Let's Tell a Picture Story: Building a Birdhouse!

English Language Arts Grades Pre-K 4:49 Video
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Lesson Description

Join Deepa the puppet as we learn how to tell a story from pictures! We'll discover characters, settings, and what happens in the story using clues and our imaginations.

Video Resource

Picture Story Sequence Walkthrough | The Birdhouse Part 1

WordScientists

Duration: 4:49
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Characters
  • Setting
  • Inference

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the character in a picture.
  • Students will be able to use clues in a picture to determine the setting.
  • Students will be able to make an inference about what is happening in a picture story.
  • Students will be able to retell a simple story based on pictures.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students if they like stories. Ask if they know where stories come from. Explain that sometimes stories can be told using just pictures! Tell them that they will watch a video of a puppet named Deepa who will teach them how to tell stories using pictures.
  • Video Viewing (5 mins)
    Play the YouTube video: "Picture Story Sequence Walkthrough | The Birdhouse Part 1".
  • Discussion (10 mins)
    After the video, ask the students questions about what they saw. What was the puppet's name? What was the girl in the picture doing? Where was she? What was she making? Guide the discussion to cover the concepts of character, setting, and inference as Deepa explained in the video.
  • Activity: Picture Story Time (10 mins)
    Show the class a set of 3-4 simple pictures that tell a short story (e.g., a child planting a seed, watering it, and a flower growing). Ask the students to describe what they see in each picture. Help them to create a short story about the pictures, focusing on the character, setting, and what is happening. Encourage them to make inferences (e.g., why the child is watering the seed).
  • Wrap-up (5 mins)
    Review the key concepts of character, setting, and inference. Remind students that they can use these skills to tell stories from pictures!

Interactive Exercises

  • Draw and Tell
    Give each student a piece of paper and crayons. Ask them to draw a picture of a place (setting) and a person (character) doing something. Then, have them share their picture with the class and tell a short story about it. Encourage them to label parts of their drawing with emergent writing (e.g., writing the first letter of 'tree').

Discussion Questions

  • Who was the character in the picture?
  • Where do you think the character was?
  • What clues helped you figure out where the character was?
  • What was the character doing?
  • Why do you think the character was doing that?

Skills Developed

  • Listening Comprehension
  • Storytelling
  • Inference
  • Vocabulary Development

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

Who was in the picture Deepa showed us?

Correct Answer: A girl named Kim

Question 2:

Where was Kim making something?

Correct Answer: In a workshop

Question 3:

What was Kim making for the birds?

Correct Answer: A birdhouse

Question 4:

What did Deepa use to help tell the story?

Correct Answer: Pictures

Question 5:

Deepa helped us find the ________ in the pictures.

Correct Answer: Clues

Question 6:

What season was it in the picture?

Correct Answer: Spring

Question 7:

Who helps write and draw the books we read?

Correct Answer: Author and Illustrator

Question 8:

What is something you can build?

Correct Answer: Sandcastle

Question 9:

When we think about the story using clues, what are we doing?

Correct Answer: Inferring

Question 10:

Deepa is a...

Correct Answer: Puppet

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

Kim was making a __________ for the birds.

Correct Answer: birdhouse

Question 2:

Deepa is a friendly ___________.

Correct Answer: puppet

Question 3:

We can use ___________ to figure out what is happening in the story.

Correct Answer: clues

Question 4:

The place where Kim was working is called a _________.

Correct Answer: workshop

Question 5:

We can tell stories using just __________.

Correct Answer: pictures

Question 6:

Kim wanted to give birds a safe place to build a __________.

Correct Answer: nest

Question 7:

The _______ and _________ make books.

Correct Answer: author, illustrator

Question 8:

The _________ of the story tells us where the story takes place.

Correct Answer: setting

Question 9:

A ________ is a person in our story.

Correct Answer: character

Question 10:

When we use the clues and our brains to figure something out, we __________.

Correct Answer: infer

Educational Standards

PK.3.R.2:Students will answer basic questions (e.g., who, what, where, and when) about texts, photographs, or illustrations during shared reading or other text experiences with prompting. PK.3.R.3:Students will identify characters in a story with prompting. PK.4.R.2:Students will begin to develop an awareness of context clues through read-alouds and other text experiences. PK.4.W.1:Students will begin to use new vocabulary to produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities. PK.8.R:Students will listen and respond to read-alouds, participate in shared reading, and interact independently with texts. PK.8.W:Students will begin to express their ideas using a combination of drawing and emergent writing with prompting.

Teaching Materials

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