This Learning Module for year 3 students explores 'Rex' by Ursula Dubosarsky with students working collaboratively in class and online. Students explore literacy concepts, including visual literacy, and create a recount/personal narrative.
Literacy, Visual Literacy, Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar, Recount.
As a result of completing this learning module, based on the Australian Curriculum, Year 3 students will be able to:
Understand how different types of texts vary in use of language choices, depending on their purpose and context (for example,tense and types of sentences) (ACELA1478)
Understand that paragraphs are a key organisational feature of written texts (ACELA1479)
Understand that verbs represent different processes, for example doing, thinking, saying, and relating and that these processes are anchored in time through tense (ACELA1482)
Identify the effect on audiences of techniques, for example shot size, vertical camera angle and layout in picture books, advertisements and film segments (ACELA1483)
Understand how to use sound–letter relationships and knowledge of spelling rules, compound words, prefixes, suffixes, morphemes and less common letter combinations, for example ‘tion’ (ACELA1485)
Draw connections between personal experiences and the worlds of texts, and share responses with others (ACELT1596)
Create imaginative texts based on characters, settings and events from students’ own and other cultures using visual features, for example perspective, distance and angle (ACELT1601)
Listen to and contribute to conversations and discussions to share information and ideas and negotiate in collaborative situations (ACELY1676)
Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning and begin to evaluate texts by drawing on a growing knowledge of context, text structures and language features (ACELY1680)
Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and selecting print,and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose (ACELY1682)
Reread and edit texts for meaning, appropriate structure, grammatical choices and punctuation (ACELY1683)
Use software including word processing programs with growing speed and efficiency to construct and edit texts featuring visual, print and audio elements (ACELY1685)
Learning Intention: To predict what the story is about and make connections to the book.
Look at the cover. What do you think this book is going to be about? What do you already know about this topic or book?
In a Think-Pair-Share, discuss:
Comment: Imagine your class had a class pet and it was your turn to take it home. What sort of animal would it be? What would you do with him/her when you took him/her home? Read other students' comments and comment on any that you think are interesting. Give reasons to explain why. Let the person know that you are commenting on their comment by starting with @Name (and insert their name).
Rex by Ursula Dubosarsky (2006) is available from Amazon.
It is about Rex, a tiny chameleon, who is the class pet. Every day someone gets to take him home, along with a notebook for recording his adventures. How cool is that? But what's really cool about Rex--the book--is that those exploits are depicted as though each classmate has actually done the artwork. In the course of 32 pages, Rex manages to go for a swim, fall out of a window, and get dressed up as Malibu Barbie. And at the end, readers are encouraged to invent their own adventures with Rex.
See more information about Rex
Book Orientation and Reading
Use a Think-Pair-Share strategy to explore the cover of the book and predict what the story may be about. Then read the story to the class.
From this discussion, have students draw upon prior knowledge about lizards. During reading, following the page that begins on Tuesday, have students predict how the next page will begin.
Use the Text Participant Role Cards based on the Four Resources Model to assist with the questioning.
This activity also introduces students to Scholar through responding to the prompt and to each other in the Community space.
Learning Intention: To share your background knowledge about lizards and find out new information.
Find out information on lizards. You could watch Colourful Chameleons of Madagascar or other youtube clips, or look up some websites.
Comment: Share what you know about Rex and about lizards - where you have seen them, the different types of lizards, what they eat, and how they behave. Try to add as much information as possible. Read through other people's comments and try not to repeat any information. You can also look up any information and add links to webpages.
This activity builds the learning community as students research and share their knowledge about lizards with their peers.
It's important to read and re-read the book throughout the learning module so that students develop their confidence to read the text independently.
Learning Intention: To investigate how language is used in Rex and in recounts.
Read the story again. This time, look closely at the language.
Part 1: Spelling
With a partner or small group:
With a partner or small group, use your copy of Rex to:
Note: Breaking a word into compound words can also help you to spell them. This is a spelling strategy you can use.
