Get Set up
1. Navigate to the CPS Virtual Library
2. Choose Guest to sign-in. Use cps as the username and cps as the password
3. Open this week's eBook "Maybe Something Beautiful"
Day 1
Video Read Aloud
Day 2
Murals Across the City
Videos:
- Pilsen Murals
- Keith Haring’s Chicago Mural (featuring CPS student artists)
- Jeff Zimmerman: Chicago’s Mural Artist
- Conocimos al creador de los murales del barrio Pilsen en Chicago
- Muralistas hispanos de Chicago | Chicago Hispanic Muralists
If you feel comfortable and safe doing so, as you travel around your own community with your child (such as on a trip to the grocery store, to the doctor, etc), prompt your child to notice any artwork and murals that they see around them. If you are able, take pictures of the murals and artwork that you find.
If you do not feel comfortable traveling around your community, you can use Google Maps Street View to “walk” around your neighborhood with your child, you may view the videos provided or check out the City of Chicago Mural Registry to see and learn about various murals and muralists working across the city of Chicago.
After you travel around your own community and/or view these videos, invite your child to recreate the artwork that they saw using any writing, drawing, or painting materials available!
Supplies needed:
- Blank Paper
- Writing, Drawing, and/or Painting Materials (Crayons, Markers, Colored Pencils, Paint, Paintbrushes)
- Optional: Devices to watch videos, access Google Maps, and/or take pictures
Murals Across the City English
Murals Across the City Spanish
Day 3
Making Murals
Invite your child to design and illustrate a mural for your neighborhood! Prompt your child to think about:
- Where would it be?
- What would be on it?
- How would people feel when they saw it?
Join your child in bringing their mural to life through drawing or painting on any paper, poster, or cardboard that you have available.
Supplies needed:
- Blank Paper
- Writing, Drawing, and/or Painting Materials (Crayons, Markers, Colored Pencils, Paint, Paintbrushes)
- Optional: Paint & Paint brushes
Making Murals English
Making Murals Spanish
Day 4
The Gift of Something Beautiful
Think of someone important to you, and draw and write something beautiful that you would like to give to them. Think about:
- The things that person likes to do
- Things that would make that person smile
- How you want to make that person feel
Deliver your artwork to your special person, or show them via video or phone!
Supplies needed:
- Blank Paper
- Writing, Drawing, and/or Painting Materials (Crayons, Markers, Colored Pencils, Paint, Paintbrushes)
- Optional: Device to take pictures
Day 5
Adding Something Beautiful
Throughout the story, Mira and members of her community join together to make their homes more beautiful. There are so many ways that we can do this in our own community- through mural-making, but also by keeping our communities clean, fostering community gardens, and by showing kindness to all of those around us. Discuss these various ways of making a place beautiful with your child, and ask them to tell you about how they want to help keep your community beautiful. Encourage them to use phonetic spelling to write about their plan, and, if you are able, to put this plan into action!
Supplies needed:
- Blank Paper
- Writing, Drawing, and/or Painting Materials (Crayons, Markers, Colored Pencils, Paint, Paintbrushes)
