Color, Image, Song
This activity has students think creatively about a character, setting, or text by forming comparative connections to demonstrate their understanding.
Process
- Assign a passage or text to read. Alternatively, you can use a literary aspect of a longer work (such as a character, setting, conflict, etc.).
- Individually…
- Ask students to choose a color that captures the essence of the text or literary aspect.
- Ask students to choose an image that represents the passage or aspect.
- Ask students to choose a song that matches the text or aspect in mood, tone, or theme.
- Instruct students to submit their choices (via Google form, etc.)
- Place students in groups of 4.
- Ask students to share their choices with their group members, one person sharing at a time. Instruct them to start by everyone sharing their color, then image, then song, explaining why they chose each.
- Ask students to reflect in their portfolios: How does this activity make you think differently about the text or work as opposed to writing a formal analysis?
- For next class…
- Share everyone’s images on a physical or digital display board.
- Make a playlist that includes everyone’s song choices to play in the background during class.
Credits
This protocol has been adapted from Harvard’s Project Zero Making Thinking Visible Protocol entitled “Color, Symbol, Image“.
