If the Dinosaurs Came Back (2015)

This is another repeat project that I did with students in my last school. You can check out the original lesson here. It's such a fun way to teach finding shapes to draw with K & 1 because DINOSAURS!

I Can draw a dinosaur using shapes
I Can draw a city with a lot of detail

Day 1: Read a book that is probably in my top 10 list of Best Books for an Elementary Art Room... "If the Dinosaurs Came Back" by Bernard Most. The way he uses colors only on the dinosaurs is my favorite part and a great conversation piece to talk about with students.

After we read the story, I had a few pictures of dinosaurs on my SMART Board and had students come up and draw the shapes they saw over the top of the dinosaurs. I 100% believe this was a part of the process that made my students successful on this project. After this practice, I gave each a fabulous resource that came right from this book! A photocopy of the last page which is a picture glossary of the dinosaurs in the book. Looking at that (and practicing on it if needed) they drew their dinosaur using shapes on a 6X9 piece of paper and selected a color tempera paint to fill it in with.

 Day 2: Read another one of Most's dinosaur books called "How Big Were the Dinosaurs?". This one is quite a bit longer but really engaging the way he compares sizes.

After reading the book, I showed them my demo of drawing the city and we talked about all the types of details they could add to make them REALLY look like a city and then they got busy drawing. They drew directly with sharpie. When their city was done they added more details to, and cut out, their dinosaur and glued it to their city.

These would have been perfect to have students record some type of audio with and add a QR code when displayed. NEXT TIME!

If the Dinosaurs Came Back with Kindergarten

With architecture fresh in their minds from their winter houses I wanted Kindergartners to go from creating buildings using shapes to actually drawing buildings. I knew when I saw this post via pinterest awhile back that I HAD to do this project. Who doesn't love dinosaurs!? Let me tell you, just saying the word "dinosaur" to a kindergartner gets them excited!

I Can Statements:
I can draw a dinosaur using shapes
I can talk about architecture and draw a city

Day 1: Started the project with what else but the fabulous book If the dinosaurs came back  by Bernard Most. The first thing I wanted to bring to their attention was the lack of colors in the illustrations with the exception of the dinosaurs. After some serious questioning took place they eventually figured it out and I had them focus on the illustrations while listening to the story. After we read the book I had them watch a short demo of drawing buildings and making them more interesting than just a rectangle by adding layers like a cake and interesting windows and antennas. Then they got busy drawing either vertically or horizontally.

Day 2: Looked back at a great resource page in the book that features illustrations of each kind of dinosaur. I photocopied that page so that each student could have one. We talked about how each dinosaur is created from a bunch of different shapes and then practiced finding the shapes in the dinosaurs.**
**side note: THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE PERFECT TIME FOR A SMART BOARD!

After practicing finding the shapes in the dinosaurs and tracing them they got a 6x12 piece of paper to draw their dinosaur on using shapes. I encouraged them to use the entire piece but that proved difficult for some. When they were ready to paint they filled in the dinosaur making all the shape lines disappear and dinosaur appear!

Day 3: Gave the dinosaurs an outline with sharpie and added details and faces. Finishing touches were put on the cities, and the dinosaurs were cut and glued down!

On display with many other animals of sorts at McDill Elementary...

 Jefferson Elementary...