Make Your Own Diorama

You can make a diorama just like Azaleah’s! To get started, choose and research an animal. There are lots of resources you can use. You can visit a zoo in person, check out library books about your animal, or you can visit the Smithsonian National Zoo’s website.

Pay attention to your animal’s habitat. What kinds of plants grow there? Is it a wet habitat, a dry habitat, or somewhere in between? Are there mountains, rivers, or lakes? Does your animal like to live alone or with a group? What is its source of food? Next, think about what your animal looks like. Is it big or small? Is it furry or scaly?

Once you know all about your animal and its habitat, you’re ready to create a diorama. Be creative. You might have lots of things right at home to use for this project!

What You Need:

• medium-sized box (shoeboxes work well)
• paint
• plants (real ones from outside or fake ones from an art supply store) for your habitat
• paper, cardboard, or molding clay to make your animal
• liquid glue or a glue stick
• crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• any extra supplies (like string, tissue paper, rocks, or dirt) you have to make your diorama amazing
• lined paper

What to Do:

1. Paint the outside of your box or cover it with paper.
2. Begin making the inside of your box look like your animal’s habitat. You can start by painting the sky blue or the grass green.
3. Create or collect plants and other natural features for your habitat. Glue them into your box. Make sure all the things your animal needs to hide, eat, and survive are in the diorama.
4. Next, make your animal. You can draw and color it on paper or cardboard. Then, cut it out. You could also shape it out of molding clay. Paint it if needed.
5. Glue your animal into its habitat.
6. When you’re done, write a list of facts about your animal on lined paper. Attach it to the outside of your diorama, just like Azaleah.

Oh, and if you have a younger sibling, like Tiana, keep her or him away from your finished project!