Lesson #4 Megan Fazio
Time needed: two 30 min. classes Topic: Introducing yourself & making a new friend feel welcome
Grade: 1st
Materials:
· 1 copy of One Green Apple
· Chart paper
· Markers
· Plan worksheets
Prep:
· Have chart paper ready to go, with a heading of “How can we introduce ourselves to new friends or grown-ups?”
· Have post-its with each question the teacher will ask the students posted to the page that it will be asked in the read aloud, and have post-reading discussion questions on post-it on last page of book.
· Have list of which students will be in each small group for the small group portion of the lesson. If there are desks rather than tables in the classroom, make sure that they are arranged into tables.
MMSD Standards & Connections:
History
· Use a vocabulary pertaining to time and events such as day, month, and year.
o Students will use the vocabulary pertaining to time and events such as day, month, and year to discuss the main characters in our story (most of them are immigrants) and how long they have spent in the U.S. compared to how long their classmates have.
Behavioral Science
· Demonstrate empathy for feelings of others
o Students will demonstrate empathy for the feelings of others by thinking about and discussing how to introduce oneself and make a new classmate feel welcome.
· Identify self as an important member groups (i.e. classroom, family, community)
o Students will identify the self as an important member of our classroom community who can make a new friend feel welcome.
· Exhibit group membership traits by being trustworthy, responsible, respectful, and by demonstrating accountability for actions, displaying self direction and showing pride
o Students will be respectful listeners and participators in our discussion and extension activity.
· Cooperate in group settings to establish and achieve mental goals and promote the welfare of its members
o Students will cooperate in a group setting and work toward a group goal when they are creating a plan on how they will welcome a new student.
NCSS Standards:
· Culture
· Time, continuity, and change
· Individual development and identity
· Individuals, groups, and institutions
El.Ed. Standards:
· Standard #1: Incorporates understanding of human learning and development
I have chosen to have students practice introducing themselves to their group because it helps them practice what it feels like to meet someone and tell them a little about yourself. In addition, I feel that at first grade, students can start to work cooperatively, so their small group work adds to their growth and development as social beings.
· Standard #10: Employs varied instructional strategies
I will be teaching using various techniques. I will be reading aloud and giving students the chance to participate in whole group discussion, giving them opportunities to turn and talk with their neighbor, having students work in small groups cooperatively, and having students teach the class how they would make a friend feel welcome.
· Standard #12: Accommodates for all students
Because of the varied ways that students can participate in this lesson and the various instructional strategies that I will be using, I will be accommodating to the needs of my students.
Objectives:
· Students will be active listeners and participators in a discussion about One Green Apple.
· Students will use time words (day, month, year) to think about how long they have been at their school, and in our discussion of how long Farah has been at her new school in One Green Apple.
· Students will introduce themselves to everyone in their group as practiced in discussion.
· Students will collaborate in small groups to think of a plan of how to make a new friend feel welcome in our class, or how to make a grown-up who is a guest in our class feel welcome.
· Students will demonstrate empathy for new friends to our class by developing their plans in a sensitive manner.
Context:
We have been thinking about our names and what they mean to us, and the cultural meaning behind names, and how this varies from culture to culture. Students have already experienced two read alouds in which the main character is an immigrant coming to America and has an experience significant to their name. The book we will read at the beginning of this lesson, One Green Apple by Eve Bunting is another immigrant story. Unlike the previous two stories, this story starts with Farah, a Muslim immigrant, already having been in school for a little bit. This particular story focuses on a field trip, when Farah first speaks with another student, and the first thing the girls say to each other is their names. This introduction between them leads to a friendship and Farah’s learning of other words in English.
Lesson opening:
Tell the students that today, we are going to read a new story about names, and it will tell us another student’s experience coming to America (*Note: this book does not say where Farah is from, so we will not be identifying anything on the map today). Tell the students that as you are reading out loud, they should be thinking about how names are used in this story, and if they think Farah feels welcome at her school.
