Images of an Argument Images of Evidence in Language Arts
Students enter my classroom, milling about every bit they retrieve their writing journals from the bin, and brand their way to their seats. While a few glance at the image projected on the screen at the front end of the room, most ignore it (and me) and focus on each other. Information technology'southward a typical day in my seventh form ELA classroom.
Kathy Kurtze uses speech bubbling to help students talk nearly what they see. Click to see more than of these.
The bong rings, kids settle as I quickly record my attendance, and I turn out the lights. I glance effectually to come across that journals are indeed open, pencils poised, and I accept a position in the front of the classroom, my journal and pencil in hand. The image is phase left of me. In a higher place me, posted on the wall in shiny plastic, are spoken language bubbles with sentence stems. I had fatigued large, cartoon-ish bubbles with a broad mark, written phrases in each, and after laminating and cut them out had posted them before the offset day of school. We used them that day, and about daily ever since. Phrases included the post-obit: "I believe ___ because…" " I concord with X when s/he says Y, considering…." " I see what X is saying, just I think…." "I understand what X ways when s/he said Y, but I as well think…" "I disagree with X when south/he says Y considering…". Just a few curt weeks into the school year, my students know which 1 to use when, and even end themselves and begin over again if they haven't used i in their initial statement. Some even correct others who brainstorm without i. I look this twenty-four hours to unfold in the same fashion. How did I go hither, to this point of patterns being internalized? How did my students learn phrases so well that they could (and did) use them even in their history class when analyzing DBQs (Document Based Questions)? Let'south look at how a lesson unfolds, and see.
Several years ago, I attended a session at an MRA (Michigan Reading Association) Annual Conference led past a docent from the DIA (Detroit Institute of Arts). Its topic– 'reading' images–intrigued me. I grew upward e of Detroit, and visiting the art plant was a common family outing, and so I was excited to run across which of my favorite pieces would be utilized in this practise. I came away with more than a rekindling of treasured memories. A few things stood out: with the lights out, students feel more than anonymous, and are freer with their participation; the teacher keeps information technology elementary with three repeated phrases:
- What practise you see?
- What does it mean?
- Why do you say that?
The teacher repeats what each student says, framing the area the student is referring to with big hand/arm gestures, never making commentary (no "oh, good!" merely simple parroting of what was said). I used this exercise to 'read' images with my students for many years. When I learned most using images to spark conversations in argument writing, I adapted the questions slightly only used the residue of the same technique. Today is no dissimilar.
This image, a popular meme, serves as a starting point for viewing images as arguments.
I half plow towards the image , and inquire " What do you see?" A few hands go upward. "Two billboards" I echo " 2 billboards" and sweep my arm from the top epitome to the lesser epitome. "One says 'Childhood obesity. Don't have it lightly.'" I repeat her words, pointing to them. "The other one says 'my kinda shopping spree' and it shows a lady holding ii large white bags with some kind of writing on them" I again calmly echo the words, gesturing to those aspects of the images. In that location is a intermission, so I ask " What more practise you encounter? " "The one with the shopping numberless has a McDonald'south logo in the height corner" Repeat, point. "The lady with the bags is smile" "There are really big pictures of a burger, chips, and a coke." Each fourth dimension, I echo and point. At times, the room is placidity and I just stand and wait; the 'teacher interruption' is especially important in this process. Somewhen, the image is described to its fullest, and information technology'southward time to move on.
"Okay," I begin. "Using your journals, write the claim you believe the image is trying to make. I'll prepare the timer for two minutes. Nosotros'll talk over again after the timer goes off." I gear up the timer on my phone, pick up my periodical and my pencil, and select a seat near a few of my students. As the timer ticks, students and I write a simple claim. When the timer dings, I stop information technology and say "If you haven't already washed and so, stop the phrase and put your pencils down to allow me know y'all're ready." I exercise the same and once again stand beside the prototype.
"I need three or more claims–who can share today?" I say, looking around while property my journal. If sharing is slow, I am prepare to share my claim. I hope to not demand to–later on several times doing this, these seventh graders are confident enough to put their ain words out at that place.
A few hands become upward; claims are shared: "If you eat fast food, you'll get fat" "Don't eat too much fast nutrient" "Eating fast food can make you fat and unhealthy." As each states his claims, I restate information technology, and ask for the evidence from the pictures that led to the claim. I point to each area of the picture they note, once more with big motions that include all they are pointing out. So I enquire the class if there is whatever other evidence to support the claim, and if they agree there is enough noted evidence for the claim to stand up.
To close, I inquire my students to write two to iii sentences to explicate the bear witness that supports their claim. They might begin with "The picture shows…which means …" or "As the viewer tin come across, at that place is … which is meant to show…" I set up the timer for three minutes. When information technology sounds, I inquire them to end the sentence they are writing, and and then to plough and read their sentences to a seat partner.
This unabridged process can be done in about vii minutes if you lot want it to; you might omit the writing and merely have the oral function. Another time, yous might stretch it out to 15-20 minutes. It all depends on whether or not you are using the pictures as a quick reminder of how arguments are everywhere, or if you want to make it a longer lesson on claims and evidence with complete sentences written.
"Students are quite practiced at 'reading' a motion-picture show." Image from Pixabay user StockSnap
I've noticed a few things happen. For one, many students are quite expert at 'reading' a moving-picture show, and they feel a swell sense of achievement when they participate. They also experience similar they aren't 'writing' likewise much (which they aren't), so they bask this activity as a 'break' from lengthier assignments. And, as they proceed to 'read' pictures for the arguments they nowadays, they become more than aware that arguments really are everywhere. One of my favorite moments is when a educatee comes to class and tells me about an advertizing they saw, and what they idea information technology was saying and how effective it was (or wasn't). It proves to me how important this strategy is in helping students be more than aware of the world around them, and to consciously think about it. In doing so, they are truly participating in the world and all the messages it continually sends them. Information technology is my promise that they will continue to critically read messages many, many years beyond their yr in my classroom.
Kathy Kurtze
Kathy Kurtze is a happily retired English Linguistic communication Arts instructor who continues her love of writing by facilitating a writing group at her local library, and as an agile teacher consultant equally a co-managing director of the Chippewa River Writing Project at CMU.
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