Dioramas are projects that depict a scene. Most often, shoe boxes or similar sized boxes are used for the diorama and the dinosaur scene is depicted inside the box. Students can draw dinosaurs directly on the box or construct dinosaurs out of construction paper and place them into the shoe box. (Reference 1) Dinosaur dioramas also depict the landscapes and ecosystems that dinosaurs lived in. Dinosaur species lived on land, in the sky and in the water. Thus, dinosaur dioramas can be very creative and diverse.
Paper mache dinosaurs are a fun and interactive activity for second grade students. Paper mache is a blend of paper, usually newspaper, and glue. Students choose the specific dinosaur species they would like to create and then construct the dinosaur's body out of other materials such as paper towel rolls or aluminium foil. (Reference 2) Once the paper mache is applied and dries, students can paint and decorate their dinosaurs. Teachers can provide additional materials for students to decorate their dinosaurs such as pipe cleaners, plastic eyes, puffy paint or glitter. (Reference 2)
Creating dinosaur fossils assists students in understanding and visualizing how real dinosaur fossils are created. Dinosaur fossils can be created from broken up pieces of uncooked macaroni and potting soil. (Reference 3) Second grade students select the dinosaur species they want to create and then create the dinosaur's bone structure out of the macaroni pieces. Adding glue to potting soil makes it mold-able and also keeps the macaroni pieces into place. (Reference 3) Display dinosaur fossil projects in the classroom and have other students investigate and guess the appropriate dinosaur species.
Dinosaur terrariums realistically depict the ecosystems that dinosaurs inhabited. Students use glass containers like terrariums or aquariums, or empty glass jars. Second grade students add soil, plants, rocks and pebbles to depict the dinosaur's environment. Dinosaur figurines or small home-made dinosaur figures are then added to the terrarium. Dinosaur terrariums are an interactive hands-on activity for second grade students.