Unit Plan 22 (Grade K Library): Drawing and Making to Show Understanding

Focus: Help Kindergarten students use drawing, making, building, play, talk, and simple sharing to show what they understood from a story, topic, or question. Students may draw a favorite part, create a character with paper shapes, build a story setting, or make a simple response connected to library learning.

Grade Level: K

Subject Area: Library (Creative Response • Comprehension • Making/Art)

Total Unit Duration: 1–3 weeks, 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

This unit helps Kindergarten students communicate understanding through hands-on, developmentally appropriate responses. Young learners often show what they know through drawing, building, movement, play, and oral explanation before they can express ideas fully in writing. The librarian can read a story or introduce a simple topic, then invite students to draw a favorite part, create a character with paper shapes, build a setting with blocks, or make a simple visual response. The purpose is not to create perfect artwork, but to help students show what they noticed, remembered, understood, predicted, or connected to during library learning.

Essential Questions

• How can I use drawing or making to show what I understood?
• What can I create to show a story part, character, setting, topic, or idea?
• How can I explain my drawing, building, or making to someone else?
• How can creative responses help readers and learners share their thinking?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Use stories, play, art, writing, talk, or movement to explore and respond to ideas from library lessons.
2. Create or share something that shows understanding of a story, topic, or question.
3. Share observations, predictions, and simple connections during or after library lessons.
4. Draw, build, make, or act out a response connected to a read-aloud, picture, topic, or inquiry question.
5. Explain a creative response using simple oral language, pointing, gestures, or sentence stems.
6. (Optional Sessions) Strengthen response skills through additional drawing, making, building, and sharing opportunities connected to stories and topics.

Standards Alignment — Kindergarten (AASL-based Custom)

• L:S5.Ka — Use stories, play, art, writing, talk, or movement to explore and respond to ideas from library lessons.
  • Example: A student draws a favorite story scene and explains what is happening.
• L:S5.Kc — Create or share something that shows understanding of a story, topic, or question.
  • Example: A student builds the setting of a story with blocks and explains it to a partner.
• L:S1.Kc — Share observations, predictions, and simple connections during or after library lessons.
  • Example: A student says, “I think the character is sad because she lost her dog.”

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can draw, build, make, talk, or move to show my thinking.
• I can show something I understood from a story or topic.
• I can explain my response with words, pointing, or gestures.
• I can share something I noticed, predicted, or connected to.
• I can listen when classmates share their creative responses.