Picture Perfect
Reading to Learn Design
Rationale:
When
students read text, it is essential that they are able to comprehend it
through various strategies.
For better comprehension
when reading, children should be able to visualize what they are
reading. There is consistent evidence that visualization, or
constructing images in the mind, smoothes the progress of children's
learning of text. After
visualizing material, it makes it easier to commit it to memory for
later use.
In this lesson, children will
learn how to and practice constructing images from their reading by
drawing illustrations.
Materials:
- Copies of the poem "Messy Room"
by Shel Silverstein
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/shel_silverstein/poems/14818
-
Copies of the poem "My New School" by Kenn Nesbitt http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poem.aspx?PoemID=487&CategoryID=37
- 2 pieces of white paper for each student
- Crayons
- Copies of the chapter book
Tuck Everlasting by
Natalie Babbitt
for each student
- Assessment checklist:
Did the student draw a
picture?
___Y___N
Were the drawings accurate for the
poem?
___Y___N
Were the drawings accurate for assigned
reading(s)? __Y___N
Were the drawings
detailed?
___Y___N
Did the student describe in detail the
events?
___Y___N
(if some can't draw as well you can let students describe what
they are picturing; it is important not to grade the level of the art
work)
Procedure:
1) "First, we're going to review how to read a sentence with fluency." Write the sentence: Cam and Pat play all day long, on the board. "First, I am going to read the sentence without fluency. Cccaaammm and pppaatt ppplllaaaayyyy all dddaaayyy lllooonnnggg . Next, I am going to read the sentence with fluency. Cam... and... Pat... play... all... day... long. Do you hear the difference between reading with and without fluency?" Read sentence again. "Cam and Pat play all day long." This time I read the sentence with fluency. Remember, the more that you read the more fluent you will become
2) Explain to the class the
importance of constructing images while reading. "When we create
pictures in our heads about what we read, we are more likely to
remember what we read and understand it better."
3) Model visualization for the
students:
"I am going to read the poem
'My New School' by Kenn Nesbitt aloud. As I read, I am going to picture
in my mind what is going on." Read poem aloud to class. "Ok as I read,
I pictured a person with many different talents like juggling and
twisting balloons. I also saw a person with different color hair and
big floppy shoes. Then, at the end, I found out that it was a clown!
Now I am actually going to draw this picture on the board so that you
can see what I was visualizing in my mind." Explain why you are drawing
what you are drawing as you go. "Most of you probably pictured the scene a little
differently in your head, because each one of us is unique. It is just
important that you make some type of picture in your mind to help you
understand and remember what you are reading."
4) Give each student a copy of
"Messy Room" by Shel Silverstein.
Say: "Remember how we
learned to read silently? I want you guys to be doing that while I read
this poem aloud". Read it once to the class aloud and then have the
students read the poem silently.
5)
Instruct the students to draw the image that they have in their head
onto their papers as best they can. Have students quietly discuss with their neighbor what
they see or picture in their minds and share their drawing. After a few
minutes, ask for volunteers to share what they imagined the messy room
looked like.
6) "You are doing a great job
visualizing the poems that we have read! Now we are going to move on to
a chapter book that does not have any pictures: Tuck Everlasting."
Give book talk: "Tuck Everlasting is about a young girl who one
day runs away from home. She finds herself lost in the woods and
extremely thirsty. She sees a small stream of water and decides to take
a drink. Suddenly she hears a boy yelling, telling her not to drink the
water. Who was this strange boy and why can't she drink the water?
Let's read this story to find out!"
7) "Today, I want you to read
chapter one silently. As you read, use your visualization strategy to
help you comprehend the story. It is important to picture what is
happening as you read to help you remember and understand the text."
8) After they read chapter one,
have the students draw on a piece of paper what they visualized as they
read. Also write a short description of what they drew and why, which
shows comprephension.
9) I will assess students
comprehension by their drawings from chapter one as well as their
written descriptions of their drawing. (i.e. Did it accurately depict a
scene from chapter one? Is there attention to detail? etc.) And ask
questions about the text (i.e. How would you feel if you were in
Wenny's situation?)
References:
- Babbitt, N. (1975). Tuck Everlasting.
-Nesbitt, Kenn. "My New School".
http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poem.aspx?PoemID=487&CategoryID=37
-Silverstein, Shel. "Messy Room".
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/shel_silverstein/poems/14818
-Cabray
Rauschenberg. " Click! Creating a Picture From the Text"
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/projects/rauschenbergrl.html
- Marguerite
DeWitt. "Visualization is
Picture Perfect" -http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/projects/dewittrl.html