NYS Education Department’s Visual
Arts Standard 1 states: Students
create artworks in which they use and evaluate different kinds
of mediums, themes, symbols, metaphors and images.
NYS Education Department’s English
Language Arts Standard 2 states: Students
will write pieces in a variety of literary forms, correctly
using the conventions of the genre and using structure and
vocabulary to achieve an effect.
It was felt that making picture books with
definite rubrics and guidelines would give students new ways of
thinking, approaching, and articulating not only their academic
subjects, but also their sense of self, purpose, and
aspirations for the future.
The course is designed to allow each
student to find his or her own best methods of working.
The activities in each lesson give students tools for
exploring their own knowledge and experience, acquiring new
expertise, and constructing their own story. It is a 10
week curriculum, with each week having a specific theme and
tasks that take the students step-by-step toward the creation
of their books.
