This is a fun exercise to do in front of your class, inspired by my award-winning book On My Walk (Tradewind Books, 2009). I provided my own text and drawing, but you can take this idea and adapt it to your own needs, by changing words and the picture.

Use a sheet of poster paper and tell your class about your walk. As you describe each stage of your walk, draw another part of the picture. When you’re all done, you turn the picture over and reveal the dog. If you do it right (practice once on your own before doing it in class), the kids won’t see what’s coming and will be happily surprised.

This is what you say:

When I was little, my favorite place to walk was to the park.

1. We would go across the street,
2. Past the rounded rock,
3. and down the hill.
4. Sometimes we skipped around the pond, but only on days that we had time!
5. Then we ran straight past the big hole
6. until my legs were tired.
7. My favorite thing at the park was the slide.

But I never walked alone. I always walked with someone. Whom did I walk with?

now turn over your drawing, and REVEAL the surprise!

This is what you draw:

click for print-size image

Here it is, animated:

click for larger image with slower animation

And here’s a PDF, in case that’s easier for you to use:

click for PDF with words

click for PDF with no words