Cool Classics! uses classic books to connect children to a unified world of reading, art, culture and ideas. An award-winning journalist, who substitute teaches in the Chicago Public Schools, designedCool Classics! to mix pedagogy and play for small groups of elementary public school students in an after-school setting.
The program she created focuses on one classic book at a time and, in 20 to 25 sessions of varied activities, builds a universe of art, culture and thematic ideas around it. The children literally are led to experience how the text of a book opens up a whole world of creative imagination, sharpening the skills one needs for succeeding in the real world.
Each session begins with the reading of that book, followed by various activities that spiral back to the themes in the book. These may include exposure to artists and experts, projects, activities and field trips that create the multi-faceted Cool Classics! experience.
Cool Classics! uses classic books to connect children to a unified world of reading, art, culture and ideas. An award-winning journalist, who substitute teaches in the Chicago Public Schools, designed Cool Classics! to mix pedagogy and play for small groups of elementary public school students in an after-school setting.
