What’s Your Story? Improving Literacy through the Book Arts
Coach: Catherine Tanner, John J. Pershing East Magnet School Adaptable for grade levels: K-8 Key Subject Area(s): Language Arts Also incorporates: Art, Music, Drama; Science; Social Studies; Technology; Interdisciplinary
Study Group Teaching Method Description:
Stimulate your students’ desire to learn and reinforce crucial literacy skills through the Book Arts. Through this project, students will create a variety of books associated with different genres, which will help improve their written communication skills and their understanding of literary genres. Of course, the students also happen to have a fantastic time while learning throughout this project!
The integration of visual arts into the language arts curriculum motivates students and addresses common learning styles. This teaching method uses the Book Arts to reinforce literacy and provides an integrated lesson of creativity, academic relevance, and artistic expression that additionally addresses verbal and visual literacy skills. The interdependency of literacy and visual communication is the most powerful force of emotional and intellectual development available, and is a way to reinforce student understanding of literary genres, written communication, and visual arts.
Illinois State Standards and Benchmarks:
Language Arts Goal 1: Read with understanding and fluency Language Arts Goal 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes Fine Arts Goal 26: Through creating and performing, understand how works of art are produced Fine Arts Goal 27: Understand the role of the arts in civilizations, past and present
About the Coach:
Catherine Tanner currently teaches K-3 Fine Arts and Science at Pershing East Magnet School. Catherine holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and an impressive three masters degrees. A Nationally Board Certified teacher, Catherine has a number of leadership experiences that include leading professional development workshops, mentoring NBCT candidates, serving as a Field Museum Ambassador, and four prior years of leading a CFE Study Group. A multiple grant winner, Catherine has won grants from CFE, Donors Choose, Oppenheimer Teacher Incentive Grants, Target, BP A+ for Energy, and two large grants to design hands-on teacher workshops combining Science and the Humanities. She has been working on this Study Group Teaching Method since participating in the Illinois Arts Council Artist in Residence Book Arts program five years ago.
Meeting Times:
The Study Group meeting schedules are determined together at the Study Group Program Kick-Off Dinner on Thursday, June 4, 2009.
