My students struggling with conversation, reading, and writing. I wanted to try something that could incorporate all three areas. I tried the visual imagery in a compare/contrast lesson. My students observed two pictures of gas stations; one in the 1940's and one from today. First, they had to write down everything they saw in each picture. Next, they had to find a partner and compare their lists. The students thought it was really interesting to see what they missed. As they conversed they were able to help each other spot the differences they may have missed the first time. I found their observations very interesting such as noticing the shape of the buildings were different, the price of gas was different, the size of the gas stations were different etc. It took several conversations for the students to even notice that one photograph was in black and white and the other was in color.
I really enjoyed trying this activity because I felt that it strengthened my students observation skills which will help them in decoding texts and observing/taking notes during science experiments. I liked having the students write down what they saw and then discuss with a partner so they could justify their observations and be shown new observations they might have missed the first time. I liked this activity because I could incorporate more reading and writing in social studies. I want to continue using this visual imagery strategy because I think it helps my struggling readers who do not realize that the words in a book relate to the pictures in the book. If I can teach them to "read the pictures" I might be able to further strengthen my struggling readers ability levels.
This is a neat strategy, Brandi. I think I could adapt it for my preschoolers by having children compare two books and draw a picture about it and label their picture. Setting up conversations between partners is a great idea. Learning listening and speaking skills is just as important!
ReplyDeleteReading pictures is so important and, sadly, we don't emphasize it enough. I love that you had them compare two pictures and share with each other what they found. This was a great way to have them communicate to share their findings. I wonder if they could have written a story based on the picture. I think it would be interesting to see what story their imaginations created.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of comparing and contrasting pictures. I, like Melissa, wonder if this can be used to compare and contrast similar books. This would be neat to try with the covers of two version of "The Gingerbread Man" or "The Three Bears". It would also be interesting to try in a fairy tale unit comparing and contrasting two different fairy tale stories or a fairy tale story with a nonfairy tale story. I noticed that one of the students saw that gas was only 15 cents in the 1940s. This could spark a great conversation/lesson around math and how the economy changes over time. What a great way to incorporate reading, social studies, and math all into one activity!
ReplyDeleteHi Brandi,
ReplyDeleteI like the way this strategy has embedded opportunities for visual literacy through comparing and contrasting the two images and also through the comparing and contrasting of their noticings with a peer. Is this a strategy you created or one you learned about from our course readings? I believe this can be adaptable for multiple grade levels.
Thanks,
Dawn
Brandi,
ReplyDeleteHow awesome! I think this is a great strategy and am adding it to my list to try with my students! My students struggle in the same areas and are such visual learners that I think this would be great! It would also help strengthen their speaking skills. Thanks so much for sharing! I think Jaime has a great idea as well!