Nichole & Bintu Lesson Plan

Date: September 23rd, 2024

Age/Grade: 7 and 8 years old, 2nd Grade

Title: Celebrating Diversity with Just Like Me

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Connection to Children, Families & Community

• The central focus of the lesson is for students to be able to understand, and make text to self, text to text, and text to world connections using literacy. As well to help students identify the issues of diversity and acceptance of oneself while reading Just Like Me by Vanessa Brantley.
• This lesson will help children use critical thinking and personal connections with books to create literacy development. SWBAT uses their prior knowledge, and connections to relate and build on their connections as we are reading and exploring the book.
• The prior knowledge students will have that will strengthen their learning during this lesson plan is their ability to notice and identify themselves. The book is able to differentiate and explore student development, their community, and their interests. Students will be able to explain their own connections while making text to self, text to text and text to world. Also, SWBAT needs some background information and knowledge of basic emotions and experiences that the characters in the story depict in order to enhance their knowledge of the text.
• The personal and cultural assets children possess that will strengthen their learning in this lesson is their own individuality such as background, family history, language, andexperience. The book “Just Like Me” will allow students to see their own uniqueness and ability while exploring different ways to enhance and make connections.
• The lesson will extend and connect to the student’s family and community experiences by allowing children to identify their own family life, and connections. Children will be able to relate and build off their family connections in a sense of personal experiences.

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Modifications & Support

 Engagement

a.) We will modify this lesson by: 1) Breaking down vocabulary words for students who are not able to understand context clues 2) Creating anchor and interactive charts to ensure students have a reference to rely back on in case of any confusion throughout the lesson 3) Using turn and talks with the students so they are able to hear from their own peers instead of the teacher talking and breaking down the entire lesson 4) Using literacy centers to help develop the sense of making connections in different group and literacy settings

Technology Integration

a.)  Technology that will be used in this specific lesson would be another source for students to read and interact with the book through Youtube with pauses in between to create discussion and thinking processes.

Learning Environment

a.) The physical environment will be decorated and utilized in a sense for students to understand the theme of the unit. Since students will be making connections, pictures of their families, and their communities will be posted around the classroom. Books in different languages, and cultural aspects will also be posted around the classroom as a visual and reference so they are able to understand we are making connections with different materials. There will also be a “Word Wall” posted in the classroom at eye level to help students as a reference.

Materials

a.) -Anchor/ Interactive Chart – “Just Like Me” by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, – “Making Connections” bulletin board filled with photos -Literacy Centers -Making Connections portfolio

Language/Literacy

• “Community”, “In my own world”, “Warrior”, “Culture”, “Race”, “Flaws”, “Explorer”, “I am”, “Unique”, Diversity, Acceptance, Unique – Diversity, Acceptance, Similarities, Differences, Relationships
• SWBAT explains their connections using full sentences. “I can connect to the [text to text, text to self, text to world] because…” “I can make connections by…” Group discussions and writing will be used to promote language and literacy skills.

Additional Information for Vocabulary Words

Word 1: Diversity

1. Importance: Students should understand the word diversity because it is the core theme of the book Just Like Me. Understanding the differences among individuals enables them to realize that differences add value to a community.
2. Child-Friendly Definition: Diversity means that there should be a lot of different types of people in a group so that everyone has something to share.

Word 2: Acceptance

1. Importance: Acceptance words are important because they motivate students to accept others’ differences and promote an inclusive sense. The book is vital in understanding the lessons on self-worth and community.
2. Child-Friendly Definition: Being okay with someone being different from you is acceptance.

Word 3: Unique

1. Importance: With the meaning of the word unique, we need to understand what such a word means with reference to the story “Just Like Me.” It also gives students the opportunity to appreciate the unique features everybody has and to reinforce the theme of self-acceptance.
2. Child-Friendly Definition: Unique means no one else is exactly like you because you’re one of a kind.

Learning Standards/Objectives & Assessments

Learning Standards Associated with this lesson (at least 3 standards)

•  2R9: Make connections between self and text (texts and other people/ world). (RI&RL)

Goals/objective for this specific lesson:

• Students will understand with prior knowledge their interests, likes, and self, and use those to analyze and make connections to text, self, and the world. They will be able to use the book and activities as a reference and to help build on their knowledge and vocabulary. In accordance with Bloom’s Taxonomy, the intended learning outcome is for students to synthesize and relate their experiences to the text.
• Students will be able to make connections using literacy text and existing knowledge and apply it to themselves, and the world by the end of the unit. Students will be able to use their new vocabulary to explain what they have learned and mastered as we continue to build in other units.

Assessments:

• Informal: As we have classroom discussions, we will observe group discussions, to see and hear if students are able to grasp the concepts being introduced to them, as well as one-on-one correspondence to see if students are able to understand the learning objective without the appearance of their peers.
• Formal Assessment Statement: Using F&P’s, and different passage texts, we will be able to see if students are able to make connections using their own inferences and their own ability to explain using vocabulary.

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Facilitating Student Engagement & Learning

(Descriptions of processes should be clear and detailed enough for ANYONE to follow along)

Beginning: I will explain the book and its concept, talk about diversity and acceptance of oneself, and then ask questions that will prompt students and help them draw from past experiences. I will also ask “why” and “how” critical thinking questions for students to help in mind as we read the book.

