In chapter three of the book, "The Night of the Jack-O-Lantern", Ramona, Beezus, and their father create a jack-o-lantern that actually ends up being eaten by their cat, Picky Picky. Have your class design a jack-o-lantern, using construction paper. The finished pumpkins can be used to decorate the classroom, and if you'd like to make it a contest, students could carve their designs into a real pumpkin, and the winning pumpkin could be displayed for the entire school to see. Happy carving!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5839746/unit_activities_for_the_book_ramona_pg2.html?cat=4

After reading The legend of the Indian paintbrush, let students discover ways to use natural elements to make their own paints. Students can use their new paints to paint a picture of the sunset and compare it to the one in the book. Some natural elements that can be used are: dirt, berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.), black walnuts, lemons, onions, etc. For a more detailed description and DIY tips, see:

http://www.ehow.com/how_8196637_make-paints-like-native-americans.html

Action

Jackson

Jackson Pollack was an influential American artist whose trademark drip style painting made him a force to be recconed with in the world of abstract art. To help enhance the story, educators may choose to do a variety of art related activities with their students. For example,after reading the story, Action Jackson, provide students with paper, paints and various visuals of Pollack's work. Ask students to choose one painting they like and then create their own works inspired by it. Also, provide students with background information about Pollack as well as provide many different visuals of his paintings. By doing so, you ultimately enhance their art schema.

The book features stories that may be above the children's grade level when it comes to reading independently but this isn't reading its art. First I would read a few of the selections to the students, using my smartboard and computer to show illustrations that tie into each story. In my case I used my DOC. Camera to show the actual book illustrations in addition to other work found on google. Next, provide the students with various colors of cardstock paper, markers, crayons, pencils, etc. Allow the students to recreate some of the main scences from each story. Once completed the art work can be displayed in the class or on a hallway bulletin board. The lesson could be extended by allowing the students to dictate a caption.

This website had some good ideas for art in class: http://www.deepspacesparkle.com/

Grades

1-4

http://brianpinkney.net/main.html

Ezra Jack Keats often combined patterned papers and cloths with paints to make striking illustrations. Look at the illustrations with your students. Can your student pick out the parts that are paper, cloth, paint? Did the artist use only paint brushes with the paints? Have your students attempt to create a picture using the same techniques. This website gives instructions on how to reproduce an collage similar to his illustrations:

http://www.brightring.com/jackkeats.html

As adults, there are many instances where we do not think of the effects our actions may have on the children around us. When children are placed in such situations, their resilience and strength shine through. In his book, Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad, Rumford tells the story of Ali. Ali, who lives in Baghdad, is a young boy who loves soccer, music and practicing calligraphy. As the story progresses and war is upon Baghdad, Ali uses his love of calligraphy to help divert his attentions away from the bombings. Educators can use this story as a means to introduce students to the penmanship of other cultures. To develop student schema, one might show or display examples of Arabic calligraphy as examples. Discuss the area from which this style of lettering originates and possibly how it is performed. Lastly, encourage students to create their own examples of Arabic writing. Two resourceful websites containing valuable information regarding the Arabic culture and calligraphy are as follows:

http://www.islamicplayground.com/Scripts/default.asp

http://www.islamic-games.co.uk/arabic-letters-and-numbers-calligraphy-handwriting-practice-islamic-online-flash-game-by-happy-books.php

Lesley Whitaker

American Tall Tales is a wonderful book to use for the “story box” activity. Creating a "story box" is a great cumulating activity for intermediate students to create when finished with a book. For this activity students will recreate their favorite scene from the book Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osbourne. To create a "story box" students need s shoe box and art materials for building their scene. Students can use clay, construction paper, sticks, markers, ect. This is a very fun activity for in class and also for students and families to do at home. To incorporate writing into this activity students can write the book, author, and why they chose that specific scene on an index card to be placed in front of their "story box."

Witness is an excellent book of poetry by Hesse in which she describes the true horrors of prejudice and discrimination in American during the 1920s. The book can be an eye opening experience to students who are beginning to study the Civil Rights Movement and who the extremist groups began to reemerge in the United States. Often when we talk to adolescence about such topics like prejudice and discrimination they sometimes struggle to find the words that actually describe the actions. A great way to enhance their understanding of these abstract concepts would be to coordinate with the art teacher during a study of the book and have the students create specific scenes for the book. Another way students could display their understanding of the emotions of the period would be to have them simply create a drawing called "Discrimination" or "Prejudice." I think it could be intriguing to see how their verbal definitions of abstract ideas differed or were similar to their artistic versions of these words.

