Author Study: Ezra Jack Keats

With my second and third grade students, I led an author study of the inspirational Ezra Jack Keats. All of the children truly enjoyed reading Keats’ stories. We learned about his life and work, connected with Keats’ characters, created collages and stories, compared the book and the movie of The Snowy Day, and did various activities which helped us to understand more about Keats’ work.

One lesson that I was particularly proud of integrated literature, writing, art and music. After reading Apt. 3 (not one of the more well-known books, but one of my favorites), we talked about how music can create a mood. I shared three very different clips of music with them and we discussed how each made them feel. We made our own harmonicas using combs and wax paper and made music! The students wrote and drew about how their harmonica music would make others feel.

**To make a wax paper harmonica, use a small black comb and a piece of wax paper approximately 5" x 4". Fold the wax paper in half the long way and slip the comb in. Blow or buzz with your lips! It might take a bit of practice before it sounds just right.

After watching a documentary about Ezra Jack Keats, we learned that Keats uses moments and memories from his childhood in his stories. My students each had to think of a moment that was important to them. They described this moment in a word or a sentence (depending on what they were able to do) and then used various materials with different textures to create a collage showing this moment. I provided wallpaper scraps, paper, cotton balls, stickers, popsicle sticks, felt, newspaper and any other materials the students could think of. After the collage was completed, we began writing. Each student then created a fictional character to replace themselves in the story (we previously studied character traits) and let creativity and imagination guide in their story! Choosing a real memory helped some students who would otherwise struggle to be creative. In the end, our class had created some marvelous stories and beautiful collages which they were proud to share and display.

While reading Dreams, we discussed what each dream window could be. The students explained that they used the colors and the design of Keats' painting to determine what the dream was about. For example, one window with blue and white one student thought looked like a wave and told what else could be happening in this child's dream. Each student then painted their own dream window using watercolors on paper. I drew the shape of a window similar to that in the book. They wrote exactly what was in their dream window. The students did beautiful work!

As a teacher I love to read the work of Ezra Jack Keats with my students because they are drawn into his stories and able to empathize and connect with his characters. We read and discussed The Snowy Day, Peter’s Chair, Pet Show, Whistle for Willie, A Letter to Amy, Goggles and Apt. 3. There are many other books that he has written and illustrated. There is also a website through the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation which has information about Keats’ books and life, programs in New York, a “Kid’s Corner” with puzzles and animated stories, and much more. Since Keats was born and raised in Brooklyn, there are many programs in Brooklyn and Manhattan in the “Programs” tab of his website such as storytelling and family concerts. Please explore and enjoy his website!


Link to the Official Ezra Jack Keats website:
http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/