Project: ZEBRA ART with PAPER PLATES

Paper Plate Zebra Mask

On one of my recent school author visits, the room where I was presenting was decorated with charming zebra masks made from paper plates. The project had been inspired by my book A Zebra’s World. I could see that the children had looked carefully at my illustrations to make the zebra’s  markings. They used black construction paper for the nose and mouth and the mane. Stripes on the face were added with black marker. Ears were cut from tan paper and glued to the back of the plate. Googly eyes were added for the final effect. Every zebra was different, just as they are in the wild. This is a fun project to do with younger elementary school students.

A Zebra's World, based on the 2006 book with the same title but now with a shorter text and sturdier pages, brings the story of a zebra's first year to younger readers. Follow the black and white stripes of the young zebra as she grows up in Africa. A readable and lively text provides a close-up look at these black and white animals in this "anything but black and white" book. Cut paper illustrations help tell the tales of these amazing animals and the world in which they live.This picture book follows a baby zebra from birth on the grasslands of Africa through the first year of its life. 

PROJECT: Butterfly Life Cycle with Pasta

A butterfly’s life cycle begins with an egg, which hatches into a caterpillar, which develops into a chrysalis and then metamorphosizes into a butterfly. You can observe all of these stages if you hatch painted lady butterflies in your classroom. And the perfect art project to illustrate the stages can be done with a paper plate and pasta.

You will need:

• A paper plate
• 4 types of pasta: bulgar for eggs; ziti for the caterpillars; shells for the chrysalis; and bowties for the butterflies
• Glue
• Markers, paint or crayons

Directions:

• Make an “X” across the paper plate to divide it into four sections.
• Label each section with a butterfly stage: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly
• Glue the appropriate pasta in each section. Draw or paint leaves. Color the pasta if desired.

I thank Jennifer Best for sharing this project with me. Her kindergarten students at Haynes Center for Enriched Studies did this project when they were learning about insects.

Painted Lady Caterpillars

Author Visit at Redwood Elementary School, Shafter, CA

Animal faces made by pre-K students at Redwood Elementary School, Shafter, CA

Last Wednesday I had an excellent author visit at Redwood Elementary School in Shafter, California, located in Kern County near Bakersfield.  I made two presentations in the large activity center–one to students in kindergarten through second grade, and another to students in fourth through sixth grade. They were excited to have a chance to meet me and were a very enthusiastic audience. The school mascot is the bald eagle so they particularly enjoyed learning that it takes two students with their arms stretched out to equal the wingspan of a bald eagle. 

Forest animal biome poster

I was especially pleased with the preparation for my visit. All the students had read at least some of my books, either as traditional books or as e-books, and many of the classrooms had done projects inspired by my books. The teacher’s lunchroom was decorated with wonderful animal faces made by pre-K students and moose pictures by first graders. Construction paper monkeys and other rainforest animals decorated the windows. Zebra striped balloons, napkins, and table cloths completed the animal theme. I enjoyed the chance to chat with teachers during the lunch period and to share in the delicious food.

Rainforest animals decorating the teacher's lunchroom

After lunch I autographed books in the library. (Students had pre-ordered books from Barnes and Noble.) I thank principal Rosa Romero and vice-principal Monica Garza for inviting me to Redwood and for doing such a good job of organizing the day. And I especially thank First Grade teacher Virginia Kulzer for being my assistant all day long and doing a great job of introducing me to the students. Altogether it was a very successful Author Day!

Animal pyramid poems on display in the library

Project: Paper Plate Animals

Paper plates may have been invented for eating, but they make great beginnings for art projects of all kinds.  In my school visits I have seen many creative use of paper plates to make animals.  Here are a few examples:

• You can use just one plate to make a head or body.  
• You can use a combination of large and small plates to make a whole animal.  
• You can add features by either drawing or painting on the plates, or by decorating them with cut-out pieces of paper or other materials such as yarn or cotton balls.  

          Let your imagination be your guide!