Program / Event Details

The Marvelous Magic of Ellen Armstrong

An Art and Literacy-Centered Workshop Introducing Little Known Black History and Collage Making

(Ages 6-12)

Students will use The Marvelous Magic of Ellen Armstrong as a read aloud and guiding text to create a collage of Black History facts and pictures on individual chalk boards in the spirit of Ellen’s 20^th century chalk talks.

Goals

1. Students will listen to a read aloud of The Marvelous Magic of Ellen

Armstrong.

2. Students will discuss the effects of Jim Crow laws and segregation on Black entertainers and society as a whole.

3. Students will create a collage of words, phrases, pictures, and Black

history facts on individual chalkboards.

Guiding Questions

1. What is a biography?

2. What is segregation?

3. What are Jim Crow laws?

4. Why do you think it was important for oppressed people to experience entertainment during this time period?

5. Why do you think the Celebrated Armstrongs chose to include Black history in their magic shows?

Vocabulary

biography, collage, Jim Crow laws, oppression, segregation