Using Pictures to Teach Narrative Writing with Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Website design By BotEap.comSubject: Sixth Grade Language Arts – Segregation and Thunder Roll, Hear My Cry
Website design By BotEap.comAllotted time: 90 minutes
Website design By BotEap.comOrganization: large group
Website design By BotEap.comObjective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the components of a narrative by using images about segregation to write the narrative.
Website design By BotEap.comStudent Worksheet available at http://www.trinaallen.com/rollofthunderstudent.html
Website design By BotEap.comTeaching mode: direct
Website design By BotEap.comDisposition for individual differences: students mix heterogeneously. The combination of role models by the teacher and students will help meet the needs of different skills in the classroom. This task is open enough for all students to be successful “where they are” (Gardner, 2004).
Website design By BotEap.comTeaching strategies: some lectures, dialogue, modeling, discussion, group criticism, planning.
Website design By BotEap.comFocus on teaching behavior: The focus will be on the facilitator. Students will lead the lesson by creating the model used to demonstrate narrative writing.
Website design By BotEap.comMaterials needed for this lesson:
Website design By BotEap.como One copy of an image showing segregation for each student, ideally with larger copies available for fine details.
Website design By BotEap.comoPaper- pencil
Website design By BotEap.comor ceiling, blackboard and markers, or chalk
Website design By BotEap.como General classroom supplies
Website design By BotEap.comLesson Activities:
Website design By BotEap.comStep 1. Anticipatory series: (Motivation)
Website design By BotEap.comoAs a review, ask students to write a definition of segregation. Volunteers will present their definitions. Write the definition on the board for students to use as they write their narratives. (Students should have read and discussed segregation and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry before this lesson.)
Website design By BotEap.como Distribute pictures showing segregation, one for each student. Or ask students to bring pictures from magazines that demonstrate segregation or reverse segregation. Hang several larger pictures on the wall so that students can use them to get more details.
Website design By BotEap.como Students will examine their image individually for five minutes, writing details on the worksheet.
Website design By BotEap.comNote: Newspapers and magazines are good sources of images for this lesson, as well as the following online museum websites.
Website design By BotEap.comJim Crow Museum of Racist Memories at Ferris State http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/news/jimcrow/index.htm
Website design By BotEap.comNorman Rockwell Museum http://www.nrm.org/
Website design By BotEap.comNational Gallery of Art online visits http://www.nga.gov/onlinetours/index.shtm
Website design By BotEap.comWeb Museum, Paris http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/
Website design By BotEap.comStep 2. Objective (overview of learning outcomes for students):
Website design By BotEap.comStudents will use images about segregation related to their unit of study for Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry to:
Website design By BotEap.comDemonstrate knowledge of the characteristics of narrative writing by writing a narrative.
Website design By BotEap.como Demonstrate connections between images and words through the use of narrative writing to develop understanding of content.
Website design By BotEap.comUse detailed vocabulary when writing your text.
Website design By BotEap.comStep 3. Presentation (input) of information:
Website design By BotEap.comStudents will review the following characteristics of narrative writing as an entire class: develop plot, character, and setting using specific details, and order events clearly using chronological order.
