Visit Five: Painting Animals and Creating Diorama Habitats

Visit Five: Painting Animals and Creating Diorama Habitats

For our third and final installment in this animal classification saga, we wrap up our project by painting the clay animals, and creating dioramas for the children to make a habitat in. This day was over an hour visit, but the kids had so much fun with the two activities. I set up a painting station at the back kidney table, and called up groups of 6 to paint. Meanwhile, everyone else worked on creating their dioramas. 

Each child was asked to bring a shoe box from home, and most did. We made up for the difference by cutting some of the larger boxes in half, creating a sort of "open-faced" feel. As far as the materials for the dioramas- we used anything and everything. I brought toothpicks, popsicle sticks, fabric/material, stickers, pipe cleaners, etc. Mrs. Ackley provided lots of really fun things like buttons, felt, feathers, green "grass" paper, and even some hay-like grass. 

We used Crayola washable paint (with 1st grade a definite must!). I made sure to bring a hot glue gun from home, because I knew a number of the students' sculptures were very thin and would be broken off. I helped them glue arms, and feathers, and feet, and baby birds back into place. I loved the colors that the students gave their animals. By separating the paint into different trays, this stayed relatively organized, however the sharing was slightly difficult to organize. 

We had tons of creativity with our dioramas. WOW these first graders went to town. I think this was a project that was open enough for creativity, but still gave parameters that contributed to solid art products. I felt that there was a lot of methodical thought behind everything they did. If they added grass it was because their animal eats grass. But they made sure it also had a water hole, and maybe even another animal friend. I think this was a lesson in empathy- as they had to really think what something else would need to stay alive and be happy. 

SMILE for ART! This is the best reward as an art teacher. Bringing joy to the kids faces as they create small planets for their giant space monster, named Nebula, to feast on when he's hungry.

When I see materials spilling out of a box. I know that's where the thinking is too! Lots of kids went the extra mile to accommodate for their newfound animals. 

Art can be messy, and that's just fine. 

Here are the best up close pictures I have of our finished animals. Wish I had taken individual pictures, or got a picture of the whole class zoo we created! I never got a chance to take pictures of the completed dioramas! What a shame, because this was my personal favorite project! I was pleased with the integration that occurred, and really happy with how their animals turned out. 

Any animal would be lucky to live in these fabulous habitat homes, right? First Grade did incredible with this activity. I would do it again in a heart beat. I felt like we may have been able to spread it out a little bit more, and I wish I had completed diorama and animal pictures to show. All in all, I think this was one of the more enjoyable projects for all involved.