The Long Neck a Paper Plate Dinosaur
by Karen & Grace Morris
A Paper plate dinosaur can have a long neck. Is yours an Apatosaurus, a Diplodocus, or Brachiosaurus? There were several extinct creatures that had long necks. When I was looking at pictures, they looked pretty much the same. Some had long tails, others had shorter tails.
The group of dinosaurs with a long neck, a tiny head, a long tail, and four sturdy legs is called Sauropoda.
They were all plant eaters. They were also some of the largest animals that walked planet Earth. The Diplodocus has been compared to a suspension bridge. It has a long neck and tail with sturdy limbs.
Do you have young children in the house? Painting with a cotton ball would be fun for young children.
For this craft you will need;
- Two paper plates
- Paint
- Cotton balls
- Stapler
- Markers
Directions to Make a Paper Plate Dinosaur
Fold one paper plate in half.
On the second plate, cut the rim off. Cut the piece in half. Round the end of one of the pieces for the head and place the other end under the fold of the first paper plate.
(Our dinosaur does not only have a long neck, but is also skinny. He almost looks two-dimensional. Maybe he needs to eat more fattening food instead of green leaves.)
(In real life, fossils that have been found suggesting that these creatures weighted a lot. Some weighed 240 tons.)
For the tail cut the second piece about six and a half inches.
On one end, make a point for the tail and place the other end under the fold on the first plate.
(A Diplodocus had eighty bones in their tail. No one knows why they had such a long tail. It could have been used for defense, or it could have helped the dinosaur balance. Some scientists say that it was used as a whip to make a loud noise.)
Fold the center piece into fourths.
Cut out two leg pieces. Two of the legs are connected at the fold. Place on the rim of the folded plate. Staple the head, tail, and legs. Your dinosaur should stand.
(They had large weight-bearing limbs.)
With cotton balls, dab paint on your dinosaur. This will make a cool marbled green and white pattern.
When the paint is dry, you can play with your paper plate dinosaur. Make some trees so that your long neck will have something to eat.
