Strategy # 16

Non-linguistic
Drawing Pictures
Basics:
Time Allotted 5-20 minutes depending on the content
Room Arrangement Normal arrangement for individual/ group desks for group work
Materials Markers, Colored Pencils, White paper
Process Directions:
1. Given a story problem, students are instructed to draw a picture corresponding to the
problem.
2. Teacher may allow students to work independently or in groups.
3. Students are to create a picture that depicts the elements of the problem.
4. Once the picture is completed, students are to solve the problem and display the math
work with the picture in the classroom.
5. As a class, we discuss the process and solution of the problem in reference to the picture.
When:
During/after instruction
Students are lacking energy.
Visual or Kinesthetic learners in the class
Students need motivation and/or lack interest
There is a story problem
Example:
The students have to solve for the length of flagpole given the length of the shadow
casted by the pole and the length of top of the pole to the tip of the shadow. By drawing
the picture, students find that they can use the Pythagorean theorem to solve.
Source: Macklin, M. (1997). Preschoolers learning of brand names for visual cues. Journal of
Consumer Research, 23(3), 251-261.
Newton, D. (1995). Pictorial support for discourse comprehension. British Journal of
Educational Psychology, 64(2), 221-229.
Pruitt, N. (1993). Using graphics in content area subjects. Masters thesis, Kean college of New
Jersey. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 355 483).