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Lesson 6 I Am Special and You Are Special Too Lesson Series

I Am Special and You Are Special Too 

Teacher: Eleanor Vistein
Project Children L.E.A.D. Director: Dr. Vincenne Revilla Beltran
Subject Area: Diversity
Grade level: Kindergarten (Ages 5-6)
Length of Lesson: 60 minutes 

Learning goals based on Pennsylvania Academic Standards, N.A.E.Y.C. Standards or Early Childhood Learning Continuum Indicators: This lesson is based on the N.A.E.Y.C. standard that children be provided varied opportunities and materials to build their understanding of diversity in culture, family structure, ability, language, age, and gender in non-stereotypical ways.After listening to the book, We Are All Alike...We Are All Different, each student will create a book which will be an autobiography. The students will then share these books to see how they are all alike and how they are all different.

Arts and Humanities

9.1. E. Demonstrate the ability to define objects, express emotions, illustrate an action or relate an experience through creation of works in the arts.

Language Arts

1.2. A. Discuss content of informational items in text.

1.4. A.

  • Dictate and/or write narrative pieces from personal experience.
  • Include people, place and things in dictation, story boards and writing.
  •  
    • Select appropriate illustrations to accompany story.

1.4. B. Write informational sentences using illustration when relevant.

    1. C. Differentiate between fact and opinion.

    2. A. Write with a selected focus.

1.5. B. Write content sentences using content appropriate for the topic.

  • Identify possible organizational structures for information
  • Write a sentence or series of sentences.

    1. F. Edit writing for grammar and punctuation.

  • Spell high-frequency sight words correctly.

  • Capitalize the first word of a sentence, names of people, and the pronoun I.

  • Use proper end punctuation.

  • Use nouns, pronoun and verbs in writing.

    1. G. Present written work to large groups.

OBJECTIVES: The students will create a book based on personal experience that will include information about self; people, places, and things relevant to self; and appropriate illustrations. Students will edit with teacher for correct spelling of high-frequency sight words, capitalization, and end punctuation. Upon completion, the students will share their work with the class.

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

  1. Book: Cheltenham Elementary School Kindergartners. We Are All Alike...We Are All Different. Scholastic, 1991. ISBN: 0-590-49173-3

  2. Various art materials for creating a self-portrait on front cover of book

  3. Writing paper

  4. Pencils and erasers

  5. Colored pencils and crayons for illustrations

  6. Multicultural colored pencils and multicultural crayons for illustrations

  7. Bound blank books

  8. Full length mirror

ADAPTATIONS AND ACCOMMODATIONS TO DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION: Students' writing levels may vary; some may need to give dictation, while others may benefit from picture dictionaries to promote independence.

PROCEDURES:

REVIEW: Ask the children what type of letter a sentence begins with. Ask the children what goes at the end of a sentence. Ask the children for an example of a book that is fiction and an example of a book that is based on facts.

INTRODUCE: Tell the children that we are going to begin making books about ourselves, and that it will take more than one day to complete the books. Explain how some authors need more time than others to complete a book. I focused on one category daily.

DEVELOP:

  1. Read aloud the book, We Are All Alike...We Are All Different, as a springboard into the text.

  2. The students will discuss the content of the informational items in the text.

  3. Have the students help to generate a list of categories that the book illustrated: bodies, families, homes, foods, and play.

  4. Discuss what was alike and what was different about each category.

  5. Explain that each student will make a book that is like this book, but each book will be different because each student is special.

  6. Tell the students that they will illustrate and write about each of the five categories. The first category will be bodies.

  7. Have students take turns looking in mirror to view self.

  8. Ask students what they see; create two charts one labeled "same" and one labeled "different" to record their responses. Children can refer to these charts for spelling when writing in their own books.

  9. Provide each student with a bound, blank book. Have each student open to the first page. The students will draw a self-portrait. Refer students back to mirror to check for details.

  10. Have the students write about the self-portrait on paper.

  11. As students complete their writing, tell them to check that each sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with the correct punctuation.

  12. Provide each student with editing feedback.

  13. Students will copy corrected writing into their books.

  14. Revisit the book, We Are All Alike...We Are All Different, to reread about families. Ask the students to name family members illustrated in the book; chart their responses. Ask the students if they have any additional family members that the book didn't mention; if so, add these to the chart.

  15. Pass out the students books so they can illustrate their family members.

  16. Have the students write about the composition of their family on paper.

  17. As the students complete their writing, tell them to check that each sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with the correct punctuation.

  18. Provide each student with editing feedback.

  19. Students will copy corrected writing into their books.

  20. Continue this process for the remaining categories; remember to revisit the book each time a new category is presented.

  21. After the book is completed, provide the students with various art materials to make a self-portrait on the front cover.

  22. Students will present completed books to class during circle time.

  23. As a concluding activity, teach the song "I Am Special." Add your own hand movements to the song.

I am special,

I am special,

If you look, you will see,

Someone very special,

Someone very special,

Yes, it's me.

Yes, it's me. 

ASSESS: The students will be assessed through observation and anecdotal note taking. 

ASSIGN: Have students take their books home to read to parents in addition to sharing with class.

CLOSE: As each student shares their book with the class, remind them that even though the book is on the same subject as the rest of the class, it is different because each of us is special.