Content area
Full Text
Title and author of NCSS Notable Trade Book
McPhail, D. (2015), Beatrix Potter and Her Paint Box, New York, Henry Holt and Co.
National Council for the Social Studies Notable Trade Book for Young People (2016).
JLG Category – Genre: Nonfiction, Lexile Level: AD790L, Elementary Grades K-2, ISBN: 9780805091700 (Junior Library Guild, 2016).
The duration of the lesson is approximately 90 minutes: second grade.
Book summary
Little Beatrix Potter loved art. At an early age, she received her mother’s paint box. Beatrix Potter spent hours painting things she loved, like the animals she kept as pets. Her family traveled from their home in London to spend summers in the country. She loved it there. She spent her time painting her surroundings. When she was older she learned of a young boy who was ill, and confined to bed. So, she wrote him a story and drew illustrations for the story. This story was later published as her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Beatrix Potter went on to publish many other animal tales that became popular across the world and beloved for generations.
NCSS Theme
Individual development and identity
Social factors play a part in one's individual development and identity (NCSS, 2011). Beatrix Potter was born into an upper-class family in London on July 28, 1866. Upper-class parents hired others to care for their children such as nannies and tutors. Ms Potter and her brother were born five years apart, thus adults formed Beatrix Potter’s early life experiences. “Even as a little girl, Ms. Potter loved art […]. She spent may happy hours at her grandparents’ home, looking at the paintings on the walls” (McPhail, 2015). Beatrix Potter also loved to create paintings of animals. Later, she and her brother Bertram, who also loved to paint, would spend hours together painting pictures of their pets. Beatrix Potter’s family would travel to the country together each summer. She spent her summer days exploring her world by recreating it in her paintings. Beatrix Potter and Her Paint Box is a relatable story for primary grade learners. Learners will relate to Ms Potter's childhood experiences and how her identity was shaped by her interactions with family members, other adults, and time spent outdoors.