The Beach Surprise

Standard:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7 — Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

Introduction:

  • Illustrations give us clues that words alone might not tell. In this story, students will look at both the pictures and the text to understand what’s really happening.

Text:

  • Maya and her brother packed their buckets and towels for a sunny day at the beach.
    They built a big sandcastle with tall towers and a wide moat.
    In one picture, Maya is pointing at something behind her brother.
    The next picture shows a small crab crawling out of the sand near his foot!

Step-by-Step:

  1. Read the story aloud.

  2. Look at the pictures carefully — what do you notice that the words don’t say?

  3. Ask:

    • “How does Maya feel in each picture?”

    • “What clue does the crab give about what might happen next?”

  4. Discuss how the illustrations help you understand the story better.

Activity Idea:

  • Draw a scene from the story and add one hidden clue in your picture that isn’t mentioned in the words.
    Then, have a partner guess what the clue means!

Tip: Great readers use both pictures and words to imagine, predict, and understand the story more deeply.

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