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"Discover why this children's book author was commissioned
an admiral in the Texas Navy by the governor of Texas"
Mark's books for middle grade and upper
elementary readers are exciting, accessible and fun. At this site you can read about
his work or schedule Mark for an author visit to your school.
He wrote about a shipwreck that
was recovered off the Texas Coast.
This was no ordinary
sunken ship, as it turned out, but a 17th century French sail ship with decorated bronze cannons, barrels of
weapons and goods, and a human skeleton curled in the bow.
She was La
Belle -- the lost barque of the great explorer, Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la La
Salle.
Your students will
enjoy hearing about her and how her dazzling, 322 year old-story still affects us as Americans.
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| Digging out the "Belle". (Watercolor © Mark Mitchell from "Raising La Belle") |
Texas' 'lost colony'
In his
school visits, Mark uses PowerPoint slides of his own drawings and paintings, along with photos of the archeological excavation
to make the "La Salle shipwreck" story come alive.
The presentation -- based on Mark's award-winning book for upper elementary and middle
grades, Raising La Belle -- is suitable for all grades. It includes a “chalk talk” with Mark drawing
for students while staying on topic on La Salle, his fellow French settlers
and the Indians and animals that played into their lives on Texas shores in 1685.
Mark has been a featured children’s book
author and speaker at the Texas Book Festival, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, the Museum
of the Gulf Coast, the televised Writers' League of Texas author interview series
Writing Across Texas and
schools around the state.
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| Photo by Leann Eldridge, librarian at Boling High School, Boling ISD |
What educators are saying:
"Our kids can't
stop talking about your presentation!"
"The program
connected to our curriculum and students on so many levels! It coincided perfectly with our school wide science unit on marine
environments... The drawings were a great way to hook the kids into the world of La Salle... [added one week later] Our kids
can't stop talking about your presentation!"
Stacey Smith, Librarian, Davis Elementary, Austin ISD
"Fantastic presentation! Only our Fourth
Grade saw this and it was perfect for them!”
Jane Farmer, Librarian, McBee Elementary, Austin ISD
"Mark Mitchell is a great speaker. Students were fascinated."
Trudi Best, Librarian, Robinson Elementary, Clear Creek ISD
“It was fantastic.
It was a great benefit because it tied Texas History/Explorers (TEKS) to the pleasure of reading and becoming familiar with
real author procedures and appreciation of the written word. I’d love to recommend you.”
Laura Butler, Librarian, Laura Welch Bush Elementary, Leander ISD
"I think my students felt empowered when they experienced the presentation."
"I think my students felt empowered when they experienced
the presentation. The immediate connection from the classroom, the illustrations and the story of "La Belle" was amazing!
Mr. Mitchell connected with our intermediate students. Students were mesmerized by his soft tone
as the story of history unfolded. His sense of humor added a nice touch to his presentation. Our students loved his illustrations!
"The program was an excellent link to the curriculum that my students learned in the classroom."
Deborah Norris, Social Studies Department Head, League
City Intermediate School, Clear Creek ISD
"The
students were very interested and showed a lot of appreciation for the information shared. Mr. Mitchell was great with the
students. The children were so interested in his storytelling."
Sandy Bateman, Librarian, Washington
Elementary, Sherman ISD
"The program was perfect
for our fourth and fifth graders -- nicely aligned to our curriculum...The slide show was stunning. Also, presenting the information
as a narrative was effective. Good delivery. Good fit. I thought we had a perfect day!"
Gary Brown, Librarian, Ferguson Elementary, Clear
Creek ISD
"I have never seen the students so in tune with a presenter before."
"The
Marion ISD sends you their thanks for a wonderful morning at the Middle Schol listening to your programs. I have never
seen the students so in tune with a presenter before -- When I saw them this afternoon, they were still chatting about the
"La Belle" information and what they learned at your presentation.
"Please
keep us notified of any future programs, especially if you develop some on the observatory at Fort Davis or about illustrating
books."
Maryellen Hitti, Director, Marion ISD Community
Library
"The presentation was great! The students
greatly enjoyed the slides and were highly engaged. They came up with some higher level thinking questions to ask Mr.
Mitchell."
Rebekah Smith, Instructional Specialist,
Waco ISD
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| La Salle and the Calumet. (Watercolor © Mark Mitchell for "Cobblestone" magazine |
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| from "Cobblestone" -- Sieur de La Salle issue, 10-99. (Watercolor © Mark Mitchell) |
Ship and symbol
The
Belle was a gift from the "Sun King" of France, Louis XIV to La Salle, a fur trader.
She
was the explorer's prize for having claimed the Mississippi River, valley and Native American inhabitants for
France.
The
king named La Salle "Commander in Chief of all Frenchmen and Indians in North America."
La
Salle's base of operations was New France, the French Canadian frontier.
So what were he and his ship La Belle doing in Texas?
