Thursday, February 11, 2010

Armadillos

This is our final project for the state of Texas.  We really enjoyed learning about this state.  There is so much to learn about, and so many fun things to explore.

C, R, and I enjoyed two books about armadillos.   
 (C did not want his picture taken, can you tell?)
Armadillo Rodeo by Jan Brett is about a young armadillo in Texas who wanders away from his mother and brothers because he thinks he has spotted a red armadillo.  That "red armadillo" is actually a pair of cowgirl boots on the feet of a young girl heading to the rodeo.  The armadillo has quite the adventure while trying to talk to his new "friend".  If you don't know already, armadillos don't have very good vision!

The second book is Substitute Groundhog by Pat Miller.  Groundhog gets the flu right before Groundhog Day and decides to look for a substitute to fill in for him on the big day.  Many animals audition, but most have some trouble doing the job right.  Finally, an armadillo on vacation visiting her cousin Badger comes along and offers to get the job done right.  She fills in perfectly, sees her shadow, and tells Groundhog that winter will be sticking around for a while.  Groundhog was a bit upset that spring would not be coming early, but then Armadillo invites Groundhog to go home to Texas where the weather is already spring-like. 

After reading these books, C and R made their own armadillos.  First, cut an oval out of corrugated cardboard.  You have to make sure the ripples go across the short width of the oval.  Then peel off the cardboard to expose the corrugated ripples.

Now you have the armadillo's body.  Glue the oval on to a piece of paper and draw a head, legs, and a tail.  Finally, draw the setting in the background.

That is a cowgirl boot with a blue bandanna sticking out of it (C was inspired by the illustrations in Jan Brett's book) behind C's armadillo.  He also drew a few bluebonnets in the background.
This is a great tactile project!  It's also a great way to finish up the state of Texas.  We'll miss you Texas!

For more book/art projects, check out stArt at A Mommy's Adventures.

26 comments:

Unknown said...

I love it! I am a big fan of using recycled materials!

Playing by the book said...

I LOVE your armadillos! An armadillo book that we love is Milo Armadillo by Jan Fearnley

Mama to 5 said...

very cute! I love how you used the corrigated cardboard for the texture!

Stacy said...

Oh, my goodness...what cute armadillos!

Gidget Girl Reading said...

those are great armadillos! they did a great job!

Ticia said...

I love all of your Texas projects, not too surprising. What a great idea for the armadillo.

Julie said...

What a great way to make an armadillo! I love it!

Cindy said...

That is the coolest. I never would have thought of making armadillos like that. AWESOME!

Miller Moments said...

You are amazing! BTW, gave you an award today.

Unknown said...

I have never heard of "The Substitute Armadillo" (probably because I'm not from Texas)- I am SO remembering that book for next groundhog's day!

Also, I never would have "thunk" to use cardboard is such a simply creative fashion- great job Mamma!

Michelle said...

Their Armadillos came out so cute. Both of these books look like they would be a lot of fun to read!

Thank you for sharing your project!!!

silly eagle books said...

Those turned out really well. I like the idea of using the cardboard for texture!

This post reminds me of a book called Armadillo's Orange by Jim Arnosky that we read a few months back.

Karen Wilson said...

Wait a minute, you're done with Texas??? You forgot the Dallas Cowboys lesson!

I love the cardboard armadillo.

An Almost Unschooling Mom said...

That's a very clever way to make an amadillo!

Natalie PlanetSmarty said...

I love your armadillos, and it's interesting to see how both C and R drawings improve over time. C is quite an artist already!

sbswtp said...

I love it!!! I can't wait to get out the Armadillo book by Jan Brett...we love her :) Thanks for sharing!

Brimful Curiosities said...

We don't know very much about armadillos. I'm not sure if I've ever seen one. Thanks for the introduction to the books.

Adriana said...

I have loved following your Texas lessons. I am sure as Texans we should know about and read these books. This armadillo project is my favorite.

Jenny said...

I love these armadillos! So cute!

Trudie said...

What a great idea! Love it!

Susana said...

Their armadillo's are wonderful. I love the corrugated cardboard for this--what a great idea!

I still can't get over all of the detail C is able to put in his art projects.

That Jan Brett book looks like a real fun read.

melaniet42 said...

What neat armadillos - great idea!!

Unknown said...

I love the armadillo activities! I did a wild west theme earlier in the year and featured armadillos. In addition to "Armadillo Rodeo", we also read "Armadilly Chili", "Armadillo Tattletale" and "How I Spent my Summer Vacation". A few more titles to add to your theme!

Susana said...

I meant to say this the other day and forgot, that expression on C's face is hilarious!!

Unknown said...

What a great pick for your favorite! I NEED to remember the "Substitute Groundhog" book for Groundhog's Day- then we can make armadillos instead of groundhogs this year... :0)

Anonymous said...

I love the cardboard texture of the armadillo. I will have to remember this book.