Narrative Account to Picture Book Gr 3-5 2010-2011

Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2010-2011 Educators working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for instructional purposes only.

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MINI INQUIRY: TURNING A NARRATIVE ACCOUNT INTO A PICTURE BOOK

Grades 3-5

BIG IDEAS OF THE MINI INQUIRY:

Best-guess Gathering: As the students are finishing revising and editing their narrative drafts, they will begin talking informally about picture books. During this time the teacher will be gathering a variety of personal-narrative picture books that can be shared during read-aloud and that students can read during their independent reading time. The teacher should also return to the touchstone picture books the class has used throughout the school year. The focus during this stage is on the features of a picture book. Students will apply what they learn about illustrations and the layout of a picture book to the final draft of their own narrative. Immersion/Building a Definition: During this stage the students will begin charting their picture book noticings. They should be encouraged to read and discuss a variety of different types of picture books. Elements of Picture Books: Once the students have discovered and charted their noticings, the class will study specific elements of a picture book. Publishing, Celebrating, and Reflecting: The teacher should set a date for the final celebration, holding students responsible for completing their published books by that time. Students publish and celebrate their writing by sharing it with others. Finally, they reflect on the unit of study, naming what they’ve learned and setting goals for their growth as writers.


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Immersion/Building a Definition

The teacher should read When I Was Little by Jamie Lee Curtis (or another personal narrative that has been published as a picture book—see book list). After reading the book begin a class chart of what the students notice. The chart may include the following:

Characteristics of Personal Narratives as Picture Books

Illustrations match the text Illustrations extend the text Sometimes illustrations fill the whole page Words above the illustrations/words below the illustrations Some illustrations spread across two pages Books include a dedication page, about-the-author page, and copyright information On subsequent days, the class should explore other examples of personal narratives that have been published as picture books and continue recording the students’ noticings on the chart. Based on what the students discover about the characteristics of picture books, they will make the same decisions about their own personal narrative published as a picture book.

Elements of Picture Books In order for students to turn their personal narratives into picture books, they will need to study the following elements:

• Illustrations o Picture format (double-page spread, words below picture, words above picture,

etc.) o Different mediums

• Text format o Placement of text on the page o Font styles and sizes (bold, italics, etc.)

• Page breaks • Dedication page • ‘About the Author’ page • Copyright information

Studying Illustrations Illustrations are an extremely important part of a picture book study. The class has already charted initial illustration noticings. The students will now take an in-depth look at picture book illustrations. Over several days, the teacher and students need to read and talk about illustrations in a variety of picture books. As the class begins looking at illustrations, students will examine Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Where the Wild Things Are is a familiar book to K-2 students. The pictures reflect the story line. As Max sets off on his journey and gets closer to where the wild things are, the pictures increase in size. Once he arrives in the jungle, there are pictures without any text, which focuses the


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reader on the jungle itself. As Max returns home, the pictures decrease in size. Once he is back home, there are only words without an illustration on the page. The teacher reads the book to the class, asking the students to pay close attention to the illustrations. Then discuss what the students notice as they focus on the art medium Sendak uses, the size and position of the illustrations on the pages, and so forth. The students will probably notice the following:

• The pictures increase in size on each page • As the pictures get bigger, the boarder around the picture gets smaller • The pictures start extending onto the next page until they finally fill up facing pages • The order is reversed as the pictures start decreasing in size

Now ask the students why they think Maurice Sendak illustrated the book in this manner. How did the illustrations work with the text? What medium do you think he used and why?

Experimenting with Illustration Techniques Note: There are two lessons suggested for helping students experiment with illustration techniques. The teacher should decide which lesson best meets the needs of his/her students, or it is possible to do both lessons. Lesson One: To allow students to experiment with a variety of mediums, have them choose at least two different mediums in which to illustrate a section from Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe. Give them the typed text of Fireflies. (You will need to use the typed text so students do not see the actual illustrations. The typed text is available in the appendix section of this unit.) After reading the text aloud, each student will select a part he/she wants to illustrate. Have them copy that part on a blank piece of 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Next, ask them to choose the mediums they want to use for their illustrations. Make as many different kinds of art materials available as possible, including watercolors, #2 pencils, colored pencils, crayons, construction paper/tissue paper, pastels, etc. Tell students to draw their pictures using what they are learning about illustrations. Remind them to consider placement of text and illustration on the page, use of a specific medium, or combining mediums for a particular effect, etc. After they have completed their illustrations, students can share their work with each other. In addition the teacher can show them the actual illustrations in the book. The students can compare their illustrated interpretations of the text to the pictures in the book. They should also reflect on this experience, based on the following questions:

• Why did you choose the mediums you did? • Did you select a medium you have never used before or never thought about using until now? • Did you feel comfortable using the medium you chose? • Did the medium you chose suit the mood of the text?

