How to Draw Desert Animals Direct Drawing Activity

This is the fourth set of How to Draw Animals with algorithms. Previously sets have featured forest animals and insects. This set explores how to draw desert animals. Those animals are the coyote, armadillo, and a scorpion. There are two versions of each animal’s drawing page. One page uses only pictures to walk step by step through drawing the animal. The second page displays pictures and words on the Blockly block algorithms.

Why Are Blockly Blocks Used to Display the Steps

There are a number of online coding programs that use Blockly Blocks to introduce children to coding. The blocks are used to build an algorithm or series of steps needed to complete a task. Learning how to build the steps offline gives children the opportunity to see how they work. It also helps them build an understanding of what different types of Blockly Blocks mean. You will find that this set features only standard function blocks. (I do have directed drawing pages that feature loop blocks.)

Building Background Through Reading

Reading children’s books is a great way to help children build background knowledge on a subject. The books below will help them learn more about the desert and the animals that live there.
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Getting the How to Draw Desert Animals Set

You can download the How to Draw Desert Animals with Directed Drawings and open it with Acrobat Reader. The set is a PDF and requires a program like Acrobat Reader to open it up. There are two versions of each set. You can decide which set is best for your children.

Ways to Explore This Set

There are several ways you can have your children work on a drawing page.

First, they can work on the drawing pages on their own.
Second, you can walk them through a few steps on the Blockly blocks. After doing a couple of the steps with them, they may be ready to do it on their own.
Third, you can work through the whole set of directions with them. You can draw each of the steps on a large whiteboard. It will make it easier for them to see what each step looks like.
Fourth, you can have them work in pairs. Each child can take turns drawing a section of the animal.