B
Please type directly into the template and provide the indicated information. Respond to all prompts.
This template was adapted by R. Harrison for EDGL 619 from Hébert, T. H. (2011). Understanding the social and
emotional lives of gifted students.
EDGL 619
L T
IBLIOTHERAPY ESSON EMPLATE
Your Name:Jamie Scavillo
Grade Level and Content area of focus: 2nd grade writing
Brief Description of Students or Possible Students (all gifted, cluster, regular classroom
with some gifted): 14 Regular education students, 6 gifted students
Book Used for Lesson (Give all reference information in APA format):
Reynolds, P. (2003). The Dot. Candlewick Press.
What is it that you are using the lesson to help students understand? Respond with a
sentence or two.
The lesson is to help students with perseverance, creativity, and self-expression.
Using the sample lesson in the text as your guide, write an overview of the story you are
using and how it relates to the issue you want to help students understand better. This
should be in your words after reading the book you will use in the lesson. This overview
should be no longer than three paragraphs. Type directly into this template:
The Dot by Peter Reynolds is about a student named Vashti, Vashti is sitting in art class
and is struggling to make her project. The art teacher encourages Vashti to make anything even a
dot. Vashti makes the dot, and the art teacher hangs it in a frame she explains to her how even a
simple dot is a work of art. Vashti is so excited that her teacher framed it that she makes more
paintings and drawings with various sized dots, even pictures without dots making a dot, and
becoming more confident in her abilities. The art teacher then hangs Vashti’s paintings and
drawings all throughout the art fair. A small child comes up to her and says I wish I could draw
and paint like you, Vashti encourages him to also make a dot and then sign it and he too could be
an artist.
The point of using this story is to help students realize that you may not be good at
everything. However, if you try it, you may surprise yourself at how good you could be. From a
gifted educational standpoint this is a great book for gifted students to read and understand that
they do not have to be perfect at everything, many tend to be perfectionist in this book shows
how a simple dot is used to make the girl feel as though she was a great artist. The goal is to also
look at feelings throughout the book we see that Vashti is frustrated, angry and lacking self-
confidence. As the story goes on Vashti changes, her attitude about herself and her art begin to
take a positive turn. Having students validate their feelings, but also being able to recognize that
feelings are not permanent is part of learning to handle their emotions.
This template was adapted by R. Harrison for EDGL 619 from Hébert, T. H. (2011). Understanding the social and
emotional lives of gifted students.
EDGL 619
List at least two themes/key concepts (bulleted):
Perseverance
Self-expression
Give an example of an Introductory Activity (a paragraph sharing what students would do):
Student will be seated on the floor; the teacher will ask the students to examine a picture with a
giant paint spill on it. The teacher will be excited and share how they worked for many hours on
this piece, that it’s their best work! Students should share their thoughts on the teacher’s picture.
The teacher should share then about their feelings of the painting, how it expressed how they
felt, along with their perseverance to making the painting.
Selected passage(s) to be used in the discussion (Use direct quotes and give the page
number from where the quotes are taken. Limit the passages to no more than 2 of the most
appropriate for your purpose):
on page 2 that she “just can’t draw!”
at the art show on page 11 she encourages a boy to try when he says that he cannot draw.
Questions for discussion (at least 4- can adapt from the text list or add your own, but one
must be in light of a biblical perspective. For each question, give at least one possible
student response you might expect to encounter):
1. Vashti says on page 2 that she “just can’t draw!” Have you ever felt like Vashti where you
thought you could not do something?
Possible response: Students might share how they thought they might not be able to ride a
bike.
2.Vashti's teacher lifted her spirits up through framing her art, how can you encourage a friend?
Possible response: Students might share how they encourage someone’s writing or art,
compliment how they look.
3. Vashti learned how capable she is and became more confident in her art, at the art show on
page 11 she encourages a boy to try when he says that he cannot draw. Share some things about
you or that you've accomplished that you are proud of.
Possible response: Students might share how they rode their bike without help, or they
were able to get ready for school on their own or take care of a pet.
4.What does this book teach us about not giving up?
Possible responses: in a Christian response it can be geared towards that we can do all
things through Christ. In a traditional classroom, students might share how if we try something
new we might find we are good at it, or with practice that we can become better at it.
This template was adapted by R. Harrison for EDGL 619 from Hébert, T. H. (2011). Understanding the social and
emotional lives of gifted students.
EDGL 619
Pick a Follow – Up Activity (Write a paragraph sharing what students will do):
The teacher will have students still sitting on the carpet, they will bring out an anchor
chart that has a picture drawn of Vashti and a title that reads “Describe Vashti”, as a class
students will come up and write words that describe Vashti from the story. (Words should be mad,
frustrated, disappointed, artistic, kept trying, creative, nice, friendly, etc.). The teacher will explain
how although Vashti started out with words that we would not want to describe us; in the end she
was someone who was a positive person. At this time, students will return to their desks, there is
a blank piece of paper where they will draw their picture of themselves. Once everyone has drawn
themselves, students will walk around to each desk and write something positive they think of
that student. Each student should end up with 20+ words around their picture. After students
finish, they should sit down and read their words. The teacher will share how sometimes we see
ourselves as not good at something, or that someone else is better than us in something else; its
important to look at what we are good at, the things that others wrote about us.
As an educator, how might you continue to monitor the situation and support the students
over time (1 paragraph):
This activity will be hung up in the room. This way when students become frustrated in
various subjects because “they just can’t do it” or “it’s too hard”, they can look at what others see
in them that is awesome. They can be pointed back to those facts and truths about themselves
that others see in them that sometimes we forget to see in ourselves. This is also great for when
bullying or teasing starts to pick-up as students get more comfortable with each other, to remind
them that we are all different (looking at our pictures and words) but that is what makes us each
unique. Overtime, it is also good to reinforce positive behaviors especially after breaks, re- reading
this book will remind students that they can try new things, and that also they might not be great
at everything but trying is what matters.
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