The students will discover that illustrators make deliberate decisions about their illustrations. They choose a medium that best reflects the mood and tone of the writing. They make decisions about the size and placement of the illustrations on the page. Illustrators interpret the author’s meaning and intent. The students will need to make these same kinds of decisions about their own memory picture book.


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The following is a list of books that are illustrated using different art mediums: Collage—torn tissue paper Harriet and the Fox by Mem Fox (Also see books by Ezra Jack Keats and Eric Carl) Watercolor— When I was Little by Jamie Lee Curtis A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams #2 Pencil— Ben’s Trumpet by Rachel Isadora The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst Combining Mediums— Cherries and Cherry Pits by Vera B. Williams My Little Island by Frane Lessac (good contrast for mood/tone) Note: As students explore a variety of new art mediums, it is useful to show them books that use these same materials. It helps them notice that illustrators pay attention to the mood of the text when they illustrate it. LESSON TWO: The purpose of this lesson is to experiment with illustration techniques, not to illustrate the entire personal narrative piece the students are going to publish as a picture book. To allow the students to experiment with a variety of mediums, have them select one part/page of their personal narrative. Over the next four days, the students will use a different art medium each day to illustrate the selected part/page. It is important that after the first day the only thing that changes in their picture is the medium. Some possible mediums include:

• Watercolors • #2 pencils • Colored pencils • Crayons • Collage materials • Pastels

Note: See the above book list and additional note in the lesson above. After the students have completed their illustrations, they should place each picture side-by-side on their table. As the students look at their illustrations, they should think about the following:

• Which art medium do they think best fits the words of the text they illustrated? • Which art medium did they like using the best? Why? • Was there an art medium that surprised them?


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Based on what the students discover about the different mediums, they will decide which medium or combined medium they will use when publishing their personal narrative as a picture book.

Additional activities to consider when studying illustrations Activity #1: When authors write stories, they choose words to tell what is happening, to describe scenes, or to express how characters feel. Artists use things like lines, shapes, and colors to “tell” their stories. For example, thick vertical lines tend to seem steady and secure. Thin, sketchy lines might suggest nervousness or excitement. An artist might choose zigzag or diagonal lines to show action or curving lines to convey rest or quiet. Shapes can also imply meaning. Rounded, flowing shapes might seem natural and alive, while sharp-edged or pointed shapes seem active or tense. Students should look at illustrations in a variety of books and choose the books where they think the artist used lines and shapes to say something. Following this initial exploration, students can suggest a list of things the artists were trying to convey in the lines and shapes. As an extension to this activity students can draw a picture with pencils, paints, or crayons or create a collage—a picture using cut paper, fabric, etc—that conveys a feeling of happiness or excitement. Then they can create a picture of something frightening or gloomy. Activity #2: Combining Colors to Create Feelings/Emotions The ways authors choose to combine different colors can also affect the reader’s feelings. Color compliments (colors opposite each other on the color wheel) like red and green, blue and orange, or violet and yellow, look vivid and alive when used together. Colors from the same family, like gray-blue, pale blue, and blue-violet, may cause a more restful, tranquil feeling. During this activity, students will notice the types of color schemes chosen by artists in the books they have been using throughout the unit. As students look at the books, they should reflect on the following questions:

• Which pictures seem to jump off the page? • Which are quiet? • How do these colors match what the artists are trying to say?

Note: When Sophie Gets Angry by Molly Bang is a good example of an illustrator using this technique to convey the range of emotions experienced by the character in the book. Following this initial exploration, students should draw two pictures of the same scene, one using color compliments and another using colors from the same family (shades of one color). They can then discuss the differences with their classmates/writing partner.

