Illustrations: The Gateway to Storytelling

"Something that doesn't get enough time [in the classroom] is creating a love of literacy... Presenting literacy in such a
way that is appealing to kids and they develop a passion around reading and writing."
~Susan Segear, (Literacy Coordinator for Pre-K to Second Grade)

Illustrations: The Gateway to Storytelling

In this Activity: Students will explain what is happening by analyzing clues they pick up on within the image.

Literacy: Visual Literacy and Reading of Images

Why?: Help students gain knowledge from reading images instead of words

Educational Benefits:
-> Helps students become more socially literate

Activity Length: 20 minutes

Ages: First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade

How?

NOTE: There are wonderful modifications to this activity below to make it a longer lesson

Pick an image that is open ended
- Examples below
Introduce this image to the class
Have the students talk about what they notice about the picture
- “What do you see in this picture?"
- “How do you think the subject feels?”
- “Why do you think that?”
Have the students write a quick free write about what could be happening in this image

Common Core Standards

First Grade

RL.1.7: Use illustrations and details in a story to describe it’s characters, setting, and events

RI.1.7: Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas

Second Grade

RL.2.7: Use information gained from the illustrations and words. Understanding of characters, setting, or plots

RI.2.7: Explain how specific images contribute to and clarify a text

Third Grade

RL.3.7: Explain specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g. mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)

RI.3.7: Use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g. where, when, why, and how key events occur)

Assessment

Did the students decipher a story from the image given?
Did the students participate in the group discussion?

Modifications
(If used, modifications will effect length of the activity)

1. Continue with the one image (additional 20 minutes)

Have the students use the first image as a jumping off point and create a full story
- Or use the one image to move into the next modification

2. Wordless Stories (40 minutes)

Pick a picture book that has no text
Photocopy the picture book
Give groups of students a copy of the picture book
Have students create their own stories based on clues from the illustrations

3. Speech Bubbles (Additional 10 minutes)

Give the students sticky notes and have them create speech bubbles to express what the characters are saying within the picture

4. Thought Bubbles (Same as Speech Bubbles)

Give students sticky notes and have them create a thought bubble to express what the character(s) are thinking but not saying out loud5. Do both modifications 3 and 4. (Have students write what the character is saying and what they are thinking but not saying out loud)

6. Create Images Using Students Bodies (Additional 25 minutes)

Split the class into groups of four or five students
Have each group create a tableau (or frozen image with their bodies) that has a specific idea in mind
- Ex: First day of school
Have each group present the image to the class and have them try and analyze what is happening in the image.