Free Blackline Masters

Artist/Illustrator and former Montessori student, Dakota Bardy, has created blackline masters that extend our Parts of Vertebrates works and has generously allowed us to feature them on our website for your use.

These drawings are a great way for children to reinforce and apply knowledge gained while using the classroom materials.

Children can color copies of the drawings to identify the different parts then bind them together in a nomenclature booklet they can take home and share. Some children may even be inspired to draw their own pictures. 

Q & A with the artist, Dakota Bardy

Q: How has your early Montessori education shaped or inspired your career path as an artist?
 
A: Being a Montessori student allowed me to follow my own specific passions, even at a young age. The freedom to follow my own interest allowed me to pursue art, while also encouraging me to learn about math and science.
 
Q: What is your favorite memory from Montessori school?
 
A: When I was in first grade, my teacher noticed I was fascinated by dinosaurs. She incorporated them into the rest of my work, allowing me to use dinosaur counters in math, read dinosaur stories, and write dinosaur facts. I quickly began associating learning and school with fun. She even put pretend dinosaur bones in the sandbox for my friends and I to excavate!
 
Q: Who is your favorite artist?
 
A: As far as fine artists go, I am always in awe of the way Claude Monet found a new way to portray the world, using light and color as his guide. But as an illustrator, I am most drawn to narrative images. Bill Watterson (creator of Calvin and Hobbes), and Shel Silverstein use story and image to capture the imaginations of both children and adults.
 
To learn more, check out Dakota’s website www.dakotabardy.com.