Middle: I read “Just Like Me” aloud using the YouTube link. Lead a class discussion that would make the students explain how they are related to the text. Help them think through characters’ reactions to certain occurrences in the story.

End: Students should write a reflection of a personal experience that relates to the book. Encourage several students to write or speak how they feel about the topic at hand in a class.

Open-Ended Questions

Question 1: “What does the character mean when she says, ‘I’m a canvas, waiting to be painted with the colors of life’? How can we relate this to our own experiences when discovering new things about ourselves?”

Where to Stop: This question should be asked right after reading the poem “I Am a Canvas,” where the character describes herself as a blank canvas ready to be filled with experiences.

Rationale: This question encourages students to analyze metaphors and connect them to personal growth and self-discovery. It helps students reflect on their own identities and how they perceive themselves. The question aligns with the Analysis level of Bloom’s Taxonomy because it involves breaking down the metaphor and connecting it to personal experiences.

Question 2: “The girl in the ‘Warrior’ poem sees herself as strong and fearless. Can you think of a time when you had to be brave like a warrior? What did you learn from that experience?”

Where to Stop: This question should be posed after reading the “Warrior” poem, where the character uses strong imagery to express her inner strength and bravery.

Rationale: This question fosters text-to-self connections and encourages students to recall and articulate their own experiences of bravery and courage. It targets the Application level of Bloom’s Taxonomy, as it requires students to apply their personal experiences to the emotions and actions of the character in the story.

Question 3: “Why do you think the author chose to include so many different types of girls with unique traits and backgrounds in the book? How does it make the story more meaningful?”

Where to Stop: This question should be asked toward the end of the read-aloud session after reading through the various poems that celebrate each girl’s uniqueness.

Rationale: This question allows students to synthesize the diverse characteristics of the characters and reflect on how diversity enriches stories. It helps students see the value of different backgrounds and perspectives. The question is aligned with the Synthesis level of Bloom’s Taxonomy, as it requires combining different elements of the story to form a cohesive interpretation.

Extension Activity: “Diversity Collage”

Activity Title: “My Unique Identity Collage”

Activity Description: After reading “Just Like Me,” each student will make a personal collage sketching their own diversity and identity through an exploration of what they like and how their unique interests link to issues of diversity and acceptance.

Steps to Explain and Model the Activity:

1. Introduction: I will tell the students they will make collages about who they are and take the time to discuss what identity means and why it is necessary to celebrate what makes us different.
2. Demonstration: Show students examples of collages and explain what different materials and images might represent as aspects of someone’s identity. Use a sample collage to help students understand how colors, textures, and symbols are used.
3. Materials: I will give the students magazines, colored paper, markers, scissors, and glue. As they make their collages, I will help them think about their interests, family, culture, and experiences.
4. Creation: Allow students to cut out images and words that mean something to them. Then, arrange them and glue them to a larger piece of paper to make their collage.

Learning Objectives: Students will relate to the lesson objective by reflecting on their identities as they relate to the broader topics of diversity and acceptance.

Assessment Questions:

1. What images or words did you choose for your collage, and what do they represent about you?
2. How does your collage relate to the ideas we spoke of in “Just Like Me”?
3. How does your collage show diversity in our classroom?

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General Assessment & Reflection

• This lesson helps students discuss diversity and personal experiences related to the text properly. The read-aloud uses multimedia to capture interest, and the reflective writing gives the student a voice to demonstrate learning. I will consider how effectively the students express their ideas and relate them to evaluate the achievement of learning objectives.

 

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I UPLOADED MY PARTNER LESSON PLAN SO YOU CAN ADD THIS INFORMATION TO THE TO THE FACILITATING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT & LEARNING SECTION OF THE LESSON PLAN AT THE END IN A PINK FONT. WHEN CREATING THE ACTIVITY KEEP IN MIND THAT I WILL NEED TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE AND CARRY OUT THIS ACTIVITY IN CLASS.

ASYNCHRONOUS WORK G:

Extension Activity for Partner Lesson Plan

IMPORTANT: Each student should do this work individually.

Create an extension activity for your partner lesson plan that you can do with the children after you have read the book aloud.  Please take the following directions into account when creating the extension activity.

(1)The extension activity should occur in small groups so that the educator has the opportunity to assess the learning each child in the group is demonstrating.

(2)The extension activity should provide an opportunity for children to engage with the lesson objective so that you (the educator) can assess the extent to which they are attaining the lesson objective.

(3) The extension activity should incorporate the use of modalities beyond just the oral and visual modalities that are used to read a book.

Examples:

• an art activity related to the content of the book (incorporates visual and tactile modalities),
• an acting activity related to the content of the book (incorporates kinesthetic, oral, and visual modalities),
• a singing activity (incorporates oral and auditory modalities),
• an activity in which students handle materials pertinent to the lesson (tactile and visual modalities).
  

  Nichole & Bintu Lesson Plan

(4) Describe how you would explain and model the activity to the children before they do it.

(5) Include a sentence or two identifying what you want the students to be able to get out of the extension activity (make sure it is related to the lesson objective), and

(6) Include at least three questions you would ask children while they were completing the extension activity to assess the extent to which they are achieving the lesson objective.

(7) Use a pink font to include all this under the Facilitating Student Engagement & Learning section of the lesson plan at the “End.”

When creating this activity, please take into account that we will have a class session where you will have your peers carry out the activity.