Part 2: Personal Pronouns
Rex is a personal recount. With a partner or small group, identify where "I" and "we" are used. These are personal pronouns that are important in a recount.Then look at where other personal pronouns are used - he, she, it, they, and you. Which ones are most commonly used in Rex?
Part 3: Verb Tense
Recounts are written in the past tense as they tell a story of something that has already happened. With a partner or small group, use your copy of Rex to:
Part 4: Transition Words
Identify all the transition or linking words that are used in Rex. Look for: next, before, after, later, then, when, during, as soon as, yesterday, etc. Substitute them with alternative transition words. Do they work as well?
Part 5: Adjectives
Adjectives are used to add more description to a recount. Make a list of all the adjectives in Rex. Find synonyms that could be used for them.
Comment: Share some interesting words that you learned about as you looked closely at the language in Rex. Look at other students' words. you can add interesting ones to your spelling journal.
Word Study
Students use the Codebreaker role of the Four Resources Model to explore spelling and grammar aspects of Rex. In small groups and as a whole class, students define and explore prefixes, compound words, personal pronouns, adjectives, transition words, and verb tense.
These activities could also be included in guided reading.
Application of these terms can be used with other spelling and grammar activities within a meaningful context to enhance students’ understanding. (ref: First Steps Writing Map & Resource Book – 2nd edition)
These words could also be a part of the students’ spelling words, used in the form of a spelling journal (ref: First Steps Spelling Resource Book – 1st edition). Alternatively, students could create an Update in Scholar and continue to add words in Comments throughout the module.
Learning Intention: To identify the features of a recount by exploring Rex in more detail.
Read the book in your group and discuss the following questions.
What do you notice about the writing?
Where have you seen this type of writing before?
Rex is a type of narrative called a recount. Make a list of all the features of a recount using a mind/concept map.
What makes up a recount?
What are the specific structures and features?
Comment: Think about what you did during the holidays. Write 3-4 sentences recounting some of the things you did. Then comment on other students' paragraphs, explaining what you thought was well written and why.
Recount Structure and conventions
Provide groups of students with a copy of Rex. Ask students to read the book and identify how the book is written (recount) and if it is similar to any writing that they may do at school (journal and narratives).
In a group of two or three, students deconstruct the text to identify and list the features of a recount. Recounts may be factual, imaginative, and personal. Discuss and record these features as a mind/ concept map. Refer to the First Steps Writing Resource Book (2nd edition) for formats or to websites such as English Online.
The structure is made up of:
Optional: As a class, use shared writing (Ref: First Steps Writing Map and Resource Book – 2nd Edition) to construct a recount about what students did during their holidays.
Language conventions include:
Learning Intention: To understand that recounts can be personal narratives.
Do you know of other books that are recounts?
What makes a journal a recount?
Comment: Share the titles of any recounts you have read. How are recounts the same or different from narratives/stories? Read through other students' comments and try to build on their ideas by adding more information.
Deepening Understanding of Recounts
Review other types of recounts and ask student to identify the features and structures.
Option: Represent the similarities and differences between recounts and narratives through a Venn Diagram.
Learning Intention: To investigate the visual features used in Rex.
What is visual literacy?
How is Rex drawn in the book?
How are the students represented?
What else do you notice about the pictures?
Look at the pictures in Rex and decide what type of shot they are.
Sort the pictures you have been given into:
- long shots
- close-ups
- mid-shots
Comment: What is your favourite picture in Rex? Give reasons for why you like it. Comment on what type of shot it is. Then comment on the posts of other students, adding reasons for why you like their choice of their favourite picture.
Visual Literacy
Re-read Rex as a class and begin to discuss and describe the different aspects of visual literacy. Use a Y chart to organize students’ ideas, thoughts and opinions. Use the Four Resources Model role cards to assist with questioning.
Allow students to access a copy of the book as a paper copy or scanned in for use with the SMARTBoard to complete the visual literacy activities on framing (shot type and angle) and colour.
Framing: an image that is framed determines the amount of information given to the viewer (reader) as well as signaling a social relationship with the viewer within the context of the text. Framing includes shot type and angle. Types of shot include long shots, closeups, mid-shots and panning shots.