Page Breaks The purpose of this lesson is for students to study how a writer decides how much text to place on each page. The teacher introduces the topic of page breaks by showing students a variety of personal-narrative books. S/he asks the students what they notice about the amount/layout of text on each page. The class may notice the following:


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• Sometimes each line of the personal narrative is on a separate page • Sometimes a line goes across two facing pages • Sometimes one line is spread out over several pages • Sometimes each paragraph is on a separate page

Based on what the students discover about page breaks, they will decide how much text to place on each page of their book. Select four or five personal narratives that have been published as picture books and study the first page of each book. Ask students why they think the authors ended at the place they did on the page. Students will probably notice that authors use the first page of the book to do one of the following:

• Introduce a character • Establish the setting • Build suspense • Pose a question

Then read the remainder of the book and discuss the authors’ choices about where the text on each of the subsequent pages ends. Emphasize that authors make deliberate decisions about the amount of text they want on each page of their books. Following this preliminary activity, give the students a photocopy of “Hairs” from House on Mango Street (see appendix for the typed text). Before Sandra Cisneros wrote the picture book Hairs/Pelitos, she wrote “Hairs” as part of a collection of short memoir pieces. Ask the students to imagine that Sandra Cisneros is a member of the class and that the text they are reading is the final draft. Using an overhead transparency, mark where students think the page breaks should be using a slash mark to denote each page break. After marking all the page breaks, compare the students’ choices with those made by Sandra Cisneros in the actual book. Discuss the idea that there is more than one way to do it, but that the choices a writer makes affect the mood and rhythm of the story. The students will need to read through their final drafts, using slash marks to indicate where they want their page breaks. Note: Picture books are 28 or 32 pages in length (due to publishing cost). The teacher may find that students did not include enough page breaks when looking at “Hairs.” S/he should tell students that published picture books have 28 or 32 pages. Therefore, the class can return to the text, adding additional page breaks using slash marks.

Dedication Pages, Copyright Information, and ‘About the Author’ blurb

The class should study a variety of picture books noting the different information and format of each of these elements. The students will then create these elements for their own picture book.


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APPENDIX ONE BOOK LIST

Students will study a variety of picture books that represent various styles, formats, and art mediums of illustrations. As the class examines the books, students should discuss why the illustrator made the choices s/he did. NIGHT DRIVING by John Coy and illustrated by Peter McCarty The illustrations in this book are done using pencils. The drawings capture the simple, memorable story of a young boy’s nighttime car ride with his dad. Each picture is surrounded with a white page boarder. The illustrations alternate between one-page illustrations and double-page spread illustrations. TALL TALES: SIX AMAZING BASKETBALL DREAMS by Charles R. Smith Jr. From the book jacket, “I used a basic 35-millimeter camera and infrared color film to create the wild and loud colors in the photography. Infrared is different from standard film because it ‘sees’ the object’s color. Grass turns pink; the sky yellow; and the black outfits of many of the players turn red. Since the stories have a fantastic and magical quality to them, I felt the pictures should reflect that.” MY CAR by Byron Barton Each picture is a double-page spread. The illustrations are simple and are done in primary colors. Many of the figures and items depicted in the book are unusual-looking, blocky figures, with big black blobs for eyes, and more blobs for the nose and mouth. The characters and objects are reminiscent of the cars, signs, and figures in a child's play station. MY LITTLE ISLAND by Frane Lessac Fiery colors accompany this exultation of the special joys of island life. Each illustration is placed on the right side of the double-page spread with the text on the left side. The pictures are colorful and do include accurate details of life on the island. ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Ray Cruz Using simple black-and-white pen drawings, this book illustrates the most horrible day. Some of the pictures are a double-page spread and others just depict Alexander standing alone thinking about how the day is unfolding. THROUGH GRANDPA’S EYES by Patricia MacLachlan with pictures by Deborah Kogan Ray The pictures in this book are simple and artistic. This book includes a little color amidst the black-and-white pictures. STEVIE by John Steptoe This book does not include illustrations on each page. The illustrations that are included do portray the strong feelings depicted in the book. They are colorful and look as though they may have been created using pastels or craypas. UNTIL THE COWS COME HOME written and illustrated by Patricia Mills The author/illustrator of this book uses hand-colored photographs to depict the rural life on a country farm. The pictures fill the majority of the pages with one line of text along the bottom of each page. There


