NSW DET MULTISTAGE K-2 IMAGERY, SYMBOL AND CONNOTATION UNIT - Using Mentor Texts Nop and Farmer Duck
Unlock the power of Imagery, Symbol, and Connotation with this comprehensive 155+ page unit designed for NSW DET Multistage K-2 teachers. Using the engaging mentor texts Nop by Caroline Magerl and Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell, this resource explores how imagery, symbols, and connotation enrich meaning and enjoyment in narratives.
Aligned with the NSW English Textual Concepts and Learning Processes (2016), this unit dives deep into how words and images go beyond literal meanings, helping students develop a broader understanding of texts, including multimodal elements.
Students will learn to respond to narrative picture books, analyzing how characters are represented through creative vocabulary, figurative language, and symbolism. The supporting concept of character is explored alongside these mentor texts, encouraging students to engage deeply with character features, actions, and descriptions.
Learning Intentions:
- Respond to picture books that use imagery, symbol, and connotation to represent characters.
- Develop understanding of figurative language, including similes and creative language choices.
- Build morphemic knowledge to create word families and experiment with sentence structure to enhance meaning.
Success Criteria: Students will be able to:
- Identify and discuss character features, actions, and language.
- Explore the use of imagery and symbols to deepen text enjoyment and meaning.
- Experiment with figurative language like similes and understand how sentence structure affects interpretation.
- Share personal responses to characters, recognizing positive and negative traits.
To support learning, the resource includes:
- An editable PowerPoint presentation.
- A Google Slides version for easy integration with digital teaching.
- A print-ready PDF with detailed teaching notes.
This unit also connects students to the NSW Department of Education video, Connotation, Imagery, and Symbol (6:06), providing visual examples to enhance learning outcomes.
Help your students unlock the layers of meaning in texts and inspire their creativity with this dynamic, multimedia teaching resource!
Attribution is given to: © State of New South Wales (Department of Education), 2023.
