Activity Guide for Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

Look

• Look at To Be or Not to Be Free. Notice how Faith Ringgold uses words to frame the art work. What is going on in the picture? What colors did she use to create the trees? The people?
• Look at the cover for Tar Beach, and the pictures in the video. Notice the colors, patterns and details in the pictures. What words would you use to describe the pictures?

Think

• How does flying make Cassie feel? What can she do when she flies?
• If you could fly, would you teach your younger brother or sister to fly too?
• Is there a place you love like Cassie loves Tar Beach and the George Washington Bridge?
• Think about how Cassie feels about her family.
• What does Cassie want to do to help her family?
• What would you do to help your family?
• How did Faith Ringgold work on her art?

Imagine

• Imagine yourself flying.
• Where would you go?
• What would you see?
• Who would you invite to come with you?
• What good things could you do because you can fly?

Make

• Make a picture of yourself flying. You could also make a little book with several pictures like Faith Ringgold.
• Get a piece of paper, a pencil, some markers or colored pencils
• Take your time! Work for quality, not quickness.
• Take a break if you get tired!  Faith Ringgold worked on her artworks more than onceJ
• Start with pencil.
  • Start with light lines — it’s ok to be sketchy at first!
  • Is it day or night? What kind of weather is it?
  • Where are you?
  • What do you see from far above?
  • Is anyone with you?
  • Include as many details as you can! And patterns like Faith Ringgold uses in her artwork.
  • Sometimes Faith Ringgold includes as border as part of her artwork. Is that something you might include in your drawing?
• Once you have your pencil drawing, add color with markers or colored pencils.
  • Think about adding patterns like Faith Ringgold uses in the artworks in Tar Beach.
    • Think about shapes within shapes within shapes.
  • Think about how the colors work together.
    • Explore how colors contrast each other.
      • Sometimes it’s nice to put two light colors together
      • Sometimes it’s nice to put two dark colors together.
      • Sometimes it’s nice to put a dark color next to a light color.

Write

• Tell the story of your artwork.
  • How does it feel to fly?
  • Why are you flying? Are you on a mission? What is your mission?
  • Who else is in your story?
    • What will you do together?
  • What will you do when you are done flying?
• You could write you story on
  • a separate piece of paper
  • in a small book
  • around the border of your artwork
  • at the bottom or top of your artwork.

Credits

Tar Beach:

• NPR
• Teaching Books