Great project for imagination and creativity. Students may use whatever medium they wish, such as pencils, pens, crayons, playdo, and more! It is up to you; your choice.  I have even had a student create theirs out of COOKIE DOUGH !  It was brilliant and yummy!  Your art project may be 2 Dimensional or it may be 3-D.  Two lesson plans:

2nd & 3rd Grades: Pick features from 2 different animals, reptiles, insects, or birds, ... (your choice) and combine to create a new species.   Example: a trunk from an elephant, and a neck and body from a giraffe. You are welcome to do more than 2 if you wish!  All up to you. 

4th & 5th Grades: Pick feature from 3 different animals, reptiles, insects, or birds, ... (your choice) and combine to create a new species.   Example: a wings from a butterfly, the mouth from a crocodile, and the  body of a rhino.  Your are welcome to do more than 3 if you wish!  All up to you. 

All Grades:  Think about where this new species might live: land, sky, or water?  What would they eat? Are they living in your backyard, somewhere on planet Earth, or somewhere else? Did you give them a habitat on your art paper?  :)

After you have finished, clean up, then take a little time to ponder on your art. Ask yourself some questions for the response and connections state goals categories. Some questions may be: What was the coolest part? What is one thing that you learned? What do you feel about your new species?

You are art-tastic and your new species is art-rageous! Way to go and enjoy new species through your imagination.