Picture That!
Rationale: In order for
students to completely understand the text they are reading they need
to be
able to visualize the story in their heads.
Visualization is easy when a picture is provided in a book, but
when
kids are given non-illustrated texts it can be more difficult. To help them better understand how to do
this, they will be given the opportunity to draw pictures that display
the
content of the story. Being able to visualize the story
will help them gain a better comprehension of it.
Materials:
-Colored pencils
-Pencils
-Paper
-Dry Erase Board
and Marker
-Poem: "House for
Rent,
Unfurnished" by Rodolfo L (printed for each child)
The house is at a point to fall
down,
the weather outside is windy,
it is seeming about to fall down,
the windows slamming themselves on
the wall.
You hear the footsteps of a person
coming towards you,
You look back and there is nobody,
It's only that old squeaky floor you
are stepping on.
The house is as old as your
grandparents
and you hear the wind busting in your old
windows. You go outside because you get
scared, and the minute you leave the house,
the house falls down into shreds.
-Story: Gregory
by Barbara Carter
Gregory is my
beautiful gray Persian cat. He walks with pride and
grace, performing a dance of disdain as he slowly lifts and lowers each
paw
with the delicacy of a ballet dancer. His pride, however, does not
extend to
his appearance, for he spends most of his time indoors watching
television and
growing fat. He enjoys TV commercials, especially those for Meow Mix
and 9
Lives. His familiarity with cat food commercials has led him to reject
generic
brands of cat food in favor of only the most expensive brands. Gregory
is as
finicky about visitors as he is about what he eats, befriending some
and
repelling others. He may snuggle up against your ankle, begging to be
petted,
or he may imitate a skunk and stain your favorite trousers. Gregory
does not do
this to establish his territory, as many cat experts think, but to
humiliate me
because he is jealous of my friends. After my guests have fled, I look
at the
old fleabag snoozing and smiling to himself in front of the television
set, and
I have to forgive him for his obnoxious, but endearing, habits.
Procedure:
1. "Today we are
going to talk about visualizing
stories. Does anyone know what visualizing is? Right! It is when we
imagine a
picture in our heads. Being able to make
a picture in our minds when we read is important because it helps us
understand
what we are reading better. Today we are
going to practice visualizing."
2. "Ok I am going to
show you what I visualize or
see in my head when someone talks about the beach by drawing the
picture in my
head on this board." Begin drawing a picture of the ocean, sand, and
sun
on the dry erase board. "When I think of the beach, I see a picture of
the
ocean and sun in my head! Does anyone else think of something
different?"
3.
"Now I am
going to read you a story called "Gregory" about a cat.
As I read the story I want you to draw what
you see in your head on your piece of paper." Read the story slowly,
allowing time for students to draw. When
everyone is finished, have them share their pictures. "Great
visualizing
everyone!"
4. "Since we have had
a little practice visualizing
as I read aloud to you, we need to see if you can do it as you read
silently. Who remembers what silent
reading is? Very
Good! It is when we read quietly to ourselves so that nobody else can
hear us.
Who thinks they can make a picture in their head as they read silently
to
themselves?"
5. "We are all going
to read the poem "House
for Rent, Unfurnished" silently. As
we each read it to ourselves we are going to draw a picture of how we
imagine
the house." Give the students time to read the poem and draw their
picture. I will show them how I saw the house as I read the story and I
will
then allow them to share and explain their drawings.
Assessment:
For assessment I will
use the following checklist as I
observe their silent reading and visualizations:
Did the
student read silently?
Did
the student draw a picture?
Were the drawings accurate
for poem?
Why do you think the house is in such bad shape?
Were
the drawings accurate for the story, "Gregory"?
Were
the drawings detailed?
Why do you think the cat Gregory is jealous of his owner's friends?
-Model
Descriptive Paragraphs: Gregory by Barbara Carter
http://grammar.about.com/od/developingparagraphs/a/samdescpars.htm
-Descriptive
Poems: "House for Rent,
Unfurnished"
by Rodolfo L
http://www.poetrycenter.org/?q=node/245
-Close Your Eyes and Visualize
By: Heather Smith
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/sightings/smithrl.html