Readers interact with and respond to a text’s drawings and photos, which are an integral part of conveying meaning, tone, beauty, and understanding.

• Conduct a picture walk before reading the text.
  • What is the purpose of the pictures in this story?
  • Based on the illustrations, what might the tone of the writing be?

Writing about reading

• Draw and write to show how a text is organized: time order, or established sequences such as numbers, time of day, days of the week, or seasons.
• Notice and make note of significant information from illustrations.
• Write about the details found in illustrations.

When readers identify why the author wrote a text and use specific examples from the text to support their inference, it prepares them for reading and deepens their comprehension.

During a conferring session, you might ask students the following:

• Infer why you think the author wrote this text.
• What clues helped you determine the author’s purpose for writing this text?

January 15: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday

February: Black History Month—The month designated to remember the contributions of people of the African diaspora; Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action (first week of February)—An action week centered on affirming the lives of Black students, teachers, and families through lessons about structural racism, intersectional Black identities, Black history, and anti-racist movements.

April: Celebrate Diversity Month—A monthlong opportunity to recognize and honor the diversity surrounding us all.

May 21: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development—A day set aside by the United Nations to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to learn together in harmony.

A few words from the text to consider: peaceful, protesters, freedom, march, burden, frightened, canine, courage, disperse, reassured, fierce, revolution, desegregation