In the book, the illustrations with the Truffala trees are bright and vividly colored while the pictures of the land after the Once-ler took all the trees are cool and dull. Provide students with paper and both bright and dull colored paints. Have them paint the world they would like to live in and the world they do not want to live in with each set of colors. Discuss with the children things they can do to help the environment and keep our world bright.
Have students make their own Truffala tree forest using classroom art supplies. Pipe cleaners, straws or popsicle sticks can be used to make the trunks of each tree and cotton balls can be colored or dyed to make the tree tufts. Allow students to make a forest of trees and glue them to a piece of poster board or construction paper. Staple a packet of seeds to each forest for students to take home and plant real seeds to remind them of the Truffala trees they created.
Put the book's lesson into action by cleaning a local park or part of the school. In addition to picking up litter and planting trees, paint a colorful mural of images from "The Lorax" to commemorate their clean-up day and leave a lasting gift to their school or community. Designate a teacher or older student to outline the mural and have younger students help paint in the outline, or permit students to paint their own sections with their own interpretations of the story.
Follow through with the lessons of "The Lorax" by making an art project that uses found or recycled materials instead of new art supplies. Use old milk jugs or cartons to create bird feeders or planters. Cut pictures from old newspapers and magazines for students to glue onto paper to make collages. Put out leftover odds and ends from other art projects and let students use their imaginations to make mixed media artwork.