Daedal Doodle isn’t just an ABC book; it is also the basis for a dictionary curriculum that helps children develop literacy skills such as reading, writing and vocabulary acquisition. Students learn new words by reading through the dictionary, and then depict visual narratives for those new words–integrating a form of learning that enhances creativity and reinforces word meaning memory and recognition.
With arts funding reduced to less than $2 per student in many school districts across the country, it is important to identify well-designed, cost-effective arts education programs. The Daedal Doodle dictionary curriculum requires only a dictionary, a pencil, sheet of paper and unlimited imagination.
Why a Curriculum For Arts Integration?
Arts Integration: Instruction that integrates content and skills from the arts with other core subjects to increase knowledge in both areas – Education Week
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Lesson One: Introduction to Illustration
In this lesson, students will learn what “to Illustrate” means in both literature and the visual arts. They will be shown a number of illustrations where they will be asked to identify mood, character, setting, etc. They will also write illustrative sentences or paragraphs inspired by presented illustrations.
Purchase: Lesson 1 plans for grades 6-8
Purchase: Lesson 1 plans for grades 9-12
Lesson Two: The Art of Victor Stabin
In this lesson, students will be introduced to the work of painter and illustrator Victor Stabin. They will work with Victor’s Daedal Doodle book and flashcards to determine meanings of words through alliterations and narrative sentences.
Purchase: Lesson 2 plans for grades 6-8
Purchase: Lesson 2 plans for grades 9-12
Lesson Three: From A to Z – Dictionary Research
In this lesson, students will learn about Victor Stabin’s creative process in creating Daedal Doodle. They will take the first step in the process by doing dictionary research to create a list of words from which they will choose to create alliterations.
Purchase: Lesson 3 plans for grades 6-8
Purchase: Lesson 3 plans for grades 9-12
Lesson Four: The Thumbnail Sketch
In this lesson, students will start the illustration process by creating thumbnail sketches for their top three alliterations they created from their word lists.
Purchase: Lesson 4 plans for grades 6-8
Purchase: Lesson 4 plans for grades 9-12
Lesson Five: The Finishing Touch- Developing Your Drawing
In this lesson, students will develop one of their thumb nail sketches and take it to a finished drawing.
Purchase: Lesson 5 plans for grades 6-8
Purchase: Lesson 5 Plans for grades 9-12
Lesson Six: Creating a Narrative for Your Illustration
In this lesson, students will create a narrative sentence or paragraph that utilizes their alliteration and describes their illustration. They will also participate in a class critique of the completed work.
Purchase: Lesson 6 plans for grades 6-8
Purchase: Lesson 6 plans for grades 9-12
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
- The High School of Art and Design, New York, NY
- School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
- Panther Valley School District, Lansford, PA
- Crayola, Easton, PA
- Carbon Career and Technical Institute, Jim Thorpe, PA
- Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley, Allentown, PA
- Tamaqua Area School District, Tamaqua, PA
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
- The High School of Art and Design, New York, NY
- Nightingale-Bamford School, New York, NY
- Saucon Valley Middle School, Hellertown, PA
- SHINE After School Program, Carbon County, PA