Amplify ELA: M.C. Higgins, the Great
Capturing the spirit of a changing landscape
Client: Amplify ELA
Role: Illustrator & Visual Storyteller
Art Director: Shannon Sumner
Scope: Concept Development, Illustration, Supplemental Graphics
Amplify creates ELA (English Language Arts) interactive core curriculum that inspires students to read more deeply, write more vividly, and think more critically.
For this unit based on Virginia Hamilton's M.C. Higgins, the Great, I developed a series of illustrations that capture a way of life deeply connected to the changing Appalachian landscape.
Working with the Art Director and Amplify's curriculum designers, I explored different approaches to the characters, landscape, and atmosphere of the story, ultimately developing a painterly watercolor style that became the visual language for the entire unit.
The project included 16 hero illustrations (one for each sub-unit), as well as supplemental graphics (maps and diagrams) used within individual lessons.
The painterly style carries across the entire unit, creating a cohesive visual experience as students move between the novel, lessons, and interactive activities.
Multiple sub-units, one visual world
The curriculum is divided into 16 sub-units, each covering a different section of the novel. I created a hero illustration for each one to give students a visual entry point into the story.
For each hero image, I reviewed the relevant chapters and identified moments, settings, and visual ideas that could translate into an illustration. I developed rough concepts for several possible scenes, which my art director and the curriculum writers reviewed together to determine which direction best supported the lessons and learning standards. Once a direction was selected, I developed the sketch into final artwork, incorporating feedback from the team throughout the process.
Although each illustration depicts a different moment, the watercolor-inspired approach connects the series and creates a cohesive visual identity across the curriculum.
Selected hero illustrations from the series:
Translating information into graphics
In addition to the hero illustrations, I created supporting artwork for specific lessons within the curriculum.
For these assets, the curriculum designers provided detailed descriptions of the information students needed to see and understand. I translated those requirements into visual form, using the same visual language established for the hero artwork.
For example, the map helps students orient themselves within the Appalachian setting of the novel, while the mining-cut diagram illustrates the effects of strip mining on the landscape. Both were designed for students to reference directly within specific lessons.
