We are always looking for ways to draw out student's artistic abilities with an engaging activity that ties in to an upcoming event. The blog Teach Kids Art is quickly becoming one of our favorite sources! If you're looking for a Seuss-tastic activity for your upcoming Read Across America celebration, be sure to check out this idea featured by Cheryl over at Teach Kids Art.

Materials:

Instructions

Start the activity by gathering your class together to read There's a Wocket in My Pocket by Dr. Seuss. Before you begin to read, ask your students to pay attention to the recurring details the characters have in common (as well as the rhyming). Examples include: stripes, polka dots, crazy hair and skinny, long necks, arms and legs.

Once you've finished reading, direct your class through their drawings. Have them start by lightly drawing with a pencil a circle or oval just above the middle of the page in the center (make sure their pages are verticle), along with a larger circle or oval just underneath the middle of the page. Make sure you instruct them to leave some space between their circles before they begin.

Next, have students add 'fur' around the circles/ovals they just drew using zigzag lines. This, and all steps moving forward should be completed with a black marker. Then comes the addition of the features they heard about in the book - long, skinny neck, arms, legs, toes, etc. Be sure to tell students to stretch their creatures from the top of the page with the hair all the way to the bottom with the toes. And don't forget the extra details such as the stripes and the polka dots your read about! For an added embellishment and bit of whimsy, have students use wiggle eyes to complete the face.

Once the details have been completed, ask students to name their creation using a rhyme. Have them think about where their creature might be (the beach, the airport, at a football game) and use this location for the name. Examples Cheryl's students came up with: "The Peach at the Beach" and "A Zee in the Tree." Allow your students to be creative. It doesn't have to make perfect sense as long as they've used a rhyme!

Complete the pictures by filling in the background scenery details. The 'white' space should not longer exist when they're finished. Check out a few creations from Cheryl's class! Hanging these adorable pictures on a bulletin board or from the ceiling would make a SUPER CUTE display for Read Across America Day!