Just Being Dalí: The Story of Artist Salvador Dalí

by Amy Guglielmo

The story of Salvador Dalí, the eccentric artist who turned his wild imagination and unique personality into world-changing art.

Big Idea

Being true to yourself — even when the world thinks you're strange — is what makes you a masterpiece.

Discussion Questions

1.What made Salvador Dalí's art different from other artists?
2.How did Dalí stay true to himself even when people didn't understand him?
3.What does it mean to be 'just being yourself'?
4.How can being different be a strength?

Classroom Activity

Surreal Self-Portraits

Create a surreal self-portrait that includes three things that represent who you are, no matter how strange.

Lesson Plan

⏱ 30 minutes📦 Drawing paper, oil pastels or markers, mirrors for self-portraits

Learning Goals

Understand biographical narrative about artists
Explore themes of individuality and self-expression
Practice surreal art techniques

Standards Connections

ELA: RL.K.1 — Ask and answer questions about key details
ELA: RL.K.2 — Retell stories, including key details
ELA: RL.K.3 — Describe characters, setting, and events
ELA: RL.3.6 — Acknowledge differences in characters' points of view
ELA: SL.K.1 — Participate in collaborative conversations about the text
ELA: W.K.3 — Write narratives recounting events with descriptive details
SEL: Social Awareness
SEL: Relationship Skills
Art: VA:Re7 — Perceive and analyze artistic work

Pace-Write-Read Study with Pace-Write It!

Focus question: How does a writer slow down and speed up a story to help readers feel a character’s creativity and individuality? In Just Being Dalí: The Story of Artist Salvador Dalí by Amy Guglielmo, the author tells about young Salvador’s unusual ideas, feelings, and artwork in a lively, playful way. The pacing moves between quick moments of action and slower, descriptive parts so readers can pause to notice how Dalí’s imagination grows into art.

