Mr. Bones Imagine and Observation



imaginary

human skeleton

This is a wonderful two part art project for 2nd grade. It  introduces the human skeleton, body proportion, and builds on imagination by using observation skills.
Part I imagine a human skeleton. Discuss where you "find" skeletons, review the basic body parts (I like to use the song head and shoulders knees and toes). Give the students a limited time to draw their very own imaginary human skeleton using pencil and pre-cut white paper. Remind artists that no two imaginary skeletons will look alike.

Part II using handouts, table images and a large skeleton model (we call ours Mr. Bones) explore the bones of the human skeleton. How many bones do adults have compared to babies. Give students black pre-cut construction paper and white color pencils or crayons. Using a simplified direct drawing approach draw the entire skeleton together. Remind students about body proportion (hands in relation to hips...) proper names for bones and how the skeleton works.

This project can be expanded to challenge many grades. Display both drawings together and compare and contrast the imagined Mr. Bones with the observed Mr. Bones.