Kari Johnson, Sayre Public Schools fifth grade literature teacher, saw an opportunity to excite her students about their upcoming book reports. She seized the moment.
“I wanted to do something different,” Johnson explained. “Turning the book report to a full art show like you would see in a gallery or museum seemed like a way for the students to turn on their creativity and really give thought into what they took away from their books.”
John said the students had been working on this first-of-its-kind project approximately nine weeks ago.
“The kids have really worked hard on this and poured themselves into it,” she exclaimed. Johnson teaches 42 students, each of whom were able to pick their own books. Just as the library opens children up to a world of possibilities, the young Eagle scholars had the globe at their fingertips and a unique opportunity to teach what they learned to their peers, parents, and grandparents.
“We don’t actually have art class, so I saw that as a bonus to this. I have never done book reports this way, so I believe this experience will also stick with the students for most their lives. They also got to explore art in ways they haven’t. They were allowed to do just about anything — 2D, 3D, paintings, symbolism.
They also wrote a summary and explained the importance of the art they created to the book they read. Parents and grandparents were invited,” Johnson stated.
The art show was held at 8:30 am last Friday.
“I got great feedback from the adults,” Johnson smiled. “It seemed like everyone liked it. The students were able to work on this at home and in class, so they had lots of access to supplies.”