After reading, students discuss the shot types used in the book. Go through each of the pages explicitly and identify the framing on each page.
Students then work in small groups to classify various images photocopied from books, cut out of magazines, real photos, etc that have a range of shot types.
Learning Intention: To understand the effects of different shot types.
| Picture | Long Shot | Close Up | Medium |
| Rex | You can see how big Rex is and how tiny he is compared to rest of class (pg 3/4) | Makes Rex seem very big and scary - takes up two pages (pg 1/2) | Shows Rex and a student and how they interact. |
| Whole Class | You can see all members of the class (pp 3/4) | Shows clearly how Rex goes home (pp 4/5) | Shows Rex with a student and how they interact. |
| Jai | |||
| Hilary | |||
| Sam | |||
| Amy | |||
| Narrator |
Comment: Choose one of the pictures in Rex. Describe what type of shot it is and its effect on the reader. Then comment on other students' comments, adding more ideas where possible. Start with @Name when you comment on another student's comment.
Exploring the function of shot types
Students work in small groups using a retrieval chart to classify each of the shot types and their purpose. Students may come up with different terms, allow them to explore these terms and how these images position them as readers.
A long shot contains landscape but gives the viewer a more specific idea of setting. A long shot may show the viewers the building where the action will take place.
A medium or mid shot contains the characters or a character from the waist up. From this shot, viewers can see the characters' faces more clearly as well as their interaction with other characters. This is also known as a social shot.
A close-up contains just one character's face. This enables viewers to understand the actor's emotions and also allows them to feel empathy for the character. This is also known as a personal shot.
Learning Intention: To understand the effects of low and high angle shots on the reader/viewer.
Sort the pictures you looked at before into low angle or high angle shots.
Which angles are high in Rex? This is where you (reader/viewer) is looking down at what is in the picture.
Which angles are low? This is where you (reader/viewer) is looking up at what is in the picture.
Which angles are horizontal? This is where you (reader/viewer) is at the same level as what is in the picture.
Comment: Choose one of the pictures in Rex. Describe what type of shot angle it is and its effect on the reader. Then comment on other students' comments, adding more ideas where possible.
Identifying angles
Angles are another aspect of framing and are classified as high, low and horizontal. Ask students to re-classify some of the former images according to their angles.
In small groups, students select various pictures from magazines that demonstrate different angles. Students also select images from Rex and identify them as low angle or high angle. These are placed into frames to be displayed in the classroom.
Camera Angles
It is important that you do not confuse camera angles and camera shots. Camera shots are used to demonstrate different aspects of setting, themes and characters. Camera angles are used to position the viewer so that they can understand the relationships between the characters. These are very important for shaping meaning in the image.
A high angle is a camera angle that looks down upon a subject. A character shot with a high angle will look vulnerable or small.
An eye-level angle puts the audience on an equal footing with the character/s. This is the most commonly used angle in most films as it allows the viewers to feel comfortable with the characters.
A low angle is a camera angle that looks up at a character. This is the opposite of a high angle and makes a character look more powerful. This can make the audience feel vulnerable and small by looking up at the character. This can help the responder feel empathy if they are viewing the frame from another character's point of view.
Learning Intention: To understand how Rex is presented in the picture book, Rex.
Comment: Look through Rex again. Is Rex small or big in relation to other people and other things? Why? Comment on other students' comments, adding to their ideas wherever possible.
As a whole class go through each page and explore the different angles of how Rex is represented. Use Think-Pair-Shares so students consider each image. Also look at the size of Rex when he is with the children compared with the whole class (real vs imagined). He is big because he is important in the child’s life.
Learning Intention: To deepen your understanding of the effects of shot types and angles.
Use the cameras to take photos of each other and of objects in your classroom and the playground. Try to take varied shots - close-up, mid shots, long shots, low angles, high angles, and eye-level shots.
With a partner, discuss the photos you took.what type of shots are they? What effects are there?
Then create your own Update i you post one of your photos and explain the type of shot and its effects.
Comment: What is one new thing you learned about the effects of different shot types and angles. Try to create a class list of your learning. Read through what other students write and try not to repeat anything. Keep adding facts until you run out of ideas.