The Raising "La Belle" presentation
probes the historical and scientific puzzles, such as:
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What happened when La Salle ran into real pirates of the Caribbean?
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How did this ship that was built in 1684 and wrecked
in Texas in 1686 influence the future development of the United States?
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How
did divers with the Texas Historical Commission locate the ship that was buried under the
mud and sand and under 12 feet of water in a lonely fishing bay?
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What
-- and who -- did archeologists find on her?
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How would they get La Belle's 51
foot hull from the bay floor to the mainland? And keep
her fragile oak timbers and cargo that had been waterlogged for centuries from
crumbling when exposed to the open air?
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Get on the admiral's calendar.
Call (512) 258-8348
to
schedule a school visit or to learn more.
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| "La Salle with Iroquois" by Mark Mitchell for "Cobblestone" magazine |
Fourth and fifth graders write
“My favorite part was when you drew the animals. That was cool.”
“I liked the part where they started to find all the artifacts.”
“I learned that
the people that found the boat got to keep it wet because if it dries, it will turn to dust. My favorite part was when
he made friends with the Indians.”
“I think that the things that you teach are really cool, and
scary and fun. And you did a good job.”
"I
really liked your presentation. My favorite part was when the ship that carried food and supplies got stuck, cracked and sunk.
You really inspired me to learn more about La Salle. I even checked out a book about La Salle."
"I really enjoyed the story about La Salle. I love your stories. I will try to
come to the Bob Bullock State History Museum to see the boat that they used for their journey."
" I appreciate what you did at our library. Your slide show was so cool.
..It was pretty mean when they killed La Salle's nephew and him. It must have taken a while for the ship to sink in all that
mud. .. In that [cofferdam] it must have felt like being inside a cup!!!"
"My favorite part is when I saw the college students going inside the ship and
taking it apart. I like your drawing of the buffalo. It looks so real. I think your story is really interesting. I can't wait
until the ship will be in the Bob Bullock Museum. Then I will try to go see it. Your drawing for the book was so cool. It
was awesome when they built the dam and pulled the ship up."
"The creativity really spoke to me..."
"The presentation
that you informed us about really inspired me to learn more about everything that happened in that time line. La Salle's past
was incredible. To me he was the luckiest man. Not like anyone else would even be nominated for that title. That really was
the best slide show I have ever witnessed. The creativity really spoke to me. The art was even better than my imagination
could ever think of. Even the Art teacher thought the exact same thing."
"Thank you for telling us
why La Salle got killed by his crew after they killed his nephew who was bossy all the time. You drew good pictures of a buffalo
and a beaver. I liked when you were talking about the hides and pelts. It was fun when you illustrated the slide show. It
was cool when you said La Belle was preserved in the mud at the bottom of the ocean. I can't wait to go to the Bob
Bullock Museum."
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| Photo by Lenicia Gordon, librarian at Sinclair Elementary, Houston ISD |
"As soon as your presentation was over, the teachers
were asking me if we could have you again next year..."
“The visuals are a strong component of your program and
greatly enhance student learning…You “drew” them in immediately by attracting their attention to your drawing.
VERY clever!. I might add, as soon as your presentation was over, the teachers were asking me if we could have you speak again
next year….exactly at the time when we’re discussing La Salle. Wow! Thank you, Mark; you’re a real PRO!”
Kay Wallingford,
Librarian, Barton Hills Elementary, Austin ISD
“Texas History is seventh grade curriculum, so
your program aligns with the TEKS. You dealt with an issue of current interest and tied history to the lives of students today.
I thought the presentation was great.”
Joy Starks, Librarian Palo Alto Middle School, Killeen ISD
"The PowerPoint was very engaging. The
satellite photos brought another depth to the presentation that really engaged the students. The shots of the excavation and
artifacts were compelling."
Jeanie Dawson, Librarian, Victory
Lakes Intermediate, Clear Creek ISD
"All the pictures and info built like stepping stones."
Mary Ann Berry, Librarian, Wakefield Elementary, Sherman ISD
"We were so pleased to have you
present your Raising La Belle program to Graham Elementary. It was very well received by both students and teachers. Being
that this was my first author visit, I didn't know what to expect. I was so relieved to have it all run smoothly thanks to
your professionalism. You are an engaging speaker and the story of La Belle was a fascinating subject. It was great to
have students enjoy the presentation and learn valuable information at the same time."
Christina
McGeehee, Librarian, Graham Elementary, Austin ISD
“Wonderful and interesting day. I enjoyed how the presentation was made like a story.”
B.J.
Bond, Program chairman, Dodd Elementary PTA, Wylie ISD
"It
is just so cool."
" I loved that awesome presentation that you showed us of La Belle. The drawing of
the beaver and the buffalo was fantastic. It is weird that La Salle and his newphew would be killed or shot by their own people.
It is awesome that you know a lot about the old days and all about La Belle. It is just so cool."
"I can't wait to see the bottom half of the boat at the
Bob Bullock Museum. It's going to be so fun there."