Procedure:
1. After telling the students what to think about during the read aloud, begin reading. Have post-its with prewritten questions on the page those questions will be posed during the read aloud:
o Page 5: How long has Farah been at her new school?
o Page 8: What did Anna and Farah just do when they said their names to each other?
o Page 12: How does Farah feel when she cannot explain to her teacher that she understands?
o Page 27: What is similar about when Anna and Farah first meet and when Jim and Farah first meet?
o Page 32: What do you think Farah means when she says “it is my first outside-myself word”?
2. After finishing the read aloud, pause and tell the students that they will have a few minutes to process what we have just read. Give them a couple of minutes to turn and talk with their neighbor about how they noticed names being used in the book. Circulate and talk with some of the pairs about what they thought the significance of names was in this story. After a couple of minutes, ask for a few students to share out. (Anticipate that students will have a variety of responses, but that one will be that Farah and Anna use their names as a way to introduce themselves).
3. Ask the students how Anna and Farah came to know each other in the story. (Anticipate that students will state that they introduce themselves to each other by saying their names to each other). We know that names are so important in this story because it helps Anna and Farah begin to learn about each other and become friends.
· What are some ways we can introduce ourselves to our friends?
· Give students a minute to think, and then start recording their answers on the chart.
4. Ask the students if they think that Farah feels welcome with her new class in the story. Why or why not? Give the students time to think and respond. Tell them that we are going to think about how we could make a new friend feel welcome in our class. Keep in mind we also welcome grown-ups into our class as well.
5. Have students count off so that they are in groups of four. Tell students that when they are in their groups, their first task is to introduce themselves to the other members in their group. This is especially important so we can practice saying each others’ names correctly! Their second task is to sign up on the plan sheet for a job. To ensure that each student has a job, once the students are in a group, give each group a planning sheet, that has each job at the top:
· Writer #1, writer #2, speaker #1, speaker #2
· Each student in each group should write their name by one job spot. The writers will write the parts of the plan on the plan sheet, and the speakers will talk when they present their plan of how to make someone feel welcome in our class.
· Tell students that when they fill out their plan together, they should think of three ways or three steps to make a friend feel welcome, and if they have time, they can draw a picture below to show this.
6. Give the students at least 20 minutes to work collaboratively, and circulate throughout the classroom checking in with each group to make sure that each group member is participating and coming up with an idea.
7. After observing and interacting with each group, and when most groups show signs of being done soon, give students a five minute warning to finish up.
Lesson Closing:
Call the students back to the carpet (or whatever space is large enough to have the students sit and listen to each group present). Each group will present to the class how they would plan to make a new friend feel welcome. After each presentation, students who are not in the presenting group should ask any questions they might have of that group. This is not meant to be a critique, but a time when students can share ideas with each other and clarify. After each group has presented, tell the students that we will continue tomorrow with our last activity on names.
Assessment:
· Students will be informally assessed based on their participation in our discussion during and after reading One Green Apple.
· Students will be informally assessed as the teacher goes around and observes and interacts with each small group as they are working on their plan to make a new friend feel welcome.
· Students will be assessed on their group’s completion of a plan of how to make a new friend feel welcome.
· Each group will be assessed on their presentation to our class of how to make a new friend feel welcome.
Differentiation:
Students have a variety of opportunities to participate in this lesson. Students who are comfortable sharing out can participate in whole group discussions, students who are more comfortable sharing with a partner also get that chance, and students who prefer working in small groups rather than large groups also get that opportunity. Students also have the opportunity to express themselves through writing/drawing and speaking in front of the class.
Cultural Relevance:
This lesson’s cultural relevance focuses on our classroom community. Each of the students have an important role to play in our classroom community, and this lesson is designed for students to see the importance of this role when they practice introducing themselves to the friends in their group and work as a group to construct a plan for welcoming a new student into the culture of our classroom community.
Troubleshooting:
· If students do not recognize how Farah and Anna use their names in the story, ask them to take a look at the illustration and look at the body language of Farah and Anna. This will scaffold them to understand that the girls use their names as a way of introducing themselves.
· Make sure that students are working cooperatively, and if there are any major problems, ask the students how they will fix the situation, because our objective in doing this activity is to cooperate and to think about how we can be helpful to a new friend.
Writer #1 ___________________ Writer #2 ____________________
Speaker #1 __________________ Speaker #2 ___________________
How can we make a new friend feel welcome?
