I am wrapping up a theme of animals camouflaging in our reading series, and I'd like to do something fun to end it. I'd like to do something artsy/craftsy.
We just finished a unit on Camouflage and we did the cutest activity! I will try to explain it. I can post pictures tomorrow if you'd like.
First, you or an artist you know needs to draw a picture of a chameleon "in the forest". Mine was on a branch with many leaves surrounding. The picture needs to be small, no wider than 8 1/2 inches.
Then, draw lines down the picture, about an inch or an inch and a half apart.
Give the students two copies of the picture. They must color each chameleon different colors.
Have the students number each column on one picture with odd numbers.
Have the students number each column on the other picture with even numbers.
Then give each student a large piece of paper (11 X 17). They should cut the column that is numbered 1 and glue it to the edge of the large paper.
Then they cut the column that is numbered 2 (from the other picture) and glue it right next to column one.
The students continue doing this in number order until both pictures are completely cut apart and glued onto the large paper. It will look funny. My kids kept saying, "That just don't look right!"
Once all of the pieces are on the large paper, the students "fan fold" the paper at each column. When you hang it up, you will see the chameleon with one color when you look at it from one side and it will be the other color when you look at it from the other side.
I hope that made sense! Please don't be turned off by the lengthy directions! It sounds more difficult than it is. I've got a group of second graders that have a hard time following directions this year and only one of them had to start over! I can take a picture of the directions that I used from the book tomorrow and post that if it will help!
So I won't be able to get those photos today as we were cancelled due to a gas leak. However, I will be sure to post them as soon as we are allowed back in the building, hopefully tomorrow!
In my classroom we did two fun activty with camouflage recently...
1. If the weather permits, go outside and spread colored toothpicks in the grass. Have the students search for as many as they can in a certain amount of time. The object is for them to figure out which color is the easiest to find (usually red) and which is the hardest to find (green or yellow depending on your grass!).
2. Give the students a small sqaure of plain white paper. Have them look around the room and search for a square that you have hidden. (I colored it to match a bookshelf in my room). Thier job will be to color thier sqaure to be camouflaged in the room. Once everyone is done coloring have the whole class stand in the hall and one at a time let students in to stick thier sqaure up. Next, let all the students in to search for the sqaures. They are only allowed to look with thier hands.
There are already some great ideas posted, but here's another art idea: In the past, I have cut out pictures of animals from magazines and Internet pictures. I have the student choose an animal, glue it on a piece of paper, and then create an appropriate habitat that camouflages the animal.
One of our teachers used colorful gift wrap papers and printed up outlines of different animals. The kids colored the animals (using the stripes, designs and colors of their gift wrap) so they were camouflaged against the gift wrap. Came out really cute!
Here are the photos I promised! Unfortunately, I could not post pictures from the book because they all came out blurry. However, maybe your school or public library has the book. It is called Animal Disguises by Belinda Weber and the directions are in the back of the book before the index. Let me know if you need me to clarify anything!
The first picture is the drawing I made of the chameleon.
The second is a picture looking straight ahead at the chameleon.
The third is looking at the chameleon from the left.
The fourth is looking at the chameleon from the right.
I stole the idea from the book that I mentioned above and I used the picture that they had as a guide when I drew the chameleon. I can try to scan it for you tomorrow at school if you'd like. Let me know!
I would love it!!! We just finished our camouflage unit. Next week is a short week and it would be fun to do an art project as part of our wrap-up. One of the stories we read was "They Thought They Saw Him" and would be a cute story to go with your project.
If you could scan it, I would really appreciate it! Thanks!
I scanned the picture but the file was too big to attach. I could email it to you if you'd like. You can send me a Private Message with your address. Let me know!
03-18-2007, 06:05 PM
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