DIORAMA - FUN! 3D Graphic Organizer

DIORAMA!

I picture making a diorama at the very end of a themed unit; perhaps before assessment.  Inside, students can design and create what ever they wish that can help them remember different aspects of the theme.  In mine above, the theme was Jamaica, and I used tier 2 and 3 words from a poem called Jamaica, My Home Country by Earl Thompson.  I used those words on flashcards, with a definition of each word on the back and a picture of the word on the front.  The picture added to my over all diorama's appearance, and both drawing and writing about the words have helped me remember their meanings.  This process will also help students because it gives their brains another and new way to retrieve that information, thus better recalling and remembering.

As a side note, I used materials I had quickly at hand; paper, colored pencils, a stapler, and flashcards, but, I could have certainly used tape, glue, cotton balls, markers, and construction paper as well!

Back to the poem, I purposely chose Jamaica, My Home Country by Earl Thompson, because this poem most appropriately fits the reading developmental levels of my three students I am working with as a whole.

Here is a chart of data from my three students.

| NAME   | LEXILE | F & P | ACCURACY %|
| Sheldon  |  451-500  |    N     |         98%             |
| Penny     |  500-550  |    M     |         94%             |
| Max        |  550-620  |    N     |         92%             |

Based from the data, I wanted to find a Fountas & Pinnel level M because Sheldon is reading at an accuracy rate of 98% (has reached independency), which means he is ready to be bumped up to the next level, Penny is reading at an accuracy rate of 94% (still at an instructional level), which means she should not be moved up quite yet, and Max is reading at an accuracy rate of 92% (is also at an instructional level), but is still low enough that he can learn from a one-step-lower leveled text.  Also, I know that the poem is a Fountas and Pinnel level M because when compared to the already leveled text, Incredible Places to Stay by Michael Bagnulo, on Reading A-Z, they both have the same amount of words in each paragraph/stanza and both repeat key words.