A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
The old cliche "A picture is worth a thousand words" is put to the test in this lesson. While students may not actually write exactly a thousand words, they will have the chance to think critically about their interpretations of the events in an image and to write about those ideas, incorporating the focused vocabulary words. Simply distribute or show a picture that tells a story and then encourage students to brainstorm words and ideas about the image before writing a story that tells background on the image or extends details on what has happened.
Instruction and Activities
- Distribute the picture to the students.
- Ask students to examine the picture individually for a few minutes, jotting down on a piece of scratch paper or in their writer's notebooks any features or details that they notice, and vocabulary words which might be used in writing about the
picture.
- Consulting their notes as necessary, students brainstorm about the possible events and characters this picture illustrates. As students share their ideas, place the words or phrases under headings such as Character, Setting, Situation, and Vocabulary.
This is especially helpful for nonnative speakers, who may need help with vocabulary and spelling. Of course, this step may be only oral for native speakers.
- Ask students to write from one character's point of view. They may write about the character's feelings and thoughts, tell the story that leads up to the picture, or narrate the events that follow. Encourage students not only to describe the picture but to invent an original story related to the event illustrated. Students can sketch out the sequence of events for their narratives using the vocabulary words of choice.
- Remind students of the characteristics of narrative writing. You might write the information on a piece of chart paper or on the board so that writers can refer to the list while working.
- Focuses a clear, well-defined incident or series of related events.
- Develops plot, character, and setting with specific detail.
- Orders events clearly.
- Uses description and dialogue as appropriate to develop setting and character.
- Shows events rather than just telling about them.
- Establishes and maintains a tone and point of view.
- Uses a logical and effective pattern of organization, such as chronological order, flashback, or flash-forward.
- Uses transitional words and phrases to maintain coherence and establish sequence within and between paragraphs.
- Based on student need and experience with writing narratives, you might add one or more mini-lessons that will help students complete their work. Any of the following items would make excellent mini-lessons for writers composing narratives:
Albers, Peggy. "Literacy in the Arts." Primary Voices K–6 9.4 (April 2001): 3-9.
Frei, Rochelle I. "Making Meaning with Art: Children's Stories." Language Arts 76.5 (May 1999): 386-382.
This lesson was adapted from Gail Servoss's teaching idea in NCTE's Standards Consensus Series book, Motivating Writing in Middle School (1996), pp. 17-19.