Indiana Wesleyan University

Children’s Literature Lesson Plan

Kara Tippey – 5th grade reading classroom

Read Aloud of Star of Fear, Star of Hope by Jo Hoestlandt and Illustrated by Johanna
Kang

Problem Confronted: Prejudice as a challenge

LESSON RATIONALE/INJUSTICE CONFRONTED

The students in this classroom are not often engaged in picture book read-alouds
but are not too old to enjoy and discuss a picture book that brings up difficult subjects. The
students will be relating to the experience of the main character by thinking of challenges
they go through and determining possible solutions as they collaborate with other students
to present their thoughts to their peers.
(CAEP K-6 1.a)
READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
A. Goal – Students will connect the challenges in the story to their own life.
B. Unit Goal – Students will discover truth by challenging lies across content areas.
C. Objective – Students will determine understanding of how the characters respond
to challenges in the story by brainstorming and discussing challenges they have
faced, potentially because of prejudice.
D. Standard: 5.RL.2.2 Determine a theme of a story, play, or poem from details in the
text, including how characters respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem
reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
(CAEP K-6 3.c)
II. Management Plan:
 Time – will fill 46-minute period, start closure 5-7 minutes before end of the period
 Space – students will listen at their desks and are allowed to move around the room
to work on their poster
 Materials – book and poster materials
 Behavior – Reminders will be given to stay on task and students who are continually off-
task will fill out a “refocus” sheet to be turned in at the teacher’s desk.

III. Anticipatory Set

 Activate background knowledge – ask students what challenges they may face in
their everyday life. Ask students if they know how their personal challenges might
connect to the holocaust (briefly explain the holocaust) and have them discuss their
ideas at their table then have a few students answer for the whole class. Connect by
explaining how prejudice led to the Jews being taken away. Ask if students know
about the stars the Jews were required to wear. Discuss the yellow stars and how
that is comparable to carrying around the weight of students own current struggle.
IV. Purpose: Today I will read the book, Star of Fear, Star of Hope. It takes place during the
holocaust and it will show one girl’s perspective and how she was affected through
prejudice. You will be able to see how the character’s action reflects the theme of the
story. I want you to determine what the girl’s struggle is as you listen.

PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION

V. Adaptation to Individual Differences and Diverse Learners:
 As students will be grouped at their tables, there will be a mix of ability level in each
period and at each table which will help lower ability students to understand
concept and will help higher ability students by having them explain the concept.
 Students who finish their poster before the closure will be allowed to read
independently.
(CAEP K-6 1.b)
VI. Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)
 Read the book with great inflection.
 Response – begin with questions to encourage natural response:
o What did you think about the story?
o How did you like it?
o What did you like about it?
o What didn’t you like about it?
o What challenges did the main character face?
o How would you feel in her position?
o What would you do in her position?
 Extend/independent response – each student will individually brainstorm and
come up with two challenges and then at their table, work together to create a list of
five challenges they face daily, ESPECIALLY if they are caused by prejudice.
Emphasize that these challenges could be because of how they are treated, how
others think of them, or because of something they do. They will choose one
challenge to focus on and create a solution to that challenge. Each table of students
will create a poster that presents their challenge and solution.
(CAEP K-6 3.d)

VII. Check for understanding

 Suggest areas students might face challenges if some students are unable to come up
with any. Maybe in school, at home, with others…
 By working with other students, they will have access to ways of understanding the
challenges of others.

VIII. Review learning outcomes / Closure

 Each table of students will quickly present their poster to the rest of the class and
explain the challenge they addressed. Posters can be displayed in the classroom.
 On a google doc that students will share with the teacher, they will do a quick write
to the prompt: What helped you determine the theme of the story? How can you
search for the truth about someone who could fall into a stereotype?
 Discuss what we can do to show and to share with others what we have learned.
PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT
 Formative: student response in discussion will indicate their level of understanding
as well as their process of brainstorming challenges. The quick writes will
demonstrate students’ ability to determine the theme of the story through the
character’s feelings and actions. The poster the students create and the individual
lists of challenges that students will present will indicate the level of understanding.
 Summative: would take place after further exploration of determining theme.
(CAEP K-6 3.a)
REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS
(CAEP K-6 3.b)
1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why
not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
7. Did the students connect to the story through either personal or other’s
experiences?