Magic Trash: LitART Black History Month

Magic Trash
This picture book biography of Tyree Guyton, an urban environmental artist, shows how he transformed his decaying, crime-ridden neighborhood into the Heidelberg Project, an interactive sculpture park. The story spans from Tyree’s childhood in 1950s Detroit to his early efforts to heal his community through art in the 1980s.

LitART Magic Trash Activity
Invite students to use painting and sculpture to transform their own spaces and places. First, find a place that could use a little love. It could be part of the school, a classroom, or a place in the neighborhood. Brainstorm ideas for painting or sculpting the way Tyree did to change how the place is perceived. Now, get the paint and get to work!

Feel free to download the LitART NOW sample teacher and student guides. Use the LitART reading, comprehension and vocabulary strategies to build student comprehension.

February is Black History Month. Books are a great way to introduce students of all ages to the contributions and achievements of Black Americans to our shared national history.

This month we will highlight books from the LitART Curriculum along with LitART teaching tips. Each selected title delivers a unique presentation of an event, person, or place essential for understanding black history.

Use this award-winning collection of graphic novels, poetry, biographies, magical realism, historical accounts, and contemporary realistic fiction as starting points to engage students into deeper explorations of the racial disparities and structural barriers that still exist for African Americans today.