Photocopy the beautiful blackbird template onto cardstock, cut out and use as a tracer for younger students.

If your strips are too long and hanging over the edge, flip paper over and trip the excess strips. Glue the sun and rectangles with a glue stick to the bottom of your paper. Trace a semi-circle with yellow paper and cut with scissors.Ĭut about 5 strips of long rectangles to make sun beams. 9″ x 12″ yellow sulphite paper (for optional background)Īfter reading and discussing Beautiful Blackbird by Ashley Bryan with your students, start by having the kids grab their sun templates (or paper plate) to make their sun.Add your name and email and we’ll send it straight to you! Here are a few of my other favorite picture books to read to your students for Black History Month.Ĭlick the yellow button below to DOWNLOAD the drawing handout for the Beautiful Blackbird template as well as this months February Freebie Pack. It’s a good exercise in fostering fine motor skills as the students cut out the template and plan for how to arrange all of their pieces to have a balanced work of art. Children learn about the world of artist Ashley Bryan and his book Beautiful Blackbird, while creating a composition emphasizing cutting, pasting, repetition, balance and contrast.

(Jan.This lesson is a wonderful addition to you Black History Month collection of lessons. Bryan clearly delights in taking on several animal voices, giving his snakes hissing 's's' and a slow-speaking, deep-voiced Tortoise, two examples of the reading's highlights.

Simple humor, sound effects, rhyming and wordplay give the proceedings a consistent air of fun. In 'Tortoise, Hare, and the Sweet Potatoes,' Tortoise tricks Hare out of some good food. On the title track, Blackbird appreciates inner beauty as well as pretty plumage. His enthusiasm and emphasis on certain passages will quickly captivate young listeners, and the selections here serve as a fine introduction to this genre of literature. Throughout, Bryan delivers words that bounce with the music and rhythm of poetry. This project capitalizes on all the author's storytelling strengths. Adapted from the picture book Beautiful BlackbirdĪnd the collection Ashley Bryan's African Tales, Uh Huh, Bryan gives a joyous performance of his work on this recording of some of his favorite African tales.

Ashley bryan beautiful blackbird