Creating Stories Through Shapes: Stretching the Imagination

Not A Box-Antoinette Portis

By: Dawn Wilson

About the Author

Antoinette Portis made her picture-book debut with the bestselling Not a Box, which was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and a Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor Book in 2007. Not a Stick followed, as well as her most recent book,A Penguin Story.

Activity

Students will sit in the reading center on the carpet. Each student will bring their writing journal with a pencil to the center. I will have my large easel set up on the carpet with a large drawing of a rectangle. I will first ask students what the drawing is on my easel. The children will respond "rectangle." Next, I will ask them. "What else could it be?" They may or may not have a response.

Next, I will tell them a little bit about Antoinette Portis. Then I will explain that I think Ms. Portis has a very good imagination. I ask them to listen to the story Not a Box and consider why I think Ms. Portis has a good imagination. I tell them that the illustrations (pictures) will give them clues to why I think this.

I will then read the story. After I finish, I will ask them the following question:

Now that we have listened to the story, lets look again at our rectangle. Now what do you see?

Children will respond in a variety of ways. I will encourage them to think of as many things the rectangle can become.

I will then have the children consider other shapes. I will draw these on the easel as well. They will draw them in their own journal books.

After we have completed our brainstorming lesson, I will tell them that they will be an author just like Ms. Portis. I will instruct them to use any of the shapes on the easel and write a story similar to Not a Box. I challenge them to think of shapes and how they can become many things.

The children will find a comfortable place in the room to work. Some may choose to return to their desk, while others may find a place in the art, writing, reading or language center.

We will continue this activity for the next three days in the writing center. At the end of the activity, I will conference with each student and we will discuss their new story. We will talk about spelling and punctuation, and ways to make the story more interesting. We will look at their illustrations and how their own imagination changed the shape into new and exciting pictures. The activity will culminate with a finished picture book that each student will share at reading center in the next week.

Ohio Standards (Benchmarks) for Writing

Grade 2

Process: Generate ideas for written compositions.

Application: Write responses to literature that show understanding of the author's intent.

Conventions: Print legibly using appropriate spaces.

Communication: Follow multi-step directions.