Lesson Title: What does that picture say?

Grade Level: Grade 3

Class Time: 90 minutes

Subject Integration: English

Brief Overview: This lesson expands students' inferring skills, enabling students to make meaning out of visuals as
well as text in an assortment of picture books.
Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to name and describe different illustration features and how they
contribute to the story's meaning.
Common Core Standard: CC.3.R.I.7 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Use information gained from illustrations
(e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why,
and how key events occur)
AASL Standard: 1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media,
digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning.
AASL / IFC Skill: Uses a variety of strategies to determine important ideas
Learning/Teaching Activities CT=Classroom Teacher L=Librarian
Accommodations
/Modifications
for All Learners

The practice text will be read out loud

Students will work with partners in independent practice and

read a loud to each other

Students may fill the chart out with illustrations instead of

words, or, after discussing the answer together, one student
can fill out the chart to support their partner

P. DiSalvo-Harms - 2015

Resources

Direct
Instruction

Work with students to review the definition of inferring to

Large chart paper

build on prior knowledge (like being a detective- use clues to

with two column table

make a well informed guess about the story)

labeled I think and

Introduce the skill: inferring from pictures to create meaning

because

Work with students to establish questions to consider about

illustrations (Ask: what clues do illustrations give us?):

headed What clues

What colors are being used? What does that tell me about

do illustrations give

the story?

us? with questions to

Do the lines tell me anything about the character's

emotions?

consider and examples

Does the character's placement on the page tell me

What do I notice about the character's facial expression?

student

What do the actions and body posture of the character tell

feature (colors, lines,

Explain: At the end of each page, pretend there is a stop sign.

placement, facial

Take time to investigate the illustrations and see if you can

expression, and

answer any of these questions to help you understand the

actions/body posture)

story.

Copies of graphic

Warm- up activity to help students recognize features- class

organizer for

gallery walk

students & clipboards

Post different illustration features in different areas of

the classroom, give students a few example illustrations,

and have them hang them under the correct label

Five large signs for

each illustration

me? (Adapted from Prior, Willson, and Martinez 2012)

Print outs of example

pictures for each

anything?

Large chart paper

Introduce the graphic organizer: I think/ Because chart

P. DiSalvo-Harms - 2015

Lily's Purple Plastic

Purse

Explain: We are going to practice this skill together first

until you are comfortable with it. Then, a little later, you will
choose partners and practice with a new book and continue
filling out this chart. We are all going to be teachers today as
we will end the class by sharing what we have noticed with
each other to finish our chart. Then we will always have this
chart to refer back to if we need to.

Read a loud the book Lily's Purple Plastic Purse and

demonstrate the skill by thinking aloud what the pictures
communicate and how (or through what feature)
add observations to I think/ Because chart and have

students do likewise
Guided Practice

Continue reading the book as a class and stop periodically to

have a group discussion around the visuals
prompt students to make meaning from the visuals with

questions
Generally- What do you see here? What does this visual

tell us?
Specifically- What does this [specific feature] tell us?
Have students think independently or turn and discuss with

a neighbor
Add additional observations to I think/ Because chart

P. DiSalvo-Harms - 2015

Lily's Purple Plastic

Purse

Independent

Practice

Provide students with an assortment of picture books with

Drive the Bus

strong visuals

Don't Let the Pigeon

Partners select a book, take turns reading out loud, and work

Wemberly Worried

through inferring from visuals in this new text, adding to their

Olivia

I think/ Because graphic organizer

Officer Buckle and

Gloria

Circulate to guide students with pointed questions and offer

encouragement where appropriate

Where the Wild

Things Are

Closing/

Sharing/

No, David!

Before the end of class, pairs share what they have

discovered and it is added to the class I think/ Because chart

Reflection

Students are given time to share visuals they may have

struggled with and the class works through them together

Assessment(s)

Any lingering questions are welcomed

I think/ Because chart

Resources/Activities for Extending the Learning:

Students create their own picture books using the visual features they have learned to convey meaning, by
hand or through a Web 2.0 tool such as My Story Maker

P. DiSalvo-Harms - 2015

I think/Because Graphic Organizer

I think...

P. DiSalvo-Harms - 2015

Because...