Art and Literacy; Wild Animals

There are three children's books I love reading to my students.  After I finish reading each book, the students and I look more closely at the illustrations and discuss what each story was about.  Students then create an inspired piece of artwork using a variety of art materials; with being in multiple buildings I do not have the same supplies at each school so I often have to make adjustments to which materials the students use to create their art, but I have the materials captioned under each piece of artwork I've uploaded to this entry.  Each project tends to take two 45 minute class sessions. 

As always, once the students have completed their projects I display their artwork in the hallways.  I make a point of adding an image of the book cover and the brief book description beside their artwork too.  It's great to see, and always makes my day, when students stop in the hallway, point out their piece of artwork and then they begin explaining the story and the project.

With 2011 coming to an end, I smile and feel I am very blessed.  I ♥ being an Art Teacher; I work in the same community I was raised in, and although the state of education in Michigan is describe by many as 'frightening' at this time, I have patience and hope the state leaders who are implementing the reforms show they have the same standards as I do as an educator.  I will forever hold myself accountable to meeting the high standards I cemented are my responsibility as an educator to uphold because my students do come first and I do what ever I must to have the comfort of knowing I've done the best for every child (student), every day.  This is what children deserve; when critical resources are removed I don't believe others could ever have that comfort of knowing I do.

So again I say I am so very blessed to have been given the privileged to impact the children in the same hometown that shaped who I am.





Sylvie
Written and Illustrated by: Jennifer Sattler

Meet a flamingo of a different stripe!


“Mama, why are we pink?” asks an irrepressible and ever-curious young flamingo named Sylvie. When she learns that it’s due to the little pink brine shrimp they eat, Sylvie takes the maxim “You are what you eat!” to a whole new level.

2nd Grade - Tissue Paper, Marker

Her new diet leads to some very interesting new looks—from scarlet to stripey to positively purple! Like Leo Lionni’s chameleon in A Color of His Own, Sylvie eventually comes to learn that being yourself is the best thing to be—though with her own flair!

Shanti

Written by:

Maartje Padt

Illustrated by:

Mylo Freeman

3rd Grade - Sharpie Marker, Watercolor Paint, Crayon

Shanti feels scared and alone when she gets separated from the rest of the zebra herd.  She searches water hole and river, forest and savanna without seeing any sign of the others.  But Shanti won't be alone for long.  By the time the herd catches up with her, someone new and special has entered Shanti's world.  Vibrant batik paintings and lively rhythms in the tradition of African storytelling-plus a fold-out surprise-make Shanti a storybook safari.

The Wishing Stone

Written by: Steve Smallman

Illustrated by: Rebecca Elliott
 
Armadillo wants to have friends, but he is very shy. What happens when Mouse makes a wish? Will Armadillo keep pretending to be a stone?

2nd Grade: Crayon, Marker, Perspective

-GRich