Provide a metaview, lifting students into a wider view of the concept. Use another medium (not reading or writing) to connect students' personal knowing to the concept (i.e. visual arts, music, movement, metaphor, etc.) Involve learners in reflective production that blends the emotional and the cognitive.
Personalize their watermelon.
Objective: Use of another medium to connect personal knowledge to the concept.
Activity: Students will personalize watermelons. Their group's watermelon will become a person ? complete with a personality, biography and other human characteristics. They will know their watermelon inside and out. Within each cooperative group, some will be illustrators while others will be biographers. Through discussion, before writing and illustrating, members will create a common picture in their minds of the watermelon's appearance, place of work or play, likes and dislikes, etc. Biographers will communicate with illustrators. Information will be shared. They will edit and revise together. Illustrations will be displayed and biographies read aloud to entire class. Classmates will listen to the biography and then identify the illustration that fits the description.
