Dinosaurs Collage

I have been feeling bad for my second graders because they are my last class of the day. They have the disadvantage of following kindergarten and first grade. By this point in the day, my energy is at an all-time low. So I decided to give them the most exciting, hands on project I could think of! And I'm happy to say that this one, unlike most others, was not "inspired" by Pinterest. This one, was inspired by a book I found in our school library called "Dinosaurs Roar, Butterflies Soar." This was a cute little non-fiction book (Common Core is pushing regular classroom teachers to read just as many non-fiction as fiction now).

I was really inspired by the illustrations in this book. They had great texture and a collage kind of look. So I decided to recreate this particular illustration with the  kids. So the first class, we read this book and discussed texture and collage. Then I gave the kids some paper and crayons, and we drew some dinosaurs together. I've been using those "How To" drawing books with them a lot. These books break steps down and make complex drawings achievable for youngins! Below is our stegosaurus how-to and some of the dinosaur drawings from the kids. 

 The next class period, I had all sorts of pre-cut construction paper for them. I made them start with the two layers of mountain ranges. They were not allowed to use scissors, because tearing gave the mountains a more realistic shape and texture. We crumpled up the lime green paper before cutting it into the shape of grass and foliage. They also added trees and a sunset before inserting their dinosaurs into the scene. I was SO impressed with their work and their ability to follow all of these complex steps. AND when they left- the room wasn't a total nightmare of a mess! Below are two of the kids' collages, and the last one is mine :)