Visual Summaries
The purpose of the Visual Summary is to create a visual picture, storyboard, diagram, that summarizes what has been learned from the reading of the text. The use of visual images to summarize requires a different way of thinking about literacy (Flood, Lapp, & Bayles-Martin, 2000).
According to page 78 of Dr. Mimi Miller and Nancy Veatch in their 2011 book entitled Literacy in Context (LinC): Choosing Instructional Strategies to Teach Reading in Content Areas for Students Grades 5-12, "The Visual Summary is not to be confused with a graphic organizer. Visual Summaries show the important information and main idea learned through a visual representation." Today's students really need opportunities to see visual summarization modeled and have time to practice it across the content areas. Visual Summaries can be used to summarize a concept, a section of text, or an entire book. Common Core Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail. |
Video Examples
In this example the artist goes through a summary of book about doodling. The main ideas of the book are organized and represented in the picture.
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This animated Psychology video describes the six universal Principles of Persuasion. It is not a core subject, but tells a very interesting story.
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Miller and Veatch's 2011 Guide to:
Visual Summaries
1. Select an appropriately leveled piece of text covering the content area, and activate and/or build background knowledge with the class.
2. Read a section of the text, using fluency and vocabulary strategies. Be sure that all students have a blank piece of paper for the Visual Summary.
3. When finished reading, think aloud about the key points and main idea.
4. Conduct a Draw Aloud by drawing a visual representation that summarizes the reading. Remind students not to focus on their actual drawings, but on the visual message to be conveyed. (If appropriate, teachers can do their best to integrate art strategies into the modeling of Visual Summaries.)
5. As students’ proficiencies increase, allow them guided opportunities to practice in small groups, with partners, and finally move them to independent practice.
2. Read a section of the text, using fluency and vocabulary strategies. Be sure that all students have a blank piece of paper for the Visual Summary.
3. When finished reading, think aloud about the key points and main idea.
4. Conduct a Draw Aloud by drawing a visual representation that summarizes the reading. Remind students not to focus on their actual drawings, but on the visual message to be conveyed. (If appropriate, teachers can do their best to integrate art strategies into the modeling of Visual Summaries.)
5. As students’ proficiencies increase, allow them guided opportunities to practice in small groups, with partners, and finally move them to independent practice.
Examples
Resources
Brown, R. (2002). Straddling two worlds: Self-directed comprehension instruction for middle schoolers. In C. C. Block & M. Pressley (Eds.), Comprehension instruction: Research-based best practices (pp. 337–350). New York: Guilford.
Miller, M., & Veatch, N. (2011). Literacy in context (LinC): Choosing instructional strategies to teach reading in content areas for students grades 5-12. Boston: Pearson.
Dashe, Thomson. (2014). Why should instructional designers should draw. Retrieved from http://www.dashe.com/blog/instructional-design/learn-draw/
LiteracyTA. (2015). Visual summary. Retrieved from http://www.literacyta.com/literacy-skills/visual-summary
UX Mastery. (2014). Visual summary of sunni brown's "the doodle revolution". Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8sGNdGrL4o
Brown, R. (2002). Straddling two worlds: Self-directed comprehension instruction for middle schoolers. In C. C. Block & M. Pressley (Eds.), Comprehension instruction: Research-based best practices (pp. 337–350). New York: Guilford.
Miller, M., & Veatch, N. (2011). Literacy in context (LinC): Choosing instructional strategies to teach reading in content areas for students grades 5-12. Boston: Pearson.
Dashe, Thomson. (2014). Why should instructional designers should draw. Retrieved from http://www.dashe.com/blog/instructional-design/learn-draw/
LiteracyTA. (2015). Visual summary. Retrieved from http://www.literacyta.com/literacy-skills/visual-summary
UX Mastery. (2014). Visual summary of sunni brown's "the doodle revolution". Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8sGNdGrL4o