In Mrs Heinrich's Grade 2/3 class, they have been practicing "thinking routines" to stretch their thinking.  Every Monday morning they routinely "check in" with each other having a guided conversation to see how folls are feeling (i.e. about our weekend, starting a new week at school).  They have been building their list of "feeling words" that help them to better describe/express their feelings/emotions.  They have also been looking into how authors use certain language to describe their character's feelings and how they express their emotions. 

One of the "thinking routines" they have been practicing is a CSI (Colour, Symbol, Image). On this day (see attached grade 2 sample), the students chose a "feeling" word from their list and used a colour, symbol, and image that they felt represented it.  This strategy encourages students to visually "tap" into their natural creativity, make connections, and think metaphorically.