u02a1:Digital Media Writing Prompt

I have my students complete daily bell-ringers that relate to the content we are currently studying. It's a good way for them to review the prior day's material while I take attendance and get make-up work passed out to students who were absent the previous day. One of the topics I teach in the poetry unit is understanding imagery. To help with this, I have students practice writing their own imagery, being as descriptive as possible. Usually, I just have written prompt that is something along the lines of "Describe your favorite vacation. Be sure to include all 5 senses." However, this can be a bit abstract, and sometimes students struggle to find a good starting point. Incorporating an actual photo (such as the one above, which I took at Sinnemahoning State Park, PA) is a much more concrete way to help students visualize an actual scene. The photo can spark their imaginations, which will help them describe the non-visual senses behind the scene, including sound, taste, touch, and smell. Gardner (2007) notes that one way to help 21st century learners is to "approach the topic in a number of ways" and "draw on several intelligences in including key concepts or processes" (p. 33). Having students describe an actual photo is an alternative to having them analyze imagery in poetry. The photo appeals more to spatial learners, while analyzing actual written imagery in a poem appeals more to linguistic learners. Incorporating both methods in the classroom is a good way to help more students understand the material. Additionally, this digital media can help increase engagement because it catches the eye and is a change from the normal text prompt. 

References

Gardner, H. (2007). Five minds for the future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.