Dr. Suess' Lorax and Truffula Trees

1st graders learned about the Lorax and the need to save nature and the Truffula Trees in Dr. Suess' Lorax. I wanted to read the whole book, but, it was very long for one art class to focus, and then to have them refocus on the project, that wasn't super easy in the first place. So I thought of another route. I showed them the book and some illustrations, and then showed a clip that summerized the book and movie. How convenient that the movie was coming out. The students were already excited. I explained the movie was based on the book and carried the same concept of how we need to put greed aside and care about nature and take care of our trees. I actually got this idea from http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/search?q=truffula . How neato!!! I had to do it with my students. I tweaked it a bit, but this is an accurate tutorial.

Students got to pick from the Truffula tree colors: cotton candy pink, bright yellow, bright orange and purple. I had these colors of yarn to make the trees at different tables. I also had fine bristle brushes (from the Dollar General store), 3x4" pieces of cardboard, and scissors. Follow the tutorial in the link listed above.

When students were finished fluffing their Truffula tree, they went to the trunk station. I have bright colored straws to choose 1 for a trunk. Then I had permanent black markers to make Dr. Suess' signature style zig zags as seen in the illustrations in the book. Students then came to Miss Oetken at the hot glue gun station, where I glued their Truffula tree top onto the trunk. Then they went to the last station, the Lorax station to get a copy, color it in with colored pencil , cut out, and use a piece of scotch tape to tape it on top so it looked like the Lorax was holding onto the tree. The students LOVED them. 

Some even  made more art based on the book! I left the book out to look at and read when they were finished. Lots of them were very interested in the story!