Name: Bobbe Jo Mills

Date: July 26, 2014

EDR 627
Section One:
Strategy name: Talking Drawings Strategy
Source for strategy:
McConnell, S. (1992). Talking drawings: A strategy for assisting learners. Journal of
Reading, 36(4), 260.

Paquette, K. R., Fello, S. E., & Jalongo, M. R. (2007). The talking drawings strategy:
Using primary childrens illustrations and oral language to improve
comprehension of expository text. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35,
(1), 65-73.

Purpose for using strategy: The purpose of using this strategy is to introduce a
topic in a fresh and new way while allowing students to be able to reflect on
prior knowledge in a positive way. It is most effective for students with limited
experiences and that have little to no background knowledge but assume that
they understand the content information.
Section Two: This strategy can be used whole group or small group.
For this lesson I will work with 2 students who will be in 3
rd
grade in the fall.

Section Three:
Perimeter, Area, and Volume: A Monster Book of Dimensions
by David A Adler, Illustrated by Edward Miller, Copyright 2012 and
paper and crayons for drawing

Section Four:
1. Introduction to the lesson: Today we are going to read a book about 3-D
and we are going to use a strategy called Talking Drawings. With this
strategy we are going to draw a picture of what we know about 3-D and
then we are going to read the story Perimeter, Area, and Volume, A
Monster Book of Dimension to learn more about 3-D. Then we will go back
and draw a new picture but this time our drawing will reflect what we
have learned and we may even label what we drawn.
2. Activating Prior Knowledge: To activate prior knowledge I will first ask the
students if they have ever been to a 3-D movie. Then I will ask them to tell
me what they know about 3-D. After we have had a chance to talk
about 3-D I will have them close their eyes and ask them to make a
mental image of 3-D in their mind. Then I will say When you have the
image in your mind you may open your eyes and draw the image. I will
also tell them that there is no right or wrong way to draw what you have
imagined in your head, so just draw what you saw when you closed your
eyes.
3. Modeling: When students have finished their drawings I will have them
share with each other and talk about similarities and differences in their
drawings. I will model with an example, how I would like the students to
share with their partner their drawing and what my expectations are for
sharing. (Two positives and a question.)

4. Transition to Independence: I will then read the story to the students,
discussing concepts and vocabulary as I read. I will also clear up any
confusions or question that they may have as we read. When I have
finished reading we will discuss how our thinking has changed and what
we have learned new about 3-D. I will then have student make a new
drawing of what 3-D is and have them label it with the new vocabulary
that they have learned.

5. Lesson wrap-up: After the drawings have been completed I will have
students share their new drawings and allow them to talk about how their
thinking changed and what new learning had.

Section Five: The level of success for the lesson will be based on the outcome of
the final drawing and the final conversations in regards to the drawing. The
drawing and conversation will allow me to access if the child has
comprehended the text and is able to orally articulate that learning with others.

Section Six: I feel that the lesson was somewhat effective. In the Activating Prior
Knowledge part of the lesson the girls first thoughts of 3-D were related to
movies and how an image looks like it is comes out at you. As they continued to
talk Meeka brought up the fact that some shapes are 3-D at this point I think
both of their thinking and understanding shifted. Reflecting back I think that this
created an image for both of the girls that they were comfortable taking a risk
and drawing so both drew a cube. While reading they learned that in order for
an object to be 3-D it must have length, width and depth. These were terms that
both girls had heard before but they were not sure what they meant. By drawing
a new picture of a cube both girls were able to understand length, width and
depth.
When using the strategy again I will am not sure that I would have students share
what they know about the topic first. I think that the discussion helped them to
take on some initial learning prior to the book being read, so I did not get a true
first picture impression of 3-D. I also might put up a privacy folder so that students
dont look at other drawings.









Student Samples:
Meekas drawing before and after: Kalins drawing before and after:



Section Seven:
Peer feedback from Elizabeth:

I liked how you started activating background knowledge.
I liked how you had them label their drawing using the new terms that
they learned.
The changes you talked about making sound like they would really work.

Maybe model your own drawing so students can see more of your
thinking.
What about having some discussion after to let students explain their
thinking?

Would you try this strategy with an older fiction book as well?

Peer feedback from Holly:
Bobbe,
I really like how you can incorporate art with this strategy. So many of my kiddos
love to draw! I like how you can compare drawings from before and then after
to see their growth on a knowledge of a topic. I would like to try this strategy in
my own classroom next year. I also like that you allowed students to discuss their
discoveries and drawings after reading.
I would also have students put dividers up when doing this lesson because so
often, students like to copy each other in order to make sure that they get it
right! I guess developing a positive classroom environment will help this. I also
wonder if a different topic like something in science would make the drawings
easier. Modeling with your own drawings would also be beneficial to students to
see that your first drawing is just a rough guess at what they know.
What other concepts would you use this strategy with? Could you use it with a
fiction story or is it primarily just used for nonfiction texts?


Peer feedback from Andrea:
Bobbe,
I really liked your book choice and your choice for activating prior
knowledge! So many students love 3-D books and movies, so that is a great
way to reel them in! I also love how you chose a math text. What a wonderful
connection for students. Another aspect of your lesson that really intrigued
me was the way you had students label their drawings. When modeling the
example, did you label your work or did you just ask them to do so in their
final piece? I have the same issue with students being unsure of their own
work, and looking at others around them. I think it would be a great idea to
have up privacy folders, so that students were showing their own thinking. Do
you think that modeling a bit more or sharing a second model would be
helpful? Thank you for sharing. I cant wait to utilize this strategy with my
3
rd
graders!


Section Eight:
Overall Reflection: This is a great strategy and I anticipate using it more with the
students that I work with in small groups. I am glad that I tried it with a math text,
but I think that it may work even better with a social studies or science text.

There are a few things that I will change when I use it again.
Next time I use the strategy I plan to do some more modeling with the lesson,
with hope that students will be able to see how even my thinking changes with
my reading and experiences. I plan to limit the discussion in the activating prior
knowledge part of the lesson. I also plan to separate students so that they cant
see each others drawings. I think that it would also be a good idea to add
more student discussion and sharing of drawings after the first drawing and then
again after the reading. I feel that by making these modifications to my lesson it
will be more successful for all of the students in the small group.