That was kind of mean that they used the beavers' and the buffalos' hides to make clothing.
Well, they have to stay warm. The scary part was when La Salle's nephew got hit to death and La Salle was killed by his own
people."
"Thank you for coming to our school today. I really enjoyed the way you described La
Salle's life."
"I learned that it was hard work to take apart the Belle and put it back together."
"I learned that they murdered La Salle because they did not want him to figure out
that his nephew had died....I also learned that La Salle was a great person because he wanted to help other people go
live on another land. What I liked the best is that you showed us a lot of pictures of the real boat!"
"Thank you for your
presentation. It was super. I was amazed that the ship La Belle was still there. All this time I thought that it
had been gone."
"It was really smart of
you to think how La Salle looked when he was young."
"It sure was kind
of sad when La Salle's people killed him. It sure was really cool when the boat didn't break into pieces - because other boats
break into little pieces [when they sink.] I liked how you explained the stuff that we didn't know."
"I liked your speech because
you started out with drawing instead of giving a lecture. It was cool when you made people guess which animal you drew and
what part it took in La Salle's expedition to search for the Northwest Passage."
"If it was not for
you, my classmates and all of us in the 5th grade would not have known about La Belle. I think La Belle
is a great thing to talk about because La Belle is a part of our history. I hope to learn more about La Belle
and to see you once more to ask you many questions."
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| The cofferdam made a "hole" in the sea, so that archeologists could dig up the shipwreck. THC photo. |
Based on a little book that
made a splash
As a result
of these recognitions, the mayor of Austin proclaimed a "Mark Mitchell and Raising La Belle Day." The Governor of Texas commissioned
Mark an Admiral in the Texas Navy, which secures him "all rights and privileges appertaining thereto and
with the duty of assisting in the preservation of the history, boundaries, water resources and civil defense of the State."
But the truth is
that Mark, as much as he likes to draw boats, gets seasick on the water. He can't tie a sheepshank knot to save his life. He's not a sailor,
not a diver, or a marine archeologist.
The heroes of
the "La Salle shipwreck" story were La Salle and the men, women and children -- unlikely pioneers most of them -- who
braved the unknown with him. And three centuries after them, the heroes were the archeologists of the Texas Historical Commission
who labored under rugged and sometimes dangerous conditions to raise the Belle -- for
us and future generations to learn from and marvel at.
With Mark's
Raising La Belle presentation, your students can hear their stories and enjoy a virtual "front row seat" at
the shipwreck excavation that made headlines
around the world.
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| Hasinai Indian home reconstruction - Caddo Mounds State Park |
Elementary,
Intermediate and Middle School students write
"When
you make another book can you share it with me? I don't like pirates. I love them. I wish that I can see a pirate in [real]
life."
“It
was really cool when you showed us all those pictures taken by the satellite.”
“You showed us very cool
pictures about what happened. I remember what Indians La Salle had met – it was the Caddos, and I had studied the Caddos.
I will tell you a little bit about them. I know they live in round houses and they grow plants…I wish they were still
alive...”
“The best thing
I liked about your presentation was all the info I was getting. It was so much my head could explode."
"It was cool -- no, it was exquisite."
"The La Belle presentation was awesome. I'm so glad that you came to our school. I liked the slide show. My favorite
part was ehen you talked about the boat that got taken by pirates. I loved the picture about the ship when it got dug out.
I bet it hurt when La Salle's nephew got clubbed. I bet when the Indians saw what they did to La Salle they got mad. I can't
wait until I can see La Belle in the Bob Bullock Museum."
"I was astonished when I found out that the Karankawas took the children. It was awesome when you told us that
there really were pirates."
"I appreciated your totally awesome presentation. It was interesting the way you explained what happened on La Salle's
journey. I cannot wait to see the Belle at the Bob Bullock Museum. I hope everything goes fine with that."
"I thought the part when the A&M students put the boat together was really cool. Thank you for telling us
the story. I hope you come next year."
"I thought that the pictures you drew were amazing."
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| Up comes the bronze cannon. (Texas Historical Commission photo) |
More
from teachers and librarians
“The history came alive! The kids had such fun realizing how
much they had learned about history. ..I think doing the presentation at the end of the year was perfect.
Our Fifth graders that are leaving connected all the history to the end of the year colonial history play that they are performing.
Our Fourth grade remembered all the Texas Indian tribes they had studied and so they brought such input which “speared”
Mark on with his presentation. Third grade had the Lewis and Clark and Squanto background. It was great!”
Sharon Seidenberg, Librarian Live Oak Elementary, Round Rock ISD
"Thanks for another great learning experience! The students are fascinated by the subject and were
engaged the entire time."
Lensi Nikolov, 4th grade Teacher, Barton Hills Elementary, Austin ISD
“The presentation was beautiful.”
Joan Davis, Librarian, Hempstead Elementary
School, Hempstead ISD
Students "dig" shipwrecks and history!
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