Painted Words/Spoken Memories written by Aliki Brandenberg

Painted Words/Spoken Memories
Aliki Brandenberg
620L

            The first half of the book describes Marianthe's transition to living in the US without knowing any English. Quickly her name becomes Mari. She learns to express herself through artwork to let her classmates know what she is feeling even if she can't rely to them. After a while she learns English well enough to talk to people, her artwork is celebrated in her class. The second half of the book is about what came before her time in the US, her family is from a country with a lot of strife, famine and crime. Her parents move to the US as refugees/immigrants.

Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards for Picture Book 1999

Learning Activity:
The students will read over the two halves of the book. They will compare the illustrations from Mari’s childhood in the United States with those of her in her homeland during the war.

Standards:
CCSS.ELA-L.RL.3.7 - Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)

Goal:
The students will read the story and be able to point out the different emotions and expressions Mari has between each half of the story.

Objective:
Cognitive –
            The students will read the story and compare images from the two settings in the story, the US and Bosnia.
            The students will write out 5 examples of how characters in each half look different from the other half of the story.
Affective –
            The students will write out how they believe the characters are feeling, comparing the US illustrations to the Bosnia ones.

Outcome:
The students will read the story and can find examples of different emotional expressions within the illustrations.