Incorporating Shot Type and Angle in Digital Images
With a partner students use the digital cameras to take photos of people, objects, living plants, etc to demonstrate their understanding of shot type and angles.These can be shared and discussed on an electronic whiteboard and through the students creating their own Scholar Update where they share an image and describe its effects.
It's important to focus on the effects of different shots as this will support students to make purposeful decisions when they draw or photograph their own images in the final assessment task.
Learning Intention: To explore colour in "My Many Colored Days" by Dr Seuss.
Read/listen to the story. You can also follow a reading on a YouTube clip.
Comment: What is this story about? Did you like it? Why/Why not? How did it make you feel? Did the colours affect how you felt? Comment on other students' comments especially about things that interested you.
Evoking Mood
Students listen to this story and then respond to it through comments in Scholar. These may be scaffolded through Think-Pair-Shares. Refer to particular pages to stimulate discussion about their emotional responses. Focus on how feelings/moods can be associated with colour.
The YouTube clip is a very entertaining reading of the text and ensures that students hear at least two readings of the text.
Learning Intention: To understand why the illustrator of Rex chose certain colours to draw Rex.
Look at Rex again.
In a Think-Pair-Share, discuss:
How are the children’s drawings of Rex different from the book illustrator’s version? Why?
When is black and white used? Why?
When is colour used? Why?
What do you know about the colour of chameleons?
What colours are used for Rex in the book? Why?
Comment: Share some of the ideas from your discussion. Then comment on other students' comments, explaining why you agree or disagree with them.
The Function of Colour
Explore the colours used in Rex. Focus on the children’s drawings of Rex as well as the illustrator’s version of Rex. Refer to how the children draw Rex (pencil, pen, crayon). Explore the use of black and white and colour (pg 19/20), where the narrator of the story is in colour but the rest of her class is in black and white (to stand out because it is her turn to take Rex home). Explore how chameleons change their colour according to their surroundings (temperature, camouflage, social signals) and how Rex changes his colour depending on which child he is with and what they are doing together. Use Think-Pair-Shares so all students can participate in the discussion. See Wikipedia for more information about why chameleons change colour.
Exploring Colour and Mood: Extension Art Activity
Students complete an art activity using pastels to convey feelings/moods with corresponding colours. Terminology that may be included:
Students may scan their images and post them in an Update in Community - they will need to create their Update). Then comment on each other's Updates.
Learning Intention: To decide or evaluate whether Rex is a good book for children.
Discuss Rex with a partner, using the guiding questions:
White Hat: What to we know about the book, Rex?
Red Hat: Do you like the book, Rex?
Black Hat: What is negative about the book, Rex?
Yellow Hat: What is positive about the book, Rex?
Green Hat: What else could be in the book, Rex?
Blue Hat: What would you put in a book review on Rex?
Now draw up a table with 3 columns and complete a PMI on: Is Rex a good book for children?
| P (Positive) | M (Minus) | I (Interesting) |
Comment: Do you think Rex is a good book for children? Give reasons and evidence for your opinion. Comment on other students' comments, explaining why you agree or disagree with them.
Evaluating Rex
Make use of De Bono's Six Thinking Hats to review the book.
Re-read Rex and students participate in a PMI (positive, minus, interesting) to analyse the quality of the text as a picture book for young children.
Learning Intention: To start my writing project and to use the Rubric to identify what is important to include.
Project Name: A Week in My Life Recount
Description: Write a recount of a week in your life. It can be a similar story to Rex, using your favourite pet/animal as the main character; or it could focus on another event, object, person or animal. Draw at least 3 pictures and add them to your recount.
You have received a Work Request in Notifications. Click on this link to open the “Untitled Work” in Creator. Then, change the title, and begin a first draft. Go to About This Work => Project => Description for further project information.
Use the Structure Tool to set up each day of your week - Day 1, Day 2 etc.
When you are ready to submit, click “Submit Draft” below the work. This is the version of your work that will be sent to others for feedback.
