Panorama Dioramas - a DIGITAL
An application of using digital cameras
Dr. Terence Cavanaugh
University of North Florida
a basic part of many classes: science, math, social studies,
and art. Students need to make, display, and discuss
models. With this activity, teachers and students have
an additional option for modeling that incorporates
technology. MS Encarta Encyclopedia online defines a
diorama as being either a display case or a miniature replica
of scene. Students usually create dioramas to be
models, which provide an interpretation, example, or
simplified version that the students use as a
three-dimensional focus for a report or project. Classically,
in schools, students create the diorama using a variety of
household items, usually a shoebox, then adding a design or
collage into the background, and placing other objects within
the diorama to create its 3-D model effect.
content area standards can be met through the use of diorama
modeling, including geography, mathematics, science, social
studies, and art. For example the national geography
standard about the world in spatial terms, in
which students use geographic representations to process and
report information, could be accomplished through the use of
a diorama, while at the same time meeting the national
technology standard specifying that students use technology
tools to publish and interact with peers, experts and other
In this activity, students create
a 3-D model diorama using a panoramic image as the background. The front of the diorama is made of card stock
that may include information such as the title, a description
or other details about the project. The use of the panorama
as a background adds realism to the diorama and it improves
the students technological skill.
To complete this Panorama Diorama project you will need
(color is better)
students should use a digital camera that
takes panoramas and they should create their
own digital panoramas.
- Appropriate materials to sit within the diorama
that work with the printer
If you dont have all of these, try
experimenting with other materials.
With this format design a digital
photograph panorama becomes the background for the
diorama. Panorama photographs can be found on the web
or made with a digital camera. The panorama will be
printed out and that sheet will become the background of the
diorama. For extra effects an overhead sheet can be
printed to become part of the foreground of the diorama.
I have placed online some of the panoramas that I have
created that could be used to make the diorama background. Open
the panorama page.
Use your mouse to rotate the object above.
a word-processing program, change the page settings
to landscape format and a paper size of 8½ x 14
the digital panorama picture onto the blank
document. You may need to resize or crop out
some of the panorama to make it fit. Leave at least a
1 inch (3 cm) margin on all sides. You could
make a deeper diorama by putting the panorama
on two sheets, with half of the panorama on each
sheet. This method may be used if you dont have
any 8½ x 14 inch cardstock.
your 8½ x 14 inch cardstock in the printer, print
out the panorama. This sheet will become the
background for the diorama.
to the word processor and make a new blank
page. Change the page settings so that the
paper size is 8½ x 11 inches and the format is
the page settings to change the page margins to 1.5
inches (4 cm) on all sides.
insert a page border by choosing the Format menu and
selecting the Borders and Shading option. There
you will find a tab that allows you to add a simple
line border onto your page at the margins. You
can now add a 1 x 1 inch boxes centered at the top
and bottom of the page to act as tabs.
the header and footer of the page. In the
header write the title of the diorama and in the
footer write a summary that explains the diorama. You
might also add your name and any other pertinent
information you need.
this page on 8½ x 11 inch cardstock. This
sheet will become the foreground.
out the middle section of the foreground sheet by
cutting along the page borders. Do not cut off the
boxes or cut through the sides. Fold the box
a knife or scissors cut three semicircle curves into
the sides of the foreground. The curves should
arc toward the center of the page.
make the diorama more stable, tape or glue straws or
triangle shaped tubes made from the foreground scraps
onto the back of the foreground sheet near the top
and bottom of the page.
Assembling the Diorama
push back the curve cuts along one side of the
foreground and fit the background side edge into the
curves. Place a small piece of tape over the
curve to better hold the background in place.
the same with the other sides of the foreground and
up the diorama and place appropriate objects inside.
At times you might want your diorama to
have a specialized floor. This can be easily added with
just a few cuts and an extra sheet of 8½ x 11 inch
cardstock, cut or folded in half to become 8½ x 5½ inches.
To add a stage or floor to your
diorama then you will need to use scissors or a knife to cut
a line across the panorama background 1.5 inches from the
bottom and at least 2 inches from each side. Now
reassemble the diorama and slide in the 8½ x 5½ inches
sheet of cardstock through the cut in the background and over
the bottom tab of the foreground. Tape the tab onto the
stage sheet to hold in place.
You can use the other half of the
cardstock to make a ceiling for your diorama. A ceiling
can be used to hang objects so that they are suspended in
midair inside the diorama. Hang your objects with
invisible or dark thread that has one end pushed
up through the ceiling. Tape the thread onto the
ceiling to hold it in place.
For interactivity, you will need the
stage (see above), some thin wooden dowels, small button
magnets (2 for each object you want to move), and a glue gun
with cool melt glue sticks. You can make the diorama
interactive by adding small magnets on the bottom of objects
inside your diorama. Using a hole punch or scissors cut some
small holes in the bottom of the foreground. Glue small
magnets on thin wooden dowels (cool melt glue with glue guns
works very well) making sure that the side of the magnet that
attracts the other magnet is up. You can now feed the dowels
through the holes and then move the rods with the dowels
around to make objects in the diorama move.
You can add foreground images to your
diorama by printing out the images on an overhead
transparency sheet designed for your printer. With a
blank page on your word processor, change the page setup to
landscape orientation and all the page margins again to 1½
inches. Make sure that your objects are far enough from
the edges so that the foreground frame will not block them.
Insert the images that you want on the page and then print on
the overhead sheet. Glue or tape the overhead sheet onto the
back of the foreground. You will need to trim the sides of
the overhead sheet so that it does not block the curved tabs
that connect the foreground and background sheets.