hoffmann
Nature’s Pantry
Watch a Video

Learn how producers and consumers are connected in the food chain
Be a Nature Photographer
Researching

Take photos of plants and animals to learn about food chains
Explore the Food Chain in A Hare in the Forest
Developing Models

Draw a food chain to show how plants and animals depend on each other for energy
Meet Hans Hoffmann: A Renaissance Painter of Nature and People
Reading

Read about an artist who enjoyed painting nature
Extensions
Related Standards
Credits and Licensing
This page is licensed under the Creative Commons NonCommercial 4.0 International license. You are free to make use of these pages under the terms of this license. Note that individual elements or portions of a page (for example, a copyrighted image) may be excluded from the Creative Commons license. Excluded items are clearly identified.




