Author - Amanda Smith
Category - Lesson Plans, English, Reading, Reading Comprehension
Lesson Plan Duration - 90 minute(s)
Grade Level - 3-5

Lesson Plan Description

Students use visualization to create a drawing of a character, then draw their own character to describe.

Primary Learning Objective(s):

Comprehension Strategies
1.3 identify a variety of reading comprehension
strategies and use them appropriately
before, during, and after reading
to understand texts (e.g., activate prior
knowledge through brainstorming and/or
developing mind maps; ask questions to
focus reading and clarify understanding;
use visualization to clarify details about
such things as homes and clothing of
early settlers; use pictures to confirm
understanding of printed text)

Additional Learning Objective(s):

Visualization is a comprehension strategy. We worked on adjectives during grammar lessons before starting this sequence.

Procedures/Activities:

Session 1: (45 minutes) Read aloud a description of a character (the description of Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is great for this) and have the students sketch their visualization of the character.

Have the students hold up their sketches and look around. Discuss why the sketches all look similar - the descriptive language used.

I chose three descriptions from the pdf file and put them up on the screen using an LCD projector. The students then chose one of the descriptions to draw. (I went around the room guessing which one they were drawing - they were amazed I could tell immediately!)

Session 2: (45 minutes) Have the students sketch their own character and write a detailed description. Students can then read their description to the class, without showing their original sketch. The other members of the class sketch their own versions (I had them read through it once quickly without anyone sketching, then 3 or four times more slowly). It's great fun to compare the class's version to the one the student was describing!

Materials/Equipment:

LOTS of white paper - can be scrap - for sketching.

All students have a "doodle book" that we used for all sketches except for when the students were sharing - then we used scrap paper!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

LCD projector

Assessment Guidelines:

Observational notes as students read their descriptions give information as to the complexity of language and quality of adjectives used.