art with ms. y.

Here, students learn about the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin! We got to color her big sparkly eyes and her fun 1960’s earrings while listening to her amazing songs.

The story of Ms. Franklin includes hardship, as a black woman in the entertainment industry in the 1960s. It was difficult for strong, talented black women like her to be taken seriously and to get the respect that they deserve.

On their coloring sheets, there’s room at the top of the page to paste letters that spell out RESPECT. My students used magazines to search for the letters, cut them out, and paste them in order. This is especially great for kindergarteners who are learning their letters and how to put them in order. Another idea is to use alphabet stickers, and if a student can’t find a particular letter, they just write it in.

Students in grades K-8 will love hearing her powerful voice! I showed my kindergarteners a video of her singing “Natural Woman” for the Obamas in 2015 (Carole King, who wrote the song, was in the audience and was visibly excited).