EDU 743 Book Project - Connecting Reading and Writing

For this project, I decided to teach students how to create an informational book that used their choice of 5 different illustration techniques described by Katie Wood Ray, in her book, In Pictures and Words: Teaching the Qualitities of Good Writing Through Illustration Study (2010). Her writings suggested that students learn more through the addition of well-thought out and inspired illustrations that communicate more detail, emotion, or depth to their writing. My fourth grade students were allowed to brainstorm and choose a topic to write about, and then through the use of many model texts, learn more about 5 different illustration techniques that they would then study and discuss. Once students decided on how many sections we would all attempt to include in our books (six), we narrowed down what those six sections would be about, after looking at our own KWL charts and personal lists of guiding questions for research. Next, we decided which types of text structures would work well for the types of illustrations we studied, organizing our research and writing around this planning and illustration technique suitable for our own books. At the time of this Glog creation, students are poised to begin in-depth research on their topic once we return from Thanksgiving break.

EDU 743 Connecting Reading and Writing

MY OPINION

CHARACTERS

1. #40 Designing the Placement of Words and Pictures2. #43 Designing Print to Convey Meaning3. #46 Using Borders4. #48 Using Visual Elements in the White Space Around Words and Pictures5. #50 Using Graphic Features to Show Information (Wood Ray, 2010)

Illustration Techniques

Instructional Action Plan

Illustrated Informational Book

Collect books that can be used as mentor texts. Next, allow plenty of exploration and dicussion of these books, giving students time build a good understanding of what the techniques look like, and how they are used to improve a reader's understanding of the topic and writing. I suggest creating a handout that you can make using reduced images on a copier, of the actual pages in the mentor texts. Paste the into a typed page of explanations next to each illustration strategy (written in kid-friendly language), so students can refer to the illustrations discussed, and the reason for using them. This way, students will have a reference for these strategies long after the library books have been returned.

Part 1: Illustration Study

As artistically inspired as the idea of creating a book with illustrations at the heart of the work is, the planning and organizing of leading students through this process has been a learning experience for me. Students need to be committed to their topic, which should not be too broad, but can't be too narrow either. The book needs to be roughed out on a storyboard or mini-book, where students can organize the layout of their book's text features as well as illustration technique(s). This will guide their research. Good research options need to be available. The process of research needs to be taught or reviewed as part of this project after ideas and research questions are formed. Moving forward myself, I will need to support my students in their research, sifting through information that works for them. Two students who often struggle with such open-ended writing work, but do fabulously in group work, have been allowed to collaborate on a book. Students will need to be reminded to stay true to their chosen formats and to keep their focus not only on their writing, but on how the illustrations will support or further explain that writing, in some cases, being the focus. Gathering mentor texts, research websites and materials, graphic organizers, and setting aside plenty of time for the writing and illustrating will be very important.

Grade 4 Writing

Part 2: Organize

Still to come...Part 3: Research Part 7: SharePart 4: Draft Part 8: DisplayPart 5: IllustratePart 6: Revision

References:Wood Ray, Katie (2010). In pictures and in words: Teaching the qualitities of good writing through illustration study. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.