This book contains 20 poems that are geared to children written by famous poets such as Keats, Whitman, and Shakespeare. Each poem is about a different insect and is gorgeously illustrated by Demi using a collage of paints and paper embellished with gold. Show the students the illustrations and read the accompanying poem. Students will choose another insect not mentioned to create a collage using different papers and write a short poem.

Students could make an online collage using this very cool website from the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

http://www.nga.gov/kids/

This traditional Native American Cinderella tale is another version of this classic fairy tale. Students can use this story along with the traditional story to create their own version of the story using only pictures, essentially creating their own books. Students can use watercolors or pastels for the activity. The paintings in this story are beautiful, and can mainly tell the story on their own. Students will draw their own version of the story to retell to someone using only pictures.

Yardell, S

Wong, J

This book could easily be used in an art class when discussing or introducing pottery to students. After reading this book to students, encourage students to use clay, possibly red art clay possibly to get similar patina, to create their own pots, or other vessel and decorate them in Dave's fashion. Allow them to dry either in an oven or kiln.

Great website-http://www.davetheslave.org

I chose the picture book, "Baby Bear, Baby Bear What do you see?" because of the unique illustrations. This book would be wonderful to use for an Art lesson. Before class you would need to cut animal shapes out that are in Eric Carle's book. Also prepare an example to show the class.

I would begin the lesson by reading the book. Then as a class we would talk about the illustrations in the book. How do we think he made the pictures ?, How did he create the colors or the interesting texture?

Then I would explain that his illustrations were created with tissue paper and glue. I would demonstrate how you dip the tissue paper in water and glue. Then show them how to place it on the animal shape.

Finally, the students will be able to create their own Eric Carle illustrations.

Jennifer Camp

bell

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is an exceptionally beautiful book with page after page of exquisite pencil drawings as well as several pages of text expounding upon the story told in the pictures, instead of the other way around.  The following project could be used as culmination of practice in each drawing technique specified, including portraiture and figure, and/or as the Art component in collaboration with literature.  Its duration would be determined by the frequency and length of meeting times and skill level of students.  After reading and discussing the book and studying the drawings, create an autobiographical narrative picture book of no less than 15 pages in graphite pencil on 5x7” sheets of paper.  Use the cross-hatching technique for creating value depicting chiaroscuro, spatial perspective, drama, and emphasis.  Each drawing should cover an entire page.  Further the project by designing, finishing, and binding the books.

The Song and Dance Man

Objective: Students will utilize details from Jumanji to create their own board games.

Lauralee Samples

Elijah attends the circus with the Preacher and describes it as one of the most exciting nights of his life. The poster advertising the circus says, Sir Charles M. Vaughn and His World Renowned Carnival of Oddities. Complete a series of captioned illustrations of what Elijah sees at the circus.

If read with other children's literature book, students could use what they have learned about the Underground Railroad and the quilt patterns-- that they have learned helped slaves escape, to create a "quilt" with symbols that will lead the escaping slaves to Buxton.

Lauralee Samples

Collected by Zora Neale Hurston; 

Illustrated by Christopher Myers

This traditional literature picture book is a collection of lies that sound like the start of tall tales.  The tall tales are from African American culture.  It would be good to give students one of the stories in this book and have them create a longer tall tale from the one sentence prompt.  This book has great collage illustrations, so the teacher can show the illustrations, talk about the collage art form, and students can create their own collage to illustrate their longer tall tale.  Students can cut or rip paper and fabric to create collages that look like the illustrations in this book.

*Note:  Be careful when sharing this book with children, as certain pages have inappropriate words (such as hell and jackass).

You can also use this book as a study of African American art and culture, or the Harlem Renaissance, as Zora Neale Hurston was an important author from the Harlem Renaissance.

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story From China by Ed Young

Young, E. (1989). Lon Po Po. New York: Scholastic.

Recommended Grade Levels: Kindergarten – 5^th Grade

Summary: The story Lon Po Po is an excellent twist on the classic Little Red Riding Hoodtale. Three sisters, Shang, Tao, and Paotze are left home alone when their mother goes to visit their grandmother for her birthday. They are left home alone to fend for themselves when a wolf shows up, pretending to be their grandmother. Against their mother’s wishes not to let anyone into the house, they let the fake Po Po in. Once realizing that it was not their grandmother, they had to work together to outwit the wolf.

Activity: I did a little research on this book because the illustrations are absolutely fascinating. I found out that Ed Young, who wrote and illustrated this tale, used a combination of watercolors and pastels to create the illustrations. However, he also used a technique called ancient Chinese Panel Art.   

Here is a link where you can see this:  http://www.vickiblackwell.com/lit/images/panelpics.jpg

The pages in the book are divided into three sections: one large and two smaller. However the illustrations take up all three, so it is like it is divided up in to sections. In some of the illustrations with the wolf, you see what appears to be wolf eyes and teeth, but you can’t know for sure right away because there are gaps that you have to fill with our own imagination.

