Name: Katherine Pook

Lesson # 1
Date: 9/11/15

Lesson Title: We are Different, We are the Same

Day of Week: n/a

Time: 60 minutes

Instructional Context
What do I know about my students that will inform this lesson?
o My students are in first grade. They have not had any previous instruction in
regards to similarities and differences in other people, however before this lesson
takes place they will have a parent or family member fill out an information sheet
about them and their family life.
o My students are at varying levels in their reading and writing development. This
means that I will need to make sure any readings and writing assignments will be
appropriate for all levels.
o There are several students in the class with exceptionalities such as ADHD and mild
autism.

How does this lesson connect with and build on the previous lesson(s)?

o This will be the first lesson about this topic but will connect with texts that will be
read before the lesson as well as a take home assignment where students work with
a family member to answer questions about themselves and their families.

How do I expect to build on this lesson in subsequent lessons?

o This lesson will involve students comparing similarities and differences in

themselves to others in class. This will be followed by creating a list of the ways
students are all the same. In the next lesson students will begin to learn about
students in other countries and compare those students to themselves.

Standards Addressed
National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
Describe the unique features of ones nuclear and extended families
Explore the similarities and differences in the ways groups, societies, and
cultures address similar human needs and concerns.
Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
W.1.7 Participate in shared reading and writing projects
SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners in
small and larger groups
WI Model Academic Standard
E4.3 Describe how families are alike and different, comparing characteristics
such as size, cultural celebrations, location, and different ways to make a
living

Learning Objectives
Objective

Students will be able to identify the similarities

and differences between themselves and their
classmates, as well as between themselves
and students in other places

Assessment

Students will create a Venn

diagram with partners
Students will write using
prompts in their social
studies journals
Students will create a final
presentation with partners
on the differences between
themselves and students in
other places.

Academic Language/Language Function Objectives

Similar
Different
Culture
Tradition

Assessments

Checks for Understanding: Questioning students throughout the lesson, listening to

answers, listening to student discussions as they talk to elbow partners. I will ask
questions such as what are some examples of how we are the same/different? and
what is the key idea in what we learned today? and how might this help us
understand people that are different than us?

Formative Assessment: Five word summary on post it notes (What was the main idea
that we learned today?)

Summative Assessment: Students will write entries in their journals using the prompts
given to them. I will read journal entries after the lesson

Materials

Everybody Cooks Rice by Norah Dooly

Blank Venn Diagram sheets
Student Journals

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks (Procedures & Timelines)

Time
Instructional Strategies/ Learning Tasks - Include
Purpose

introduction (and hook), demonstration, participation ,

practice & closure

5 minutes

Introduction

15
Minutes

Demonstration

15
minutes

Introduce topic (we are all the same in

some ways, and different in some ways).
Briefly state some differences and
similarities such as we are all in first
grade, or we all have different colored
hair, etc.
Discuss meanings of same and different.
Ask students what does it mean to be
the same? And what does it mean to be
different?
Ask students to think about a way they
are different from their classmates, and a
way they are the same. Have them share
with elbow partners.

Read aloud Everybody Cooks Rice by

Norah Dooly
While reading model thinking by
saying things such as I notice that
the people living inare different
than the people inbecause
Have students turn and talk to elbow
partners about some of the similarities
and differences they noticed about people
in the book.

Participation

Students will get out the sheet they had

completed with a parent/family member
for homework about themselves and their
families
With partners, students will complete a
Venn diagram using the information from

Clarifies important
concepts
Activates prior
knowledge
SL.1.1 Participate in
collaborative
conversations with
diverse partners in
small and larger
groups
Students will
participate in
discussions
with elbow
partners
Begin to
explore
concepts of
same and
different
Begins to build
knowledge on how
people can be the
same but also be
different

Explore the
similarities and
differences in the
ways groups,
societies, and
cultures address
similar human needs
and concerns.
Helps
students
explore more
ways people
can be the
same/different

Connects prior
knowledge (of
themselves and their
families) to new
knowledge (how they
and their families are
different/the same
from other families)

the sheets. This will involve them

comparing information about themselves
(from the sheet) to their partner. On one
side of the Venn diagram will be one
students info, and on the other side will
be the others students. Any info that is
the same for both of them will be put in
the middle.

18
minutes

Practice

Students will engage in a writing activity

in their journals using the prompts
In what ways were you the same
as your partner?
In what ways were you different
than your partner?
Think back to the story Everybody
Cooks Rice. How are you the same
as the people in the book? How are

Describe the unique

features of ones
nuclear and
extended families
E4.3 Describe how
families are alike and
different, comparing
characteristics such
as size, cultural
celebrations,
location, and
different ways to
make a living
Students will
describe
themselves
and their
family to their
partner and
compare
themselves
with their
partner
SL.1.1 Participate in
collaborative
conversations with
diverse partners in
small and larger
groups
Students will
collaborate
with partners
and
participate in
discussion
about where
to put
information
into the Venn
diagram
Students reflect on
their learning and
show understanding
of the learning
activities
Will serve as an
assessment tool after
lesson
E4.3 Describe how
families are alike and

you different?

7 minutes

Closure

Have students find a different partner and

read their journal entries to each other.
Ask several students to share what they
wrote with the whole class.
Ask students to write a 5 word summary
on what they learned on a post it note
that they will stick to the board on as they
transition to next class
Explain to students that in this lesson we
discovered how we were the same and
different from our classmates. In the next
lesson we will begin to see how we are
the same and different from people
outside of our classroom.

different, comparing
characteristics such
as size, cultural
celebrations,
location, and
different ways to
make a living
Students will
describe
themselves
and their
family to their
partner and
compare
themselves
with their
partner

Gives students
opportunity to share
learning with
others/hear the
learning others did
Prepares students for
how this learning will
be built upon in the
future

Accommodations
Accommodation Strategy/ies

Give students who need it extra time to complete activities/tasks

Reduce the length or difficulty of tasks

Purpose

Students with certain learning

needs or learning disabilities
may benefit from having extra
time to complete tasks because
they can work in their own way,
at their own pace, as well as
seek extra help when they need
it.
This may help students with a
range of different learning
needs because it will make the

Allow students to give answers orally rather than in writing/allow

students to work process answers rather than write by hand

Allow students to work with partners or small groups

assignments and tasks during

the unit appropriate and
manageable for their specific
needs.
Both of these things could be
helpful for students who may
struggle or be unable to write
answers can summaries during
the unit by hand
If students can work together on
tasks they will be able to
support each other and students
with stronger skills will be able
to assist other students in
completing the task

Reflections
How did lesson support students understanding?
My lessons supported student understanding by giving students many different learning
opportunities throughout. They allowed students to learn in many different ways such as
through reading, hearing reading being done, creating graphic organizers, writing,
summarizing, answering questions, experimenting, and working with others. Because
each lesson included chances for students to do all these things, students were given
chances to learn in whatever way they do best. Both lessons catered to many different
learning styles. Student understanding was also supported because the many different
learning opportunities gave students many chances to understand the material. It wasnt
just one activity and move on, there were many activities that were teaching the same
thing so students had many chances to learn and understand.
How might I modify/adjust the lesson in the future?
I might modify my lessons in the future by adding more time for discussion into each
lesson. I know that one of the ways students learn best is through talking about their
learning and I think my lessons could give more opportunities for this. I also might give
more time and opportunity for students to discover learning on their own. For example
instead of me as the teacher sharing a reading with students about a topic, I could let
them go online or to the library and find their own materials to support their learning and
interests. I would do this because I know students are more engaged if they are interested
in the topic so I would want to give them the chance to find topic specific materials that
are interesting to them personally.