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
Time needed: two 30 min. classes Topic: Introducing yourself & making a new friend feel welcome
Grade: 1st
Materials:
· 1 copy of One Green Apple
· Chart paper
· Markers
· Plan worksheets
Prep:
· Have chart paper ready to go, with a heading of “How can we introduce ourselves to new friends or grown-ups?”
· Have post-its with each question the teacher will ask the students posted to the page that it will be asked in the read aloud, and have post-reading discussion questions on post-it on last page of book.
· Have list of which students will be in each small group for the small group portion of the lesson. If there are desks rather than tables in the classroom, make sure that they are arranged into tables.
MMSD Standards & Connections:
History
· Use a vocabulary pertaining to time and events such as day, month, and year.
o Students will use the vocabulary pertaining to time and events such as day, month, and year to discuss the main characters in our story (most of them are immigrants) and how long they have spent in the U.S. compared to how long their classmates have.
Behavioral Science
· Demonstrate empathy for feelings of others
o Students will demonstrate empathy for the feelings of others by thinking about and discussing how to introduce oneself and make a new classmate feel welcome.
· Identify self as an important member groups (i.e. classroom, family, community)
o Students will identify the self as an important member of our classroom community who can make a new friend feel welcome.
· Exhibit group membership traits by being trustworthy, responsible, respectful, and by demonstrating accountability for actions, displaying self direction and showing pride
o Students will be respectful listeners and participators in our discussion and extension activity.
· Cooperate in group settings to establish and achieve mental goals and promote the welfare of its members
o Students will cooperate in a group setting and work toward a group goal when they are creating a plan on how they will welcome a new student.
NCSS Standards:
· Culture
· Time, continuity, and change
· Individual development and identity
· Individuals, groups, and institutions
El.Ed. Standards:
· Standard #1: Incorporates understanding of human learning and development
I have chosen to have students practice introducing themselves to their group because it helps them practice what it feels like to meet someone and tell them a little about yourself. In addition, I feel that at first grade, students can start to work cooperatively, so their small group work adds to their growth and development as social beings.
· Standard #10: Employs varied instructional strategies
I will be teaching using various techniques. I will be reading aloud and giving students the chance to participate in whole group discussion, giving them opportunities to turn and talk with their neighbor, having students work in small groups cooperatively, and having students teach the class how they would make a friend feel welcome.
· Standard #12: Accommodates for all students
Because of the varied ways that students can participate in this lesson and the various instructional strategies that I will be using, I will be accommodating to the needs of my students.
Objectives:
· Students will be active listeners and participators in a discussion about One Green Apple.
· Students will use time words (day, month, year) to think about how long they have been at their school, and in our discussion of how long Farah has been at her new school in One Green Apple.
· Students will introduce themselves to everyone in their group as practiced in discussion.
· Students will collaborate in small groups to think of a plan of how to make a new friend feel welcome in our class, or how to make a grown-up who is a guest in our class feel welcome.
· Students will demonstrate empathy for new friends to our class by developing their plans in a sensitive manner.
Context:
We have been thinking about our names and what they mean to us, and the cultural meaning behind names, and how this varies from culture to culture. Students have already experienced two read alouds in which the main character is an immigrant coming to America and has an experience significant to their name. The book we will read at the beginning of this lesson, One Green Apple by Eve Bunting is another immigrant story. Unlike the previous two stories, this story starts with Farah, a Muslim immigrant, already having been in school for a little bit. This particular story focuses on a field trip, when Farah first speaks with another student, and the first thing the girls say to each other is their names. This introduction between them leads to a friendship and Farah’s learning of other words in English.
Lesson opening:
Tell the students that today, we are going to read a new story about names, and it will tell us another student’s experience coming to America (*Note: this book does not say where Farah is from, so we will not be identifying anything on the map today). Tell the students that as you are reading out loud, they should be thinking about how names are used in this story, and if they think Farah feels welcome at her school.
