A colorful banner featuring "The Smallest Spot of a Dot" book cover on the left, a green circle in the middle with "Creativity Task Cards" written on it, and a yellow circle on the right with the number "2" and "Second Grade" underneath, reminiscent of the whimsical style of *The Big Umbrella*.

Art Form: Visual Arts

 

Supplies Needed

The Smallest Spot of a Dot book

1 piece of blank paper

Pencil, crayons, markers, watercolor paint

Optional: Stickers, sequins, foam shapes, and glue

Vocabulary

Color - Light reflected by an object

Line - A continuous mark made on a surface by a moving point

Pattern - Something that happens or appears in a regular and repeated way

Symbol - An object, shape, sign, or character that represents something else (heart for love, clover for luck)

Characters - A person in a story or play, or an animal or object that has human qualities

Compare/Contrast - Determining how things or characters are alike or different

 

Instructions

1. After reading The Smallest Spot of a Dot, discuss what you think the "dot" represents. Discuss how the theme of the book focuses on how everyone has a unique "dot" that makes them special.

2. Talk about what makes you unique. Then, compare and contrast yourself to the characters in the story.

  • Talk about the ways that the characters are alike and different from you.
  • Discuss how just like the dots in the book, everyone’s uniqueness contributes to the beauty of the world.

3. Draw a large dot in the center of your paper. It will represent your "unique spot”.

4. Fill in your dot with patterns, colors, and symbols that represent your personality, interests, or background.

5. Use a variety of materials like markers, watercolors, and crayons. You can also embellish your dot with sequins or stickers!

 

Extensions

Encourage friends or members of your family to create a dot that represents them.

Compare and contrast your dots. How are they similar or different?

Cover of the book "The Smallest Spot of a Dot" by Linsey Davis and Michael Tyler, illustrated by Lucy Fleming. It features diverse children playing with colorful dots on a white background, reminiscent of notes in a joyful piece of music. The subtitle reads, "The Little Ways We're Different, The Big Ways We're The Same.
Download the complete Creativity Task Card Here

About

The REimagining and Accelerating Literacy through Arts Integration (REALAI) grant supports the literacy achievement of 3,200 students and 170 teachers, media specialists, and literacy coaches across six schools in Georgia and South Carolina.

In addition to professional learning for educators, this project contributes significantly to school library collections through the purchase of developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant books.

This grant also includes parent events to provide families with access to books and other content about how to support their child’s reading development.