HomeMy WebLinkAboutRead Aloud Book Gr. 2-Lesson 13What do you like to draw? A man named John J. Audubon loved to draw
birds. Maybe you have even seen some of his famous pictures!
John J. Audubon was born in 1785 in what is now called Haiti. When he was
a child, Audubon lived in France with his father. There he spent a lot of time
exploring the outdoors. Audubon loved collecting and drawing birds’ eggs,
nests, and other things he found in nature. When he was eighteen years old,
Audubon moved to the United States.
For a while, Audubon was put in charge of a farm that his father owned. But
even while he was working on the farm, he still loved to draw birds. Spending
time outside watching birds inspired Audubon. It made him want to draw even
more. Later, he realized that he had more talent for art than he did for running
the farm. So he went on a journey to explore and paint pictures of birds. His goal
was to publish his paintings. This way, many people would be able to buy them.
When Audubon painted, he used many of the same paints, colors, and
materials as other artists. But his techniques were different from those of other
artists. He didn’t work the same way they did. His studio where he painted
was the outdoors. He made his birds look as real as he could. Most artists
showed birds standing against blank backgrounds. Audubon showed birds
doing natural things, such as fl apping their wings or squawking at each other.
He showed birds in trees or bushes or against backgrounds that were just like
the outdoors. He even included small creatures like insects in order to make his
paintings look real.
In 1826, Audubon had an exhibition of his paintings in London, England.
Many people came to see his paintings. They loved them! Then Audubon found
an expert printer in London. The printer made prints, or copies, of Audubon’s
paintings. Finally Audubon had published his paintings. His collection of
pictures was called The Birds of America.
Today, Audubon’s paintings are in museums. People still enjoy looking at them.
Many people think of John J. Audubon as one of the greatest wildlife artists ever. In
addition to painting birds, Audubon gave his name to a group that works to protect
and preserve birds and their natural habitats. It is called the Audubon Society.
COMPREHENSION Which words in this passage help you understand
Audubon’s life as an artist? Do you think that Audubon’s work helps
people learn more about nature? Why or why not?
VWX
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Amelia loved to be on a stage. She usually performed in front of large crowds. She
could make people laugh out loud or sob quietly. She could even make them think
deep thoughts. Amelia always knew exactly how to say her lines. The audience loved
her, but only Amelia could hear their applause. Her audience was not real.
Amelia was very shy. She was too shy to act in front of people, so she would stand
alone on the stage and act for a pretend audience. Sometimes, she helped her
classmates who were getting ready to act in a play. She helped them practice their
dialogues, even using different character voices. She helped them remember when
to go onstage. But Amelia would not perform if she thought someone was watching.
Every day after school, Amelia would go to the auditorium early. She would
step onto the stage and act out the different roles in the play. She had memorized
the lines because she had practiced them so often with her friends. But one day
Amelia wasn’t alone. The drama teacher had come to practice early, too. He sat
at the back of the auditorium, where Amelia could not see him. Amelia acted out
a scene from the play. She made the drama teacher laugh out loud. She even
made him think deep thoughts. He thought she was quite a talented actor.
On the night of the play, the lead actress could not go onstage. She had a sore
throat and could only whisper. The drama teacher immediately thought of Amelia.
He went running up to her. “Can you act in the play tonight?” he asked. “I know
you’ll be great! I watched you onstage a few days ago.”
Amelia hesitated. At fi rst she was embarrassed that the teacher had seen her. But
he thought she was great! So fi nally, she said, “Yes!” It was a dramatic moment.
Amelia was very nervous as she stepped onstage. She saw the audience of
schoolmates, teachers, and parents. She took a deep breath and thought about all
the times she had acted for a pretend audience. “I can do this,” she said to herself.
And she did.
The audience loved her. When the play was over, the audience stood and clapped.
Some of them even shouted “Bravo!” to show her how much they liked her acting.
Afterward, one of Amelia’s friends asked for her autograph. “You’ll be a star
some day!” her friend said. It was a dream come true for Amelia.
COMPREHENSION What words tell you about actors and acting? Why do
you think Amelia decided to act in front of a real audience?
The School Play
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