First graders in Camille Jumarang-Oyola and Alexa Alifonso's classroom recently read Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt, a story of how Vincent Van Gogh struggled to gain respect and recognition as an artist during his time. As the teachers describe, the story facilitated the class's discussion about acceptance of difference, community responsibility and the importance of one’s opinion as an artist.

Inspired by Van Gogh’s work, students created still-life drawings of sunflowers using oil pastels, with the option of doing an observational drawing of the sunflower in the vase or a close-up to show a different level of detail. This activity helped children balance their artistic styles with scientific accuracy and facilitated an appreciation of different perspectives.