Story Pictures

Overview

Today students use illustrations from Chip to identify characters and explain how facial expressions and body language show feelings. They will practise short, simple sentences to share ideas.

Learning intentions

• Students will use simple sentences when speaking to share what they can see and think about characters.
• Students will use visual cues in story illustrations to interpret what is happening.
• Students will identify how facial expressions and body language contribute to the meaning of the story.

Success criteria

• I can say what a character is doing using a simple sentence (e.g. “He is holding his stomach.”).
• I can say how a character feels using a simple sentence (e.g. “He feels sick.”).
• I can point to something in the illustration (face or body) and say how we know.

Curriculum links

• ENE-UARL-01: understanding and responding to literature by identifying how visual cues contribute to meaning.
• ENE-RECOM-01: monitoring comprehension by using visual cues in multimodal texts to interpret meaning.
• ENE-OLC-01: understanding and using grammar when interacting by using short phrases and simple sentences when speaking.

Lesson structure (1 minutes)

1. 0–10 min · Welcome and learning intentions. Teacher shows the book cover and repeats the learning intentions and success criteria; students repeat key phrases together (“I can see…”, “He is…”, “He feels…”).
2. 10–20 min · Short video warm-up (gulls). Teacher plays 30 seconds of “Seagulls and Waves at Morning Beach”; students do a quick whole-class check: “Are gulls near the ocean? yes/no” (choral responses).
3. 20–30 min · Front cover talk (teacher modelling). Teacher models simple sentences about the cover (“I can see a gull. I can see a chip.”); students choose one sentence frame and say it to a partner.
4. 30–40 min · Look closely: Chip’s body language. Teacher displays the illustration from “He ate fat chips, skinny chips.” Teacher models: “He is slumped. He is holding his stomach. He feels sick.” Students point to the face or body detail and repeat the sentence.
5. 40–55 min · Look closely: Joe’s expression and actions. Teacher displays the illustration that starts with “RUDE! …” Teacher gives think time, then asks: “What is Joe doing?” “How does Joe feel?” Students answer using sentence starters (teacher recasts into complete simple sentences).
6. 55–60 min · Turn-and-talk + quick teacher check. In pairs, students choose one: “Joe is… He feels…” while pointing to a facial expression or body movement; teacher listens for simple sentences and evidence from the illustration, then ends with a one-sentence class recap: “Illustrations help us understand characters.”

Resources

• Copy of Chip by Kylie Howarth (author/illustrator shown)
• Printed or displayed images from the two key pages (Chip’s sick illustration; “RUDE! …” Joe illustration)
• Device/speaker for the 30-second gull video clip
• Picture cards for sentence starters: “I can see…”, “He is…”, “He feels…”, “I know because…”
• Dyslexia-friendly supports: large-font sentence strips, high-contrast images, optional pictorial “face/body” cue cards
• Simple word bank cards (optional): chip, gull, eating, slumped, stomach, sick, angry, annoyed, shoo

Assessment

• Teacher observation during partner talk: students use simple sentences to share what characters are doing and feeling.
• Teacher check questions: students identify visual evidence (face/body) that shows feeling.
• Quick closing recap: can students restate one way illustrations help them understand a character?

Differentiation

• Dyslexia-friendly reading options:
• Use only images during this lesson (no decoding required); teacher reads aloud the key lines.
• Provide large, high-contrast sentence strips and picture cue cards to reduce reliance on printed text.
• Offer short, oral response options (students can choose between two starter frames).
• Support:
• Give a word bank with feelings (angry, annoyed, sick) and actions (holding stomach, slumped, waves, shoo).
• Teacher recasts student phrases into full simple sentences (“Yes—he is slumped.”).
• Provide “I know because…” sentence strip for students who need extra help linking illustration to meaning.
• Extension/challenge:
• Ask: “What is happening before this?” or “What might happen next?” using the same simple sentence frames.
• Students compare: “Joe looks… Chip looks…” using two simple sentences.