Draw Birthday Cards and More
From Kennedy Center: Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems · 2020

20 minK1st2nd3rdReading & Writing (ELA)
Summary
Episode 11 is a personal one: Mo makes a birthday card for his wife Cher (whose birthday is the next day) and draws an opera singer while practicing a traditional Dutch birthday song. He shows how everyday art -- a handmade card, a quick doodle -- can be a gift.
Viewer safety
All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
- Mo made art as a gift. Have you ever made something by hand for someone -- how did it feel to give it?
- What does an opera singer look like in a drawing? What lines or shapes would you use to show someone singing dramatically?
- Art can be private (a birthday card for one person) or public (a book for everyone). What's the difference in how you make each?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: dedication, audience, card, message.
Try it: Make a handmade card for someone real -- a classmate, a family member, the school librarian. Use at least one drawing and one written sentence.
