Simple inference and deduction using WeeMee!

Teaching higher order reading skills such as deduction or inference doesn't have to be done only through text. Simply browse The Literacy Shed to see how animations and short films can aid children in thinking beyond the literal!

Still images can be just as useful to get children answering questions and justifying their answers with evidence and clues from the picture. 

Weemee is a website and an app that allows children or teachers to easily design their own avatars. 

They can design every aspect of the face, choose an outfit, change hairstyle, add different objects or hobbies and place the avatar in different scenes.

Teachers can use this tool to create characters and pose questions where children will need to answer giving evidence from the picture.  




Here are a few examples - 

Is this character old or young? 

What is his job?

Do you think he enjoys his job?

Can you think of a word to describe how he feels? 

Why do you think this?

What are his hobbies?

What might have happened just before this picture was taken? 



What word best describes how the character is feeling?

Why do you think this, what evidence can you find in the picture? 

What time of the day is it?

Why is she so tired? 

How old is the character?

Why do you think she has a coffee?





What are the character's hobbies?

How old do you think the character is?

Can you think of three words to describe the character?

Can you explain your choices?

What is the character's favourite food? 

Are you similar to this character? If so, why?





What time of day is it?

How is the character feeling? 

Why might he feel this way?

What is the character's job?

What makes you think this?

Where is the character?

Why is he in his dressing gown?

Is the character happy or sad? 

How do you know?



These are just a couple of examples I have put together and I am sure you will be able to create even better ones. You could use the app as a challenge for the children, maybe you have been reading Mr Stink, could the children use evidence from the book to create a weemee of that character?

When doing this in class, I focus more on children explaining and using evidence from the picture to justify their answers. 


If you like these ideas, you maybe interested in an upcoming conference I am leading - 
Here are some details - 



Comments

  1. Jess Wetherell18 April 2015 at 17:55

    I'm always looking for constructive ways to include ICT into my teaching, and this is something I'd never thought of! I think this is a great way of looking at character features and character development - you could use it with any book or for any topic. Asking the children to create the WeeMee's using character descriptions in books without pictures - or using picture books with the younger ones - would be a really good way of getting pupils to engage with the book and characters in it. Often it can be really difficult to get children to think beyond the literal, but I think this is an inspiring way of encouraging to step out of the box, think in between the lines and really use their imagination. You could start off simple, using the still image 'avatars', and then extend it by creating animations of different scenes, perhaps, so that the children can step into the characters' shoes, and explore their feelings and emotions. I will definitely be using this app in my literacy lessons!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Conversion Sussex21 April 2015 at 13:46

    This is really interesting, i mean all of this - im going to read it all today :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous15 August 2015 at 18:01

    This is fabulous, thanks so much! I'm over there now making some characters to use in September with my new Year Four class.

    ReplyDelete

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