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is an additional picture on the back of the book that is a part of one of the illustrations in the book. Students may decide to use this same technique when designing their front and/or back cover. HATTIE AND THE FOX by Mem Fox and illustrated by Patricia Mullins Patricia Mullins uses tissue-paper collage to create an unusual effect, both fuzzy and comic. She employs a collage technique using tissue paper and Conte crayon to complete the illustrations. Most of the illustrations are a double-page spread. . ROCK OF ALL AGES by Tonya Bolden with illustrations by R. Gregory Christie The illustrations and text represent a variety of styles. Different font styles and sizes are used throughout the text. The illustrations are done in acrylic and colored pencils and compliment Tonya Bolden’s text. AMY ELIZABETH EXPLORES BLOOMINGDALE’S written and illustrated by E.L. Konigsburg Konigsburg's large-scale, characteristically realistic color pictures, together with black-and-white panels similar to film frames offer a vivid portrait of a distraction-filled city. NIGHT CARS by Teddy Jam This story is illustrated from the perspective of the baby in the story. Each double-page spread depicts the small child using a larger illustration, which focuses the reader’s attention on the background picture. Each picture is surrounded with a white page border and the text is along the bottom. THE TENTH GOOD THING ABOUT BARNEY by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Erik Blegvad Erik Blegvad uses #2 pencils to create black-and-white illustrations to illustrate the mood of this story. Many of the pages include a small, additional picture that matches the text and larger illustration of the story. The illustrations and text sit side-by-side on a double-page spread. EARRINGS! By Judith Viorst and illustrated by Nola Langner Malone Each page contains a series of pictures that match the text. The pictures are colorful and may have been done using a combination of colored pencils, markers, and/or watercolor paints. THE PAIN AND THE GREAT ONE by Judy Blume and illustrated by Irene Trivas The illustrations in this book portray the everyday occurrences of a brother and sister. They are realistic and may have been done in markers or watercolor paints. Many of the pictures spread across the spine of the book. I NEED A SNAKE by Lynne Jonell and Petra Mathers The illustrations in this book are simple and done in color crayon. Each page includes an illustration that is enclosed with a thin, black line. The text is below the illustration on each page. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak The pictures reflect the story line. As Max sets off on his journey and gets closer to where the wild things are, the pictures increase in size. Once he arrives in the jungle, there are pictures without any text, which focuses the reader on the jungle itself. As he returns home, the pictures decrease in size. Once Max is back home there are only words without an illustration on the page. BEN’S TRUMPET by Rachel Isadora The illustrations in this book are black and white. Students may refer to this book when studying line and perspective. Many of the illustrations spread across two pages.


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WAKE UP, BIG BARN! written and illustrated by Suzanne Tanner Chitwood Suzanne Chitwood uses discarded catalogs and magazines to create the collage illustrations. She combines a variety of colors and textures, creating interesting images that are lively and distinctive. THE PERFECT PUPPY FOR ME by Jane O’Connor and Jessica Hartland with illustrations by Jessie Hartland Each page is full of detailed illustrations. Many of the pictures include functional writing—labels, captions, etc. The illustrations on the end pages give additional information, depicting and labeling many different breeds of dogs. ALL THE PLACES TO LOVE by Patricia MacLachlan with painting by Mike Wimmer Students can use this book to study scene vs. specific detail. Many of the pages include a scene from the country along with a picture of something specific from that scene. Each page includes the text along with the zoom-in illustration on the left side and the scenery picture on the right side. I MEANT TO TELL YOU by James Stevenson The watercolor medium in the illustrations matches “faded memories” as the father recalls memories of his son growing up. THE BANGING BOOK by Bill Grossman with illustrations by Robert Zimmerman The illustrations in this book are cartoon-like and include vibrant color. The text is laid out in order to support the “banging” theme of the story. I WANT A PET by Lauren Child These pictures are comical in nature and represent the types of illustrations many students are capable of producing with colored pencils, crayons, or markers. There is a common “floor” (thick, black line) across each page with a scene of the child that matches the text on the page. ONE HOT SUMMER DAY by Nina Crews Nina Crews uses photography to illustrate the activities children enjoy on a hot, summer day. She says, “These photographs are about the endless summer days I remember from my childhood: the feeling of rough concrete sidewalks, hot slides, the sun on your back, the coolness of shade, and big, wet raindrops.” BRING ON THAT BEAT by Rachel Isadora The illustrations in this book combine black-and-white with vibrant fluorescent accents. The illustrations spread across the spine of the book on each page. PEEKABOO MORNING by Rachel Isadora This book uses a common structure with a scene followed by the little child peeking at something that follows on the next page. For example, on the third page in the story the little child is peeking in on her father’s bed and on the next page we see her father and her playing on the bed. Each of the ‘Peekaboo!’ pages is surrounded with a thin, black border and the picture does not fill the entire page. The scene illustration does fill the entire page and also has text that describes what the little child is looking at.