Element	How to notice or teach it in the novel
Pace	Read: Notice how the story moves quickly through some parts of Salvador Dalí’s childhood but slows down for his strange, vivid ideas and artistic moments. Classroom Activity: Write 3 sentences about a child having an unusual idea; make the first sentence quick, the second slow with details, and the third quick again.
Plot	Read: Follow how Salvador begins as a child who does not fit in, then keeps creating, and finally becomes known for his original art. Classroom Activity: Make a beginning-middle-end chart showing how Salvador’s individuality leads to success, then write one sentence for each part.
Prosody	Read: Listen to how the book sounds when read aloud, especially in parts that celebrate Salvador Dalí’s big personality and bold imagination. Classroom Activity: Read a favorite page aloud with expression, then write one sentence that should be read softly and one that should be read boldly.
Word pause	Read: Notice places where a strong or surprising word makes you stop and think about Salvador’s creativity or unusual behavior. Classroom Activity: Write a sentence about an artist using one powerful word that deserves a pause, then underline it.
Concept	Read: Think about the big idea that being different can become a strength, just like Salvador Dalí’s wild imagination became art. Classroom Activity: Write 2 sentences explaining how being different can help someone create something new.
Voice & World View	Read: Notice how the book’s voice feels admiring, energetic, and open to Salvador Dalí’s unusual way of seeing the world. Classroom Activity: Write in a cheerful voice about something strange or silly that turns into something beautiful.
Setting & Place	Read: Pay attention to where Salvador is and how each place helps shape the feeling of the scene, from ordinary spaces to spaces transformed by imagination. Classroom Activity: Write 3 setting details that turn a normal room into a place an imaginative artist would love.
Point of View	Read: Notice that the story is told from an outside narrator who helps readers understand Salvador Dalí’s actions and inner creativity. Classroom Activity: Rewrite one moment from the story as if Salvador is saying, “I saw… I felt… I made…”.
Original Characters	Read: Notice how Salvador Dalí is shown as an original character whose behavior, ideas, and art make him stand out. Classroom Activity: Invent a child character with one unusual talent and write 4 sentences showing how that talent makes the character memorable.
Dialogue	Read: Listen for how spoken words can reveal reactions to Salvador’s uniqueness and help move the story along. Classroom Activity: Write a short 2-line dialogue between Salvador and someone who does not understand his art at first.
Details	Read: Notice the small details that help readers picture Salvador Dalí’s habits, art, and personality. Classroom Activity: Write 3 precise details about a pretend painting made by Salvador.
Descriptions	Read: Pay attention to how description slows the story down so readers can picture Salvador’s dreamlike imagination. Classroom Activity: Describe one unusual object as if Salvador Dalí might paint it in a surprising way.
Strong First Lines	Read: Notice how the opening invites readers into the life of a child who sees the world differently. Classroom Activity: Write an opening line for a story about a creative child that makes readers curious right away.
Immediacy & Engagement	Read: Notice how the story keeps readers close to Salvador by showing his feelings, actions, and surprising ideas in the moment. Classroom Activity: Write 2-3 sentences about a child creating art right now, using action words like splashed, imagined, or stared.
Story Scenes & Summaries & Unique Structures	Read: Notice how some parts zoom in on special scenes from Salvador Dalí’s life while other parts summarize time passing and his growth as an artist. Classroom Activity: Write one detailed scene about a child painting, then one summary sentence that tells what happened over many days.
Flashback & Flash Forward & Cliffhangers	Read: Notice whether the story stays mostly in order and how readers still feel eager to see what Salvador Dalí will become. Classroom Activity: Write a cliffhanger sentence for a biography page: “But no one knew that this strange young artist would soon…”.
Tension & Suspense & Surprise	Read: Notice moments when Salvador’s unusual choices might confuse others, creating tension before his creativity is appreciated. Classroom Activity: Write 3 sentences showing a character doing something unexpected with art, ending with a surprise.
Page Turns and Chapter Breaks	Read: Notice how page turns can build curiosity about Salvador Dalí’s next idea, artwork, or change in life. Classroom Activity: Write a page-turn sentence that makes a reader want to flip the page to see the next strange invention or painting.
Performance	Read: Think about how this book could be performed with dramatic voice, facial expressions, and gestures to match Salvador Dalí’s larger-than-life personality. Classroom Activity: Choose one sentence and mark where you would pause, smile, or widen your eyes when reading it aloud.
Personality	Read: Notice how Salvador Dalí’s personality drives the pacing because his confidence, oddness, and imagination keep the story lively. Classroom Activity: Write 4 describing words for Salvador’s personality, then use two of them in a sentence.
Humor	Read: Look for playful or funny moments in the way Salvador’s eccentric behavior and imagination are presented. Classroom Activity: Write a funny sentence about an artist using an everyday object in a silly new way.
Pause	Read: Notice where the story gives readers time to stop and think about Salvador Dalí’s feelings, art, or uniqueness. Classroom Activity: Add a pause dash or line break into your own sentence to make an important idea stand out.
Poetry and Poetic Devices	Read: Listen for vivid language and image-making that feels poetic, matching Salvador Dalí’s imaginative world. Classroom Activity: Write a simile or metaphor about creativity, such as “His idea was like…”.
Repetition	Read: Notice any repeated ideas about being different, imagining boldly, or turning strange thoughts into art. Classroom Activity: Write a 3-line piece that repeats the starter “He imagined…” to show growing creativity.
Rhythm	Read: Listen to the rhythm of short and long sentences as the story shifts between energetic action and thoughtful description. Classroom Activity: Write one short sentence and one longer flowing sentence about making art.
Punctuation	Read: Notice how punctuation helps shape the mood, excitement, and pauses in a story about Salvador Dalí’s bold life. Classroom Activity: Write 2 sentences about a surprising painting, using an exclamation mark in one and commas in the other.
Questions	Read: Think about the questions readers might ask, such as why Salvador acted differently or how his strange ideas became famous art. Classroom Activity: Write 2 questions you would ask Salvador Dalí, then answer one in your own words.
Compare-Contrast	Read: Notice how Salvador Dalí can be compared with other children who try to fit in, while he follows his own imagination. Classroom Activity: Write 2 sentences comparing an ordinary artist and Salvador’s unusual artistic style.
Objects	Read: Pay attention to meaningful objects connected to art, creativity, and the unusual images Salvador Dalí is known for. Classroom Activity: Choose one object, like a clock, chair, or paintbrush, and write how Salvador might turn it into something surprising in a painting.
Threes	Read: Notice if ideas or descriptions come in groups of three to make Salvador’s world feel full and memorable. Classroom Activity: Write a sentence listing three unusual things an imaginative artist might paint.
Whitespace & Negative Space	Read: Notice how open space on a page can slow readers down and help important words or illustrations about Salvador Dalí stand out. Classroom Activity: Write a tiny 2-line poem about imagination and leave a blank line between the lines for emphasis.
Art & Graphics	Read: Notice how the illustrations and page design help tell the story of Salvador Dalí’s individuality and creative spirit along with the words. Classroom Activity: Sketch a quick picture to match one sentence you wrote about an unusual artist, then add one label.
Interactives & Gamification	Read: Think about how readers can interact by hunting for strange details, unusual objects, or clues about Salvador Dalí’s imagination on each page. Classroom Activity: Make a “Find 3 Creative Clues” list for a partner to spot in an illustration or in your writing about a quirky artist.

Pace-Write It!

20-Minute Classroom Flow\nRead (5 min): Read aloud a few pages from Just Being Dalí: The Story of Artist Salvador Dalí by Amy Guglielmo. Ask students to listen for parts that move fast and parts that slow down with rich description.\nNotice (5 min): Discuss: Where did the story speed up? Where did it pause on Salvador’s thoughts, art, or personality? Chart student observations under two headings: “Fast Parts” and “Slow Parts.”\nWrite (7 min): Students write a short 3-5 sentence piece about a child with a unique idea. Challenge them to use pacing like this book: a quick beginning, a slower descriptive middle, and a strong ending. Writing frame: “________ was not like everyone else. One day, ________. Slowly, he/she noticed ________, ________, and ________. It felt ________. Then, ________ turned that unusual idea into ________.”\nShare (3 min): Partners read their pieces aloud and point out one sentence that felt fast and one that felt slow. Invite 1-2 students to share with the class.\nExit ticket: Write one sentence answering: How did Amy Guglielmo use pacing to help readers understand Salvador Dalí’s individuality and creativity?

Pace-Write-Read Connection

Teach this book using the Pace-Write-Read method — Tool 20: Play.

Open the Mastery Manual