The Morgan Library & Museum proudly presents the 2016–2017 Morgan Book Project Award Ceremony May 12, 2017.
In the News:
- The Morgan Book Project – NY1 (video)
- Teaching Children the Value of Pre-Web Pages — The New York Times
Visual Arts and ELA teachers collaborating
on the design and writing of their book.
The Morgan Book Project is a free program, in which the Morgan collaborates with New York City public school teachers to develop a unit of study designed to engage students in writing, illustrating, and building a book. The Morgan Book Project Award is the program's culminating event.
Applications are now being accepted for the 2022–2023 Morgan Book Project!
The program is reserved for 3rd-12th grade teachers from New York City public schools.
Teachers must apply as team including: One Visual Arts Teacher and one Social Studies, Language Arts, or Classroom Teacher. The Morgan will provide a limited number of certified teaching artists at no charge to participating Title 1 schools that do not have a visual arts teacher. For more information regarding obtaining a teaching artist for the Morgan Book Project, please visit this page.
Teachers are encouraged to apply early. Please see below for more information on the application deadline and process.
THE PROGRAM
The Morgan Book Project follows an eight-month timeline:
School Year 2022–23 Timeline:
The Summer Institute for Teachers (all grade levels): August 8–12, 2022
Technical Support Meeting: December 8, 2022, 4–6pm
Class Project: October 2022 through March 2023
Deadline for book submission to jury: March 24, 2023
Morgan Book Project Award Ceremony: May, 2023
Illuminating the Classroom Exhibition: May–June 2023
THE BOOKS
The books are created with professional grade paper and binding material which, is supplied by the Morgan at no cost for New York City Public Schools. The students make their own paint by grinding traditional pigment sources such as malachite, saffron, and insects. They complete their illustrations with 22 karat gold leaf.
The Summer Institute for Teachers
This five-day workshop is designed to accommodate teaching pairs consisting of one Visual Arts teacher and one Social Studies, Language Arts, or other classroom teacher who teach in grades 3–12.
Participants in the Summer Institute for Teachers are eligible for CTLE credits upon request.
Teachers will:
Discover
- The Morgan as a resource and complement to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, as well as The New York City Department of Education Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts
Examine
- Exceptional primary sources, including medieval and Renaissance manuscripts from the Morgan's collection
Explore
- Collaborative planning
- Activities offering cross-disciplinary models that support the five strands of the Blueprint for the Arts
- Strategies to teach basic book art techniques in the classroom
- Tools and resources to meet the professional criteria outlined in Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching Evaluation Instrument.
Develop
- A comprehensive cross-disciplinary unit of study around an integrated art project for implementation in their classroom
- A handmade book using traditional professional grade materials
Handouts include:
- Two teacher's guides: Illumination for the Classroom and Build an Accordion Book.
- Reference material related to book arts
Materials:
- Professional grade bookbinding material, as well as traditional and unique art supplies to carry out the book project in the classroom
- Online resource guide to printed materials and step-by-step video
Students exploring medieval and Renaissance manuscripts in Mr. Morgan’s Library.
TIMELINE OVERVIEW FOR 2022–23 SCHOOL YEAR:
OCTOBER through DECEMBER 2022
Class trip to the Morgan
Students will draw upon the Morgan's superb collection of illuminated manuscripts and relate them to world history in a way that will deepen their understanding of cultural identity and interaction among diverse peoples across time and space. They will then reflect on the books' aesthetics and make numerous sketches in preparation of their own book projects.
Dates for the class trip will be discussed with teachers during the Summer Institute.
DECEMBER 8, 2022, 4–6pm
Technical Support Meeting
A Technical Support meeting of participating teachers and consultants will be held at the Morgan to ascertain the progress of the project and to share challenges and successes.
OCTOBER 2022 THROUGH MARCH 2023
Classroom project
Teacher teams will implement the cross-disciplinary unit of study developed during the Summer Institute as they lead their students in the writing, illustration, and binding of manuscript books. Morgan program staff will be available for support. One Technical Support Meeting will be scheduled in December to address any issues teachers may have with the project.
March 24, 2023
Deadline to Submit Student Books to Jury
Teachers submit their best student book projects to a jury of artists, book professionals, and school librarians.
Student receiving her Award Certificate in the Gilder Lerhman Hall of the Morgan.
May 2023
The Morgan Book Project Awards
The award-winning books will be featured in a one-day installation at the Morgan, while the students will participate in an award ceremony conducted in the Morgan's Gilder Lehrman Hall in the presence of their families, schoolteachers, and principals. To see the some of the Morgan Book Project Award winners from previous years, click here.
May–August 2023
Exhbition: Inspiring and Illuminating the Classroom
Judges will select several books among the winning entries to be publicly exhibited at the Morgan for one month.
APPLICATION
Deadlines for Morgan Book Project 2022–2023
General Application Deadline: July 1, 2022
Students preparing pigments to make paint.
Who may apply?
This program is reserved for 3rd-12th grade teachers from New York City public schools.
Teachers must apply as a teaching pair. Each pair must include one certified Visual Arts teacher and one certified Social Studies, Language Arts or classroom teacher.
Both teachers in the pair must commit to attend the full five-day Summer Institute. (We reserve the right to reject teachers who arrive without a teaching partner.) Teaching pairs must commit to carrying out the project in the classroom and submit a designated number of student works (as determined in collaboration with the manager of the Project) to The Morgan Book Project Award on the March deadline.
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Teaching artists
The Morgan will provide a limited number of certified teaching artists at no charge to participating schools that do not have a visual arts teacher. For more information please visit this page.
Application Process
To apply, please follow these directions carefully.
- Fill out the online general application form.
- Select three samples of artwork made by your students within the past three years.
- Select three writing samples by your students on any topic from the past three years.
- Upload your art and writing samples where indicated in the general application form.
- Submit your completed online application.
Please Note
- Due to the volume of submissions, only applicants who are accepted into the program will be contacted.
- Any applications that do not adhere to the submission guidelines may not be considered.
- Even if you have participated in the program previously, you must submit an application to be considered for the next school year.
Previous participation does not guarantee future acceptance.
If you have questions, please contact us at schools@themorgan.org.
The Morgan Book Project is made possible by a generous grant from Marina Kellen French and the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation.