Michael Berman

LESSON PLAN OUTLINE

TITLE OF LESSON

Poem Visualization (1/3)

CONTEXT OF LESSON
This is the first lesson in a series of three (3) visualization lessons. This lesson is designed to introduce the students to
the comprehension strategy of visualization. Because this is the first lesson, the poems are short and do not force the
students to process too much information at one time. By reading a few poems, the students will have multiple
exposures to practicing their visualization skills, back-to-back. This lesson consists of reading multiple Shel Silverstein
poems and having the students draw what they visualize during and shortly after each poem.
OBJECTIVES AND ASSESSMENT
Developmental Objectives

Assessment

1. The students will verbally describe

the drawings they create and explain
why they visualized their creations the
way that they did. (Informal)

I will listen for verbal descriptions that allude back to the poems. I will listen
for specific lines, details and words that describe the characters and events
that the students draw.

2. The students will draw their own

visualizations based on the poems
read aloud.

I will collect the students drawings and analyze them, looking for explicitly
stated descriptors of the characters and events. I will also analyze the
drawings for characteristics that were not explicitly stated but possibly
implied. I will further analyze in my reflection.

RELATED VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING

VA English SOLS
3.1The student will use effective communication skills in group activities.
e) Increase listening and speaking vocabularies.
3.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional text and poetry.
i) Identify the main idea.
j) Identify supporting details.

MATERIALS NEEDED
Paper
Colored drawing utensils
Print outs of Shapes, Jimmy Jet and His TV Set, and Ickle me, pickle me, tickle me too (attached)

PROCEDURE
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Preparation of learning environment

We transition for reading groups the same way everyday: after our short recess. To prepare for this lesson
all that I will need is the set of poems by Shel Silverstein. The students have already formed a routine of
splitting into the correct reading groups as they come inside.
Engagement and introduction of the lesson
Today we are going to become illustrators. Does anyone know what an illustrator is/what they do? (wait
for responses). Illustrators are the people who draw the pictures for books and poems. I am going to read a
few poems by Shel Silverstein, and you are going to draw what you envision based on each poems
descriptive words. So grab your pencil and favorite colorful writing devices like markers, crayons or
colored pencils!
Implementation of the lesson
The first poem is called Shapes. As I read you all should be listening and visualizing what the poem is
describing and talking about. As you get an image in your head try to draw it. No matter how you feel
about your drawing skill, just do your best! [Read Shapes] Now we are going to turn to our neighbors
and for thirty seconds you all are going to share what you drew and how it is appropriate for the poem.
[Give 10 second warning]
The next poem we will be illustrating is called Jimmy Jet and His TV Set. Just like last time we are
going to draw what we hear from the poem and visualize in our minds. I will read this one a little bit
slower than the last one, and I will give you all about a minute after I finish reading to finish up your
drawings. [Read Jimmy Jet and His TV Set] Does anyone need an extra minute to finish their
drawings? [Provide time if needed] Again, just like last time we are going to turn to a neighbor and share
our illustrations and explain how the story describes the image you drew. However, this time we are going
to turn to a different neighbor than last time.
The last poem we are going to read is called Ickle me, Pickle me, Tickle me too. Those are three
different characters. Ones name is Ickle me, ones name is Pickle me and ones name is (wait for
students to notice the pattern and predict Tickle me). [Read Ickle me, Pickle me, Tickle me too] [Provide
time if needed] This time we are going to write on the back of our drawing what words and sentences in
the poem helped us visualize what to draw.

Closure and Clean-up

In our writing journals we are going to keep a list to help us become better writers. This list is going to be
created over the next couple of days. How were you able to create pictures in your head, and then on paper,
based on what Shel wrote? What words, phrases or ideas helped you visualize? (List students responses on
the board and group them based on the answers) (Expect specifics like square, triangle, circle, TV, dials
and knobs, etc. Turn these specifics into general categories like Shape, Physical Attributes, Behaviors,
etc.) These types of things help us create pictures in our heads and connect to the story better. On
Monday, we will be reading one of my favorite picture books and trying to visualize and illustrate it
without first seeing the pictures. [Build in Transition to Mr. Mongolds Lesson]
Differentiation
Students who struggle with auditory comprehension can get a copy of the poem so that they can read it
themselves.
Students who find this exercise too easy can be prompted to draw supporting details that are not explicitly
stated. These details should be explained when sharing.
Reflection
I felt that this lesson was a good introduction to visualization, but maybe I should have switched it
with The Gruffalo. My thought process was that these are shorter and therefore less to comprehend. I

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also thought that giving multiple exposures would be beneficial. While the latter held true, I overestimated
the rate at which my class would process the poems.
These poems, though short, pack a lot of information into a short space. Poetry also has a flow to it
that some story books lack. This flow can seem strange when slowed down, but with so much content
packed into a poem they need to be slowed down. This can set a bad example for fluency and reading in
general. I should have realized this. Instead I found that the majority of the class was asking for me to
reread the poems 3 or 4 times.
Upon looking at the work, I see that the students did a fantastic job listening to details and adhering to
what was written. I did, however, notice that some things (like in ickle me ) students drew details
before the author (Shel) gave contradicting details. An example would be the line over the sun. Most
students drew the sun in the top corner (out of habit I assume), which shows a forethought about them
flying during the day in the sky it gives a sense of setting. But, drawing this before the line arrives that
contradicts it could cause a problem in my original assessment.
If I was not aware of this possible dilemma, I might have counted off points that students didnt
deserve to lose. After talking with Martha she stated that it would be a good idea to assess in my reflection;
this is a great example of why this is needed.

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