• The same close-reading process is applied when tackling visuals and videos. Viewers are still “reading” for the same three phases of meaning, however, the specific questions are different.
• Access the close-reading icons: Eye glasses icon, Microscope icon, Telescope icon.
• Access the close-reading triggers.
• Acquire close-reading questions for Literature, Informational Text, or a set of both.
• In general, move beyond asking the basic knowledge questions about any text. Using the Q-Chart, draft more complex questions about the texts you’re reading. (Here is an example for Fox by Margaret Wild.)

“READ” PHOTOS, ILLUSTRATIONS, AND POLITICAL CARTOONS.

Use a simple note-taking organizer to analyze: people/subjects, action & activity, setting & objects. Here are several examples:

• Park scene (informational photograph)
• Man on Moon (informational text photograph)
• Scaredy Squirrel (picture book illustration)
• Fox (picture book illustration)
• Moby Dick (illustrated novel)

“READ” INFOGRAPHICS.

Make note of the following facets: main idea/subject, data, source, text/words, visuals, organization.

“READ” VIDEO CLIPS/MOVIE EXCERPTS.

Take note of what you see (movement, action, etc.) and hear (sounds, music, etc.). This is why videos are referred to as multimodal texts—students have to use both visual and audio modes of communication.  

• Initially use the 2-column T-Chart to note what you see and what you hear.
• As students get better at analyzing multimodal texts, reveal the four quadrant organizer. Now they listen for sounds and music and words spoken. They watch for setting and action and words that may appear in the background. TIP: It’s easier to play the video clip through the first time where the students aren’t watching it, but just listening to it. This allows them to focus on what they hear—music, sounds, voices, silence, etc.—before being inundated with moving images.

TEACH STUDENTS TO USE SCRATCH PAPER.

Once students are more familiar with what to notice in a video clip, ween
them off the graphic organizers. For standardized tests, students can take notes, but can only utilize blank paper.

• On the PARCC, students can use scratch paper or digital notepad. (Scroll to page 2.)
• On the ISTEP+ and English 10 ECA, students can use scratch paper. (Scroll to page 4, item d.)
• On the Smarter Balanced Assessment, students can use scratch paper or digital notepad. (See Item #1—Universal Accessibility Tools.)

Apples to Apples.

For a quick experience making inferences and citing evidence from visuals, use the Big Picture version of “Apples to Apples.” Reveal a single green card depicting a word and definition and five random images. Students determine which image best depicts the word/definition and write a short constructed response. They cite evidence from the visual for their conclusion. (You might even require they utilize the Yes MA’Am structure in their written response.)
Knightstown Elementary teacher Kristen Crawford developed a template for students’ constructed responses. Notice how she also provided a frame for a strong written response.

Picture of the Day.

Each day, reveal a different picture. Ask students to:

• List 2-5 observable details. (I see ____.)
• Make 2-5 inferences based on observable details. (I infer ____ because ____ .)
• Make 2-5 predictions based on observable details. (I predict ____ because ____.)
• NASA Picture of the Day
• National Geographic Picture of the Day
• FWA Photo of the Day
• Zuma Picture of the Day
• Historical Picture of the Day