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APPENDIX TWO: Typed Text of “Hairs” by Sandra Cisneros and Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe

Hairs Everybody in our family has different hair. My Papa’s hair is like a broom, all up in the air. And me, my hair is lazy. It never obeys barrettes or bands. Carlos’ hair is thick and straight. He doesn’t need to comb it. Nenny’s hair is slippery—slides out of your hand. And Kiki, who is the youngest, has hair like fur. But my mother’s hair, my mother’s hair, like little rosettes, like the little candy circles all curly and pretty because she pinned it in pincurls all day, sweet to put your nose into when she is holding you, holding you and you feel safe, is the warm smell of bread before you bake it, is the smell when she makes room for you on her side of the bed still warm with her skin, and you sleep near her, the rain outside falling and Papa snoring. The snoring, the rain, and Mama’s hair that smells like bread.


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FIREFLIES Story and Pictures by Julie Brinkloe

On a summer evening I looked up from dinner, through the open window to the back yard. It was growing dark. My tree house was a black shape in the tree and I wouldn’t go up there now. But something flickered there, A moment— I looked, and it was gone. It flickered again, over near the fence. Fireflies! “Don’t let your dinner get cold,” said Momma. I forked the meat and corn and potatoes into my mouth. “Please, may I go out? The fireflies–” Momma smiled, and Daddy nodded. “Go ahead,” they said. I ran from the table, down to the cellar to find a jar. I knew where to look, behind the stairs. The jars were dusty, and I polished one clean on my shirt. Then I ran back up, two steps at a time. “Holes” I remembered, “so they can breathe.” And as quietly as I could, so she wouldn’t catch me dulling them, I poked holes in the top of the jar with Momma’s scissors. The screen door banged behind me as I ran from the house. If someone said, “Don’t slam it,” I wasn’t listening. I called to my friends in the street, “Fireflies!” But they had come before me with polished jars, and others were coming behind.


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The sky was darker now. My ears rang with crickets, and my eyes stung from staring too long. I blinked hard as I watched them— Fireflies! Blinking on, blinking off, dipping low, soaring high above my head, making white patterns in the dark. We ran like crazy, barefoot in the grass. “Catch them, catch them!” we cried, grasping at the light. Then we dashed about, waving our hands in the air like nets, catching two, ten-hundreds of fireflies, thrusting them into jars, waving our hands for more. Then someone called from my house, “It’s time to come in, now,” and others called from other houses and it was over. My friends took jars of fireflies to different homes. I climbed the stairs to my room and set the jar on a table by my bed. Momma kissed me and turned out the light. “I caught hundreds,” I said. Daddy called from the hallway, “See you later, alligator.” “After a while, crocodile,” I called back. “I caught hundreds of fireflies–” In the dark I watched the fireflies from my bed. They blinked off and on, and the jar glowed like moonlight. But it was not the same. The fireflies beat their wings against the glass and fell to the bottom, and lay there.


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The light in the jar turned yellow, like a flashlight left on too long. I tried to swallow but something in my throat would not go down. And the light grew dimmer, green, like moonlight under water. I shut my eyes tight and put the pillow over my head. They were my fireflies. I caught them. They made moonlight in my jar. But the jar was nearly dark. I flung off the covers. I went to the window, opened the jar, and aimed it at the stars. “Fly!” Then the jar began to glow, green, then gold, then white as the moon. And the fireflies poured out into the night. Fireflies! Blinking on, blinking off, dipping low, soaring high above my head, making circles around the moon, like dancing stars. I held the jar, dark and empty, in my hands. The moonlight and the fireflies swam in my tears, but I could feel smiling.

Narrative Account to Picture Book Gr 3-5 2010-2011

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