The foundational Time of Day and Weather Poetry Units introduce Artists/Writers Workshops to teachers and students. Both units provide instruction on the crayon resist art process and how to read pictures to access detail and description. Teachers and students are introduced to the brainstorming process and the importance of using words that paint pictures. They learn how to “make magic” by choosing just the right words to make their paintings come alive. The Time of Day unit is a precursor to narrative writing in that it teaches students how to develop a sense of setting and that when you turn the pages of a book, time passes. If students are new to Picturing Writing, this unit lays the groundwork for more sophisticated Picturing Writing units of study. The Weather Poetry unit introduces poetry in a way that is engaging to a wide range of learners. It introduces several simple weather art techniques that help students expand their repertoire of visual effects as well as the use of descriptive language. Students learn how to establish a strong sense of setting and mood through both image and text. A variety of poetry forms—from very simple to more sophisticated—make poetry accessible to writers of all ages. As students engage in word play, their vocabulary and command of descriptive language increases. Participants earn 12 hours that may be applied towards cafeteria credit through VCSU (additional fees apply).

Workshop Option 3 includes both Option 1: Introduction to Picturing Writing: Time of Day/Weather Poetry Unit AND Option 2: Research-Based Animal Trifold Unit. Participants earn 30 hours that may be applied towards cafeteria credit through VCSU (additional fees apply).

Prior participation in Introduction to Picturing Writing is highly recommended) The Picturing Writing Research-Based Animal Trifold unit teaches how to conduct visual and written research as well as how to create engaging informational text as students create their own research-based animal trifolds. While conducting visual research, students learn how to draw facts from pictures in mentor texts and conversely, how to embed facts into their crayon resist paintings. From reading the details in their own paintings, they learn how to draw out visual information to include in their fact-based poems. The research-based animal trifold is set up as a Who Am I? guessing booklet, with facts organized in such a way as to keep the reader guessing. The research-based animal trifold contains two fact-based poems and a reflective/opinion piece on the About the Artist/Writer page. Teachers may choose to include straight informational writing as well. Teachers of older students may choose to add a fourth panel to expand the content covered in this unit. Participants earn 18 hours that may be applied towards cafeteria credit through VCSU (additional fees apply).