1. Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)
“Book-Talks” and
Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)

2. “Planning Your Booktalk” Format-How to use the form.
Fill in your name/date/day/block
Title of the book
Author’s name-as it appears on the text
Genre of the text: Be specific. For Ex: poetry, nonfiction, historical fiction, fable, play, haiku, persuasive essay, etc.

3. Plot Summary
Write at least one complete paragraph giving a summary of the plot and conflict of the story.
When presenting your book-talk, this section should last for 1-2 minutes.

4. Main Characters
List at least 3 main characters (when possible) from the text.
Analyze how each character looks/acts, making inferences from physical descriptions and personality traits.
Write complete sentences to describe each of the 3 characters.

5. Setting In complete sentences, describe the setting of the text.
Where does it happen? Ex: city, school, dream, outer space, in a land far away, etc.
When does it happen? Ex: yesterday, in the future, long, long ago..., etc.

6. Conflict/Problem
What is the BIG problem, or conflict, that occurs for the main character?
Do NOT tell us how it was resolved!

7. Main Idea/Theme
In nonfiction, what is the main idea/central idea (the most important idea the author communicates to the reader)? Ex: You may lose your voice mail-USA Today
In fiction, what is the theme (a message about life that the writer shares with the readers)? Ex: Love lasts forever.

8. Evaluate the text Was this a good book? Why/Why not?
Give at least 3 clear, concise reasons to support your opinion.
Ex: I recommend this book because it has an interesting plot, descriptive language and a good moral lesson OR I do not recommend this book because the characters were boring, it was too long and I wasn’t interested in the topic.

9. Practice what you know
When the music start, move quickly and quietly to your groups.
Watch The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds and complete “Planning Your Booktalk”:
The Dot

10. Class Discussion
What information did your group decide to put on the “Planning Your Booktalk” format for The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds?
Turn this in to the teacher- Due TODAY!

11. Day 2...
Tape the “Planning Your Booktalk/Classmate Assessment” format into your IN- Pg. 6. Only tape one side.

12. Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)
Visual Thinking Strategies, or VTS, help improve critical thinking skills.
It teaches students to look deeper and more critically at various works of art and literature.
During VTS, you will answer these questions:
What’s going on in this ________?
What do you see that makes you say that?
What more can you find?

13. Let’s practice VTS!
Turn to your “Table of Contents” in your Interactive Notebook (IN) and add the following:
Page 7-Visual Thinking Strategy practice-VTS #1
Now turn to page 7 of the IN and put the same title on the top line of that page.

14. On Page 7 of your IN, write a response for 10 minutes: “What’s going on in this painting?”

15. Draw a line and continue writing:
Class discussion
1) What’s going on in this picture?
2) What do you see that makes you say that?
Draw a line and continue writing:
3) What more can you find? Finish this TODAY!

16. Day 3:Booktalks and VTS
Add the following title to your Interactive Notebook on page 8 & to your “Table of Contents”:
Pg. 8- Visual Thinking Strategy practice-VTS #2

17. “What’s going on in this painting?”

18. Practice what you learned
Could this format work for a picture? How can you analyze a picture with a format that is used for literature?
Complete the “Planning Your Booktalk” format for this picture in your IN on pg. 9. Title it: VTS #2-Planning Your Booktalk Format
Be sure to add this assignment to your “Table of Contents” too.