Quiet On The Set....Take 1.....Action!!

Designed by: Christine LeBlanc, A.C. Moore Elementary

Grade: Kindergarten           Subject: Language Arts

CORE CURRICULUM OBJECTIVE(S):

Associate written words to pictures (such as in books, stories, labels, lists, recipes, experience charts, rhymes) (K-VW14)

Draw pictures and/or create original stories and poems in the pattern or style of familiar stories or poems (K-WS-3)

OVERVIEW: Students will create their own collection of action verbs to be used in their original writings. Students will read the book Step by Step written by Bruce McMillan and other related stories to generate a list of action verbs. They will be guided in the procedures for taking photographs with a digital camera. The photographs will be used to make stick puppets to be used to dramatize the action verbs. These puppets will ultimately be used as a resource for writing original works.

FOCUS/ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S):

What are the children doing in the story?

What are other actions you can do?

How could we use the digital camera to illustrate these actions?

How could we use the pictures to write stories?

TIME FRAME: Three thirty minute lessons.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:

Books: 

Step by Step, by Bruce McMillan 

Becca Backward Becca Frontward, by Bruce McMillan 

I Walk and Read, Tana Hoban 

Outline of a person drawn on a poster Markers Digital Camera Printer Labels Paper Pencil Tongue depressors

Software/Equipment: 

Print Shop Photo Pro 

Intel Play Me2 Computer 

Video Camera 

Midnight Play

Internet Connections: http://www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/edu/k12Solutions/index.shtml http://kidslangarts.about.com/kids/kidslangarts/library/weekly/aa040100b.htm

CULMINATING ASSESSMENT:

Teacher observation and completed children's work (including puppet and drawing/story or poem)

Action Rubric (+) Mastered (/) Needs more practice (*) Not yet

+ Student is able to associate written action verbs to photographs with 100% accuracy / Student is able to associate written action verbs to photgraphs with 75% accuracy . Student is unable to associate written action verbs to photgraphs

+ Student is able to draw a picture and create an original story or poem illustrating an action / Student is able to draw a picture illustrating an action or create an original story/poem . Student is unable to draw a picture or create an original story/poem

INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Day 1: This activity can follow various movement activities that involve the association of language to actions including songs, fingerplays, and games. Introduce the books, Step by Step, Becca Backward, Becca Frontward, and I Walk and Read. These books describe a variety of common actions children will recognize. Direct the children's attention to a blank outline of a person and ask them to recall different actions from the books and record these on the outline. Challenge them to think of other types of actions beyond those included in the books.

Day 2: The teacher will select one of the actions and lead a discussion with students about ways that action might be dramatized and what could be used as appropriate props. Students will demonstrate their ideas.

Each child will then select an action verb to demonstrate. The children may choose to work individually, or in pairs, to consider how to illustrate the action through dramatization, practice the action, and prepare appropriate props.

Day 3: The teacher will assist the children in taking a photograph of each other using a digital camera. Once the pictures are printed the children will help label the pictures with the appropriate action verb and will mount the pictures on tongue depressors to make puppets.

Students will then be instructed to use the puppets to create their own original drawing, story, or poem to be shared with the class and parents. This story could be modeled after the pattern found in the book Step by Step. The puppets/words will be displayed in a writing center to allow for exploration and the creation of stories, poems, puppet shows, etc.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

Pictures can be duplicated and used for sequencing activities, memory games, identifying antonyms and synonyms, etc..

Pictures can be used to create people patterns that the children can identify the rule for a pattern, extend patterns, create new patterns.