Essential Questions:
How do illustrators use illustrations to help tell the story?
DAY - PLAN 1
DAY - PLAN 2
DAY - SEED 1
DAY - SEED 2
DAY - SEED 3
DAY - SEED 4
DAY - SEED 5
DAY - SEED 6
DAY - SEED 7
DAY - SEED 8
DAY - SEED 9
DAY - SEED 10
DAY - SEED 11
Monitoring Templates
Download Seeds, Plans, and Resources (zip)
Send Feedback to MSDE’s Reading Team
Weeks - "Unit at a Glance" Organizer
Download all unit files (zip)
Rationale and purpose for the unit
The theme for this unit is Picture This. This unit is centered on illustrators with different styles. Children will analyze books comparing illustrators, discuss illustrations plus the mediums used to create the artwork, and illustrate their own thoughts and stories. They will learn how illustrators express themselves through pictures and how illustrations help authors to tell a story. The students will learn about each illustrator and his/her artwork by reading non-fiction and fiction texts. This unit is structured so that each week is planned in a similar fashion to the first week. The lessons about illustrators can be duplicated easily by substituting different texts that focus on other illustrators. Students will also have a chance to interact with content links to short informational videos and books during this unit.
The three weeks of this unit are developed using lesson plans and lesson seeds. This unit is adaptable to the time frame that teachers have available. They may use all the illustrators or may choose to just use the illustrators that appeal to their students. Each day includes routine writing activities to help Prekindergarten students develop writing skills.
Controlling idea or central topic: How do illustrators use illustrations to tell a story?
Universal Design Principles and strategies for English Language Learners:
Texts:
Flotsam by David Weisner Not a Box by Antoinette Portis Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis Uptown by Bryan Collier These Hands by Hope Lynne In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Flemming Underground by Denise Flemming What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page Actual Size by Steve Jenkins Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young A Pup Just for Me/A Boy Just for Me by Ed Young Hedgie's Surprise by Jan Brett Honey…Honey…Lion! by Jan Brett Brothers & Sisters Family Poems by Eloise Greenfield
IMPORTANT NOTE: Consider the need for Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) and/or for captioned/described video when selecting texts, novels, video and/or other media for this unit. See "Sources for Accessible Media" for suggestions at http://marylandlearninglinks.org/.
Interdisciplinary Connections
Additional Resources