Procedure:
1. After telling the students what to think about during the read aloud, begin reading. Have post-its with prewritten questions on the page those questions will be posed during the read aloud:
o Page 5: How long has Farah been at her new school?
o Page 8: What did Anna and Farah just do when they said their names to each other?
o Page 12: How does Farah feel when she cannot explain to her teacher that she understands?
o Page 27: What is similar about when Anna and Farah first meet and when Jim and Farah first meet?
o Page 32: What do you think Farah means when she says “it is my first outside-myself word”?
2. After finishing the read aloud, pause and tell the students that they will have a few minutes to process what we have just read. Give them a couple of minutes to turn and talk with their neighbor about how they noticed names being used in the book. Circulate and talk with some of the pairs about what they thought the significance of names was in this story. After a couple of minutes, ask for a few students to share out. (Anticipate that students will have a variety of responses, but that one will be that Farah and Anna use their names as a way to introduce themselves).
3. Ask the students how Anna and Farah came to know each other in the story. (Anticipate that students will state that they introduce themselves to each other by saying their names to each other). We know that names are so important in this story because it helps Anna and Farah begin to learn about each other and become friends.
· What are some ways we can introduce ourselves to our friends?
· Give students a minute to think, and then start recording their answers on the chart.
4. Ask the students if they think that Farah feels welcome with her new class in the story. Why or why not? Give the students time to think and respond. Tell them that we are going to think about how we could make a new friend feel welcome in our class. Keep in mind we also welcome grown-ups into our class as well.
5. Have students count off so that they are in groups of four. Tell students that when they are in their groups, their first task is to introduce themselves to the other members in their group. This is especially important so we can practice saying each others’ names correctly! Their second task is to sign up on the plan sheet for a job. To ensure that each student has a job, once the students are in a group, give each group a planning sheet, that has each job at the top:
· Writer #1, writer #2, speaker #1, speaker #2
· Each student in each group should write their name by one job spot. The writers will write the parts of the plan on the plan sheet, and the speakers will talk when they present their plan of how to make someone feel welcome in our class.
· Tell students that when they fill out their plan together, they should think of three ways or three steps to make a friend feel welcome, and if they have time, they can draw a picture below to show this.
6. Give the students at least 20 minutes to work collaboratively, and circulate throughout the classroom checking in with each group to make sure that each group member is participating and coming up with an idea.
7. After observing and interacting with each group, and when most groups show signs of being done soon, give students a five minute warning to finish up.
Lesson Closing:
Call the students back to the carpet (or whatever space is large enough to have the students sit and listen to each group present). Each group will present to the class how they would plan to make a new friend feel welcome. After each presentation, students who are not in the presenting group should ask any questions they might have of that group. This is not meant to be a critique, but a time when students can share ideas with each other and clarify. After each group has presented, tell the students that we will continue tomorrow with our last activity on names.
Assessment:
· Students will be informally assessed based on their participation in our discussion during and after reading One Green Apple.
· Students will be informally assessed as the teacher goes around and observes and interacts with each small group as they are working on their plan to make a new friend feel welcome.
· Students will be assessed on their group’s completion of a plan of how to make a new friend feel welcome.
· Each group will be assessed on their presentation to our class of how to make a new friend feel welcome.
Differentiation:
Students have a variety of opportunities to participate in this lesson. Students who are comfortable sharing out can participate in whole group discussions, students who are more comfortable sharing with a partner also get that chance, and students who prefer working in small groups rather than large groups also get that opportunity. Students also have the opportunity to express themselves through writing/drawing and speaking in front of the class.
Cultural Relevance:
This lesson’s cultural relevance focuses on our classroom community. Each of the students have an important role to play in our classroom community, and this lesson is designed for students to see the importance of this role when they practice introducing themselves to the friends in their group and work as a group to construct a plan for welcoming a new student into the culture of our classroom community.
Troubleshooting:
· If students do not recognize how Farah and Anna use their names in the story, ask them to take a look at the illustration and look at the body language of Farah and Anna. This will scaffold them to understand that the girls use their names as a way of introducing themselves.
· Make sure that students are working cooperatively, and if there are any major problems, ask the students how they will fix the situation, because our objective in doing this activity is to cooperate and to think about how we can be helpful to a new friend.
Writer #1 ___________________ Writer #2 ____________________
Speaker #1 __________________ Speaker #2 ___________________
How can we make a new friend feel welcome?
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
