Coiled Cobra, Ready to Strike!
Do snakes frighten you? Discover more about the life of a king cobra. For what is it really hunting?
1. This is one way to make a realistic scene with a king cobra ready for action. Research details about these snakes’ diet, habitat, and anatomy. Use your knowledge and creativity to make a replica of the animal in its natural surroundings. This is one way to sculpt the science project. To store sections of your project and any remaining compound between sessions, keep them in a resealable plastic storage container.
2. Cover an empty, dry, plastic water bottle with Crayola Model Magic® Fusion™ Earthtone compound. A thin cover pressed on with your fingertips will look just like a tree trunk. Press some Alien Skin Green Fusion compound on the bottom of the bottle to make a grass base for your tree.
3. Coil chenille stems into a spiral at one end. Press Alien Skin Green Fusion on the spiral to form leaves. Use a craft stick to make veins in the leaves.
4. Twist several chenille stems together to make an armature for your cobra. Mix Yellow and Terra Cotta Fusion compound together to make a realistic cobra color. Cover the armature for the snake’s body. Form a ball on one end for the snake’s head.
5. Complete the cobra with realistic details. Add eyes. Shape white fangs at the top of the mouth. Pinch Fusion compound around the head to create the cobra’s neck ribs that form a hood when it’s ready to attack. Add snakeskin texture with small Earthtone Fusion pieces. Make a separate section for the bottom of the snake’s mouth. Add a red tongue and more fangs. Press into place.
6. To assemble your science display, wrap the snake around tree trunk and press them together. Place the chenille stem leaves into the open top of the bottle. Model Magic® Fusion™ dries to the touch overnight and dries completely in 2 to 3 days.
7. Your cobra is ready to hunt for its prey—or display as part of a science exhibit.
Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.
Crayola Modeling Materials including Crayola Model Magic®, and Model Magic Fusion™, Crayola Air-Dry Clay, and Crayola Dough—
- Keep away from open flames. Do not use to make candleholders, hot plates, trivets, or other similar objects that will be used or placed near fire and other heat sources.
- Do not put in an oven, microwave, or kiln.
- Do not make into vessels/containers that will hold unpackaged food.
- The use of modeling material to make items that look like food is discouraged for children younger than age 5 to avoid their confusion with real food.
- Unless sealed with a water-resistant glaze, do not make projects exposed to or immersed in water, such as boats or outdoor bird feeders. They would disintegrate when exposed to moisture.
- Crayola Dough—contains gluten (wheat flour) as an ingredient.
- Crayola Air-Dry Clay, Crayola Model Magic and Model Magic Fusion are gluten-free. However, they are produced on the same machinery as Crayola Dough which does contain gluten. Although the machines are cleaned prior to the start of each production run, there is a slight possibility that trace amounts of gluten from Crayola Dough may be present in the other modeling compound products. For information regarding specific ingredients or allergic concerns, please call our Consumer Affairs department at 1-800-272-9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Standard Time.
Modeling Tools—Use the least dangerous point or edge sufficient to do the job. For example, craft sticks, plastic knives and forks, and cookie cutters can cut or carve modeling materials.
Wood—By its nature, wood is rough and may contain splinters or sharp points
- Are cobras really charmed by music as often portrayed in cartoons? Research to find out.
- Identify the areas of the world where cobras live. Locate them on a world map.
- Make a chart showing types of venomous snakes from smallest to largest.
- Assessment: Have students researched king cobras to retrieve sufficient information? Are replicas accurate representations of cobras and their habitats? Do they contain realistic details?
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