Hello all! I posted my book on the bookshelf and wrote a long, rambling intro there. Not a lot of people go to the bookshelf, though, so I'm putting it here, too.
Why am I sharing this book? Well, I wrote it, so of course I think it’s awesome and want to share it with everyone.
Why did I write this book? Mostly because I wanted to use it to teach art, but it didn’t exist yet. I substitute teach, both in elementary and high school, and in one particular art class the teacher was teaching vocabulary. He was teaching the kids the words that they would use to describe a piece of art in detail, words like warm colors, thick lines, rough texture, or high contrast. He had different art for each describing word, but was using the same art for each grade. When I subbed in his classes, I saw that the littlest kids weren’t as interested or focused as the older kids. I wanted to teach them the vocabulary they needed in a way that was accessible for kindergarteners and first graders. The basic story is that the zookeeper is going on vacation, but the animals don’t want to be left behind. The zookeeper offers to take the zoo animals to their habitats to visit their families. I fit the art vocabulary in by choosing a different artist for each picture, so each of the animals is in an art style that matches their habitat. For instance, the giraffe and their habitat is worked in clay. The text over the grouping of all the animals says: “These colors are bright, too,” said the fox. “Look at the rough texture,” said the panda. “That’s my home!” Who said that? Then the students have to figure out which of the animals in the group also has bright colors and a rough texture. The kids can match the images during the story and then do the sample art activities at the end.
But, because I’m a bit extra, I added some superfluous stuff. If you need to teach science with your art, you can focus on the habitats. There is a map of the earth that shows the path the zoo animals take around the globe. (Geography, anyone?) And the animals take a different form of transportation to get to each location just because vehicles are cool.
The Zookeeper's Vacation: A Picture Book of Art Vocabulary Why should you read this book? See the first question-it’s awesome. Also, the digital version is available on Kindle Unlimited, so it’s free to read. A benefit of the digital version is that teachers can project the images to the entire class and everyone will be able to see. If you do decide to read it, I would love a review, even if it’s just a star rating. And if you (or your kids) have any questions, let me know! :) Thanks for reading this ridiculously long message.
Why am I sharing this book? Well, I wrote it, so of course I think it’s awesome and want to share it with everyone.
Why did I write this book? Mostly because I wanted to use it to teach art, but it didn’t exist yet.
I substitute teach, both in elementary and high school, and in one particular art class the teacher was teaching vocabulary. He was teaching the kids the words that they would use to describe a piece of art in detail, words like warm colors, thick lines, rough texture, or high contrast. He had different art for each describing word, but was using the same art for each grade. When I subbed in his classes, I saw that the littlest kids weren’t as interested or focused as the older kids. I wanted to teach them the vocabulary they needed in a way that was accessible for kindergarteners and first graders.
The basic story is that the zookeeper is going on vacation, but the animals don’t want to be left behind. The zookeeper offers to take the zoo animals to their habitats to visit their families. I fit the art vocabulary in by choosing a different artist for each picture, so each of the animals is in an art style that matches their habitat. For instance, the giraffe and their habitat is worked in clay. The text over the grouping of all the animals says:
“These colors are bright, too,” said the fox.
“Look at the rough texture,” said the panda.
“That’s my home!”
Who said that?
Then the students have to figure out which of the animals in the group also has bright colors and a rough texture. The kids can match the images during the story and then do the sample art activities at the end.
But, because I’m a bit extra, I added some superfluous stuff. If you need to teach science with your art, you can focus on the habitats. There is a map of the earth that shows the path the zoo animals take around the globe. (Geography, anyone?) And the animals take a different form of transportation to get to each location just because vehicles are cool.
The Zookeeper's Vacation: A Picture Book of Art Vocabulary
Why should you read this book? See the first question-it’s awesome. Also, the digital version is available on Kindle Unlimited, so it’s free to read. A benefit of the digital version is that teachers can project the images to the entire class and everyone will be able to see.
If you do decide to read it, I would love a review, even if it’s just a star rating.
And if you (or your kids) have any questions, let me know! :)
Thanks for reading this ridiculously long message.