It would be neat to have students create their own Chinese Panel Art illustrations. They would simply have to cut with paper into three sections, one large and two smaller and then have them watercolor first a background. Then after it dries, use pastels to create illustrations that mirror those that Ed Young did in this story.

The following website has some great tips for doing this:

http://www.vickiblackwell.com/lit/lonpopo.html

They suggested even having the students do something like this in Kid Pix on the computer and then printing and cutting them to follow the style. 

This is a multicultural picture book about a little African American boy who discovers snow when he wakes up one day. He goes out into his city neighborhood to play. 

Ezra Jack Keats is known for use of collage throughout his books. After reading this book to students, they could discover the style of artwork used and then try to create a scene using collage. Younger students may benefit from having a scene pre-drawn for them. 

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses is a great book for children of all ages. Some people really connect with animals and this girl felt that she belonged with the wild horses. She even gets lost and separated from her family and lives with the horses. 

The books illustrator uses ink and water color for the pictures and they are beautiful. There are so many colors and details in the illustrations that must have been tedious. 

I would suggest reading the book to the students and then have them think about a place they would love to live, their ideal dwelling place. They could then use ink and watercolor paints to draw their picture. 

Henry's Freedom Box 

This anthology of poetry is intended to ease children’s fears about the night, making it a topic which almost every child can relate to in his or her life. One lesson activity idea would be to read each poem and ask students to choose their favorite poem. Then, as a whole group the class could brainstorm a list of words that give a feeling from the poems they read.  The teacher could begin by choosing his or her favorite poem from the book and modeling the act of identifying the feeling words and starting the brainstorm list.  Then, give each child a copy of his or her chosen poem, without an illustration. Students will continue to add feeling words from their poems to the list. Next, the class could talk about warm and cool colors that would match the feeling words, for example using red for being angry or blue for being sad. Then, ask students to illustrate his or her poem using colors that match the feeling word(s) identified for his or her individual poem. The teacher and/or students could choose the media (i.e. paint, crayons, chalk). The next step would be to use rubber stamps or ask students to cut large letters from newspapers and magazines to spell the feeling word they identified for their individual poems and glue/stamp the word on their illustrations.  The teacher could also integrate technology by asking the students to practice the poems with repeated readings and then record each student reading his or her poem. Last, the class could create a Microsoft PhotoStory, where the class publishes their works in a still shot (taking pictures or scanning the illustrations), movie format.  Using PhotoStory would allow the illustration to be shown while hearing the child’s recording. Please see the resources below to use with this activity.

http://www.artsconnected.org/toolkit/watch_color_warm.cfm - Interactive activity about warm and cool colors

http://microsoft-photo-story.en.softonic.com/ - Free download for Microsoft PhotoStory

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKzPA1Hv_k8&feature=youtu.be – Example of PhotoStory used for this purpose; however this example does not include a focus on feeling words or their color equivalents.

Robin Hancock 

After reading Red Sings from Treetops a year in colors, students would be given the task of creating color poems for a color they pick. These poems are going to reflect emotions and the 5 senses. The poems don't have to rhyme, but can include metaphores.  The concept being taught is Sense Imagery. For example, if a student picks red they could write:

Feeling- My cheecks were as red as apples when I read out loud in class

Seeing- I see the red sunset in the summer sky.

Hearing- I hear the siren of the big red fire truck.

Tasting - I taste the hot red pepper in my salsa.

Students will share with a student who has a different color poem after they are finished. You can put the poems together into a class color poetry book.

The website below is from readwritethink.com and gives lesson plans on poetry and also a lesson on writing sense imagery poems.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/color-poems-using-five-375.html

This is a book full of poems that focus soley on autumn.  These poems cover everything there is during the fall season, from apples to pumpkins and then of course Thanksgiving. 

An art activitiy to do in class would be: give each student a piece of white paper and either the student or the teacher trace both hands.  The student is then to decorate the hands as though they are leaves hanging on a tree during the fall.  The leaves can be decorated with watercolors, crayons, markers, glitter, etc.  On the back of each hand, have the students write something that they are thankful for.  The teacher then hangs the hands on a bulletin board where a tree trunk was created.  As the fall season goes on, the students will be allowed to move the hands from the branches to the ground (which will still be posted).  Teaching them about the change in weather and seasons.  By the time Thanksgiving comes around the students will get their hands, which will show a bare tree.  Winter is coming, and then later can be decorated with snowflakes.  Each student is to share with the classroom what they are thankful for, reminding them what is important.