Interpretation Chart (pp 141) This project can actually be applied towards a literary topic, or can be just for fun to fill space, or can be whatever you want it to be. The idea is to have columns and rows where a student interprets a text or something in their own life.
Sorry the pictures are so small (I clicked extra large when uploading) but I think you get the idea.
Interpret a Picture (pp 143) This project allows you to so a busy picture, like an iSpy picture, or one of Joseph Griffith's paintings, and let kids pick one element of the picture to tell a story, or describe what's going on.
Interpret Song Lyrics (pp 171) Have kids listen to a song, for example one of U2s political songs, and have them interpret what is going on in the lyrics. Using music to interpret is great because it introduces a new medium and is inclusive for some special needs kids that don't learn in the traditional way.
Gallagher's closing thought to this chapter was really inspiring. He said that teaching kids to interpret assigned books isn't enough. The real world is more complex than that, so we need to finds ways that they can interpret other "real world" texts as well.
I really like the charts above, if you click on them they go full screen so you can see them clearly. I think kids would really love to use something like that and it's a quick check in to see what they're "getting." I agree with the idea of other real world texts, it is one of my goals this upcoming year.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a teacher, but these exercises really touch on the aspect of art that is so important in a child's life. Unfortunate that the subject of art has been almost eliminated within mandated curriculums today. Poetry, musical instruments, paintings are very important, it is more "complex", a true representation of the real world. good post!
ReplyDeleteI agree natinlc. This is a perfect way to assess if a kid is getting it or not, and do it in a non traditional way.
ReplyDeleteI also think introductions to different mediums is so important mebrown17. I can still have the kids write about what they see, how it makes them feel, etc., but the point is to get them to interpret medium other than literary "assigned" readings.
Just as Emig recommends, reconfiguring ideas in another meium promotes learning
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