Comment: Do you have any questions about how Scholar works? Make a comment in this update. If you think you have an answer to another student's question, please answer it - be sure to name the student you are replying to in your comment by starting with @Name.
Read other recounts to reinforce and review the structures and features of a recount.
As students begin to draft their work, encourage them to use the Structure Tool to organize some of the key ideas they have brainstormed and developed through the Community Updates. The Structure Tool supports students to develop an initial structure for their text, refine the elements of their text, and draft new versions, transforming their ides into well written text. Students should also refer to the rubric as a guide as they write in Creator. If necessary, look through the rubric with students.
For first time users of Scholar, the following Overt Instruction Updates from The Writer's Toolkit: Strategies for Writing in the New Media may be useful to add to Community:
Project Rubric
Learning Intention: To give feedback on other students’ works and then revise my own.
Check your Notifications for Feedback Requests: You have received a Feedback Request. Click on this link to take you to the work you have been assigned to review. Go to Feedback => Reviews => Review Work. Rate the work on each criterion and explain why you gave the work that rating.
Submit your feedback once it is finished at About This Work => Project => Status.
For more information, see Reviewing a Work and Submitting a Review and Annotations.
The next stage of the writing process is to revise your own work.
Check your Notifications for a Revision Request: You have received a Revision Request. Click on this link to take you to the most recent version of your work. Then go to Feedback => Reviews => Results to see the reviews. Once you have incorporated all of the feedback from your peers, click “Submit Revision” below the work.
You can also write a self-review, explaining how you have taken on board the feedback you received.
For more information, see The Revision Phase.
Comment: Do you have any more questions about Scholar at this stage? Make a comment in this update. If you think you have an answer to another student's question, please answer it - be sure to name the student you are replying to in your comment by starting with @Name.
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This update covers two stages of the writing process in Scholar: Feedback and Revision.
The following Overt Instruction Updates from The Writer's Toolkit: Strategies for Writing in the New Media may be useful to add to Community. They may be used with first time users or it may be appropriate to introduce them in a second writing project so students learn about the features of Scholar over time.
Refer to Analytics to monitor how students are progressing with their writing and reviews.
Learning Intention: To identify what is successful writing.
Check Notifications to see if your work has been published and whether works that you provided feedback on have been selected for publication. Published works may be viewed on your and any collaborators' individual profiles in Community.
Also, as a final reflection, go back to your KWL and complete the ‘L’ column.
Comment: Read two or three other people's published recounts. Write a comment about the most interesting thing you learned from reading other people’s writing, or the aspect of their writing that you enjoyed most. What have you learned about writing? Mention the creator and title of the other work, and make a link to that page so the person reading your comment can jump to the page quickly.
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Notifications of publication are provided to the creator and all reviewers.
The reflection activity increases students’ metacognition about what makes quality writing by reading and reflecting on other students’ published works.
Ask students to look over other students’ writing—have them read at least two or three other works. Ask them to comment on something interesting they learned from reading others’ work. Refer to the Dashboard to monitor how students are progressing with writing and reviews.
The original version of this learning module was written by Sally Martin and Rita van Haren.
Title: (Source); Fig. 1: (Source); Fig. 2: Photograph by Wilhelmina Richardson; Fig. 3: (Source); Fig. 4: Concept Map by Rita van Haren; Fig. 5: (Source); Fig. 6: Y-Chart by Rita van Haren; Fig. 7: Chameleon's eye by Umberto Salvagnin (Source); Fig. 8: High angle shot of dog (Source); Fig. 9: Low angle shot of cat by Takashi Hososhima (Source); Fig. 10: "Furcifer pardalis 001" by Kris Norvig - email. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons (Source); Fig. 11: My Colored Days by Dr Seus (Source); Fig. 12: (Source); Fig. 13: Image by Nemo (Source); Fig. 14: Rainbow Chameleon by Xeno -Guardian (Source); Fig. 15: Namaqua Chameleon in the Namib desert (Source); Fig. 16: "Mellers.chameleon.bristol.zoo.arp" by Adrian Pingstone - Taken by Adrian Pingstone. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons (Source).