Direct students’ attention to a picture on the board. As a class, ask students to brainstorm possible events and characters that this picture illustrates about segregation. Put the words or phrases under the following headings on the board as students share their ideas. Have students fill in this information on their worksheets. Website design By BotEap.comCharacters Situation Feelings Vocabulary Website design By BotEap.comStep 4. Modeling / Examples: Website design By BotEap.comUse a character from the class table. Model writing a narrative on the board from the character’s point of view by asking students to provide details. Encourage students to describe the picture and make up an original story related to the segregation illustrated in the picture. Decide as a class whether to tell the story that leads to the image or to narrate the events that follow the image. Write the events in chronological order on the board and include the character’s feelings and thoughts. Website design By BotEap.comStep 5. Comprehension check: Website design By BotEap.comHave students evaluate the story written on the board they created by marking the blank before each narrative writing item they find in the class story on segregation. Website design By BotEap.com1. _____ A character’s point of view. Website design By BotEap.com2. _____ Details about the character. Website design By BotEap.com3. _____ Details about the environment. Website design By BotEap.com4. _____ Details about the situation. Website design By BotEap.com5. _____ The story was in the correct chronological order. Website design By BotEap.com6. _____ The narrative contained feelings and thoughts. Website design By BotEap.comCircle as students work to check for understanding. Ask students to share their assessment to ensure that all students understand the content. Website design By BotEap.comStep 6. Guided practice: Website design By BotEap.comUsing the picture they were assigned (or the one they brought from home), students will brainstorm possible events and characters by completing their ideas in the same table used in step 3: Website design By BotEap.comCharacters Situation Feelings Vocabulary Website design By BotEap.comCircle to check for understanding. Website design By BotEap.comStep 7. Independent practice: Website design By BotEap.comHave students choose a character from the table and write a narrative similar to the one modeled for them in Step 4 from that character’s point of view. Students will make up an original story related to segregation illustrated in the picture. They will decide whether to tell the story that leads to the image or to narrate the events that follow the image. They will write events in chronological order and write about the character’s feelings and thoughts. Website design By BotEap.comStep 8. Close: Website design By BotEap.comStudents will be assessed using the same rubric used in Step Five, Comprehension Check. Refer students to that assessment rubric and ask them to model the story previously written on the board to illustrate each area of the rubric. Stories can be assigned as homework or completed as class work based on teacher preference. Website design By BotEap.comNote: This lesson is modified from Gardner, T. (2004). A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: From Picture to Detailed Narrative, from http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=116.
Direct students’ attention to a picture on the board. As a class, ask students to brainstorm possible events and characters that this picture illustrates about segregation. Put the words or phrases under the following headings on the board as students share their ideas. Have students fill in this information on their worksheets. Website design By BotEap.comCharacters Situation Feelings Vocabulary Website design By BotEap.comStep 4. Modeling / Examples: Website design By BotEap.comUse a character from the class table. Model writing a narrative on the board from the character’s point of view by asking students to provide details. Encourage students to describe the picture and make up an original story related to the segregation illustrated in the picture. Decide as a class whether to tell the story that leads to the image or to narrate the events that follow the image. Write the events in chronological order on the board and include the character’s feelings and thoughts. Website design By BotEap.comStep 5. Comprehension check: Website design By BotEap.comHave students evaluate the story written on the board they created by marking the blank before each narrative writing item they find in the class story on segregation. Website design By BotEap.com1. _____ A character’s point of view. Website design By BotEap.com2. _____ Details about the character. Website design By BotEap.com3. _____ Details about the environment. Website design By BotEap.com4. _____ Details about the situation. Website design By BotEap.com5. _____ The story was in the correct chronological order. Website design By BotEap.com6. _____ The narrative contained feelings and thoughts. Website design By BotEap.comCircle as students work to check for understanding. Ask students to share their assessment to ensure that all students understand the content. Website design By BotEap.comStep 6. Guided practice: Website design By BotEap.comUsing the picture they were assigned (or the one they brought from home), students will brainstorm possible events and characters by completing their ideas in the same table used in step 3: Website design By BotEap.comCharacters Situation Feelings Vocabulary Website design By BotEap.comCircle to check for understanding. Website design By BotEap.comStep 7. Independent practice: Website design By BotEap.comHave students choose a character from the table and write a narrative similar to the one modeled for them in Step 4 from that character’s point of view. Students will make up an original story related to segregation illustrated in the picture. They will decide whether to tell the story that leads to the image or to narrate the events that follow the image. They will write events in chronological order and write about the character’s feelings and thoughts. Website design By BotEap.comStep 8. Close: Website design By BotEap.comStudents will be assessed using the same rubric used in Step Five, Comprehension Check. Refer students to that assessment rubric and ask them to model the story previously written on the board to illustrate each area of the rubric. Stories can be assigned as homework or completed as class work based on teacher preference. Website design By BotEap.comNote: This lesson is modified from Gardner, T. (2004). A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: From Picture to Detailed Narrative, from http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=116.