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Today in class I tried a variation of an assignment that I did with students in a different unit.  I uploaded a picture onto a GoogleDoc and I had students write a response about what they thought the painting was depicting and the context clues that support their conclusions.  With the big push to incorporate specific Common Core reading and writing literacy skills, I thought it would be a good idea for to give students a more creative way to practice using context clues.

Needless to say, I was very pleased (and albeit surprised) at how well they used the clues from the picture to support their conclusions about the event being depicted and the people involved.

The next step is to introduce students to Think Like a Disciplinarian.  Tomorrow, students will choose a disciplinarian and then re-examine the picture through that disciplinarian’s lens.  I would like the students to practice writing solid questions using the Keys to Questioning/Keys to Learning from Dr. Sandra Kaplan.  By consistently incorporating the Keys into what we do in class, I’ve noticed a marked improvement in their writing.  It’s a win-win situation.