Picture Book Lesson Walk-Through [S3 E62]
Listen to the full episode below:
The sanitation department gave up. The job was too big. Everyone feared for their lives. They couldn’t go outside most of the time. Many houses had been badly damaged by giant meatballs, stores were boarded up, and there was no more school for the children.
Can you name the book that this excerpt came from?
If you guessed Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, you would be correct! (Meatball gave it away, didn’t it?)
Well, if you’re familiar with this book, then you also know that it’s a picture book. Using picture books is one of our favorite strategies for opening up a unit or individual lesson. Without fail, it always sparks interest and gets students excited to learn about the topic at hand.
Not only is leveraging picture books a way to level up your engagement, but it is also a great practice in inclusive instruction. It’s a fantastic way for your entire class to be able to access the same text and begin at the same level, regardless of which skills they have.
To prove this to you, we’re going to walk through a lesson plan using Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs to introduce a unit in Dystopia. This activity is so incredibly simple, and we’re even going to share how you can download the entire lesson plan for free!
Do you have a favorite picture book that you use in your classroom? Send us a message on Instagram @bravenewteaching and let us know!
Topics Covered:
Using picture books as a gateway to spark deep critical thinking
The beauty in the simplicity of picture books
Examples of how we have used picture books in a variety of ways
How children’s books carry an exciting element of surprise
Incorporating big vocabulary terms into organic read aloud discussions
Resources and Related Episodes:
Live Coaching: Synthesis Writing
Amanda's Introduction to Dystopia
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More about Brave New Teaching:
Join hosts Amanda Cardenas (Mud & Ink Teaching) and Marie Morris (The Caffeinated Classroom) in discussions about being brave, trying new things, and all things teaching! As seasoned classroom teachers, Amanda and Marie bring their experience, insight, energy, and oh, so many opinions and ideas... It's time for all teachers to take their classroom and teaching practice into their own hands!
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