PYP How We Express Ourselves

Central Idea: Imagination and creativity are powerful tools for extending our ability to think and create

Line of Inquiry: The ways in which we inspire imagination

What: We read several books by popular children’s writer David Weisner including Sector 7 and Tuesday. David Weisner writes mainly in pictures instead of words. After reading these books, I had students look through David Weisner’s online blog to determine what in his life inspired him to create such unique stories.

How: I did several whole class read alouds of David Weisners work so student were familiar with his unique way of writing and illustrating. I next had students investigate on his blog where these ideas came from. Students used their macbooks to research and read any of the posts. As the read, they wrote down on sticky notes any life experiences that Weisner references in his blog that sparked the imagination for his picture books. There were many clear examples in his blog where he references an event from his childhood or experience as a young adult.

Why: The most creative works are routed in the identities of the people who created them. In order for my students to be creative, they must understand that individuals are inspired from their passions and their histories.