Same Sun Here: Grade 6 Lesson Plan 

 
This would be a final lesson plan to go along with the conclusion of the story “Same Sun Here”
by Silas House & Neely Vaswani. This is intended for English students in grades 6-8 depending
on class reading level. The lesson is also multidisciplinary, meeting sixth grade English and
History standards for Indiana.  
 
Content Standards:  
English:  
6.RL.4.2 - Compare and contrast works of literature in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and
poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and
topics.  
6.W.1 - Write routinely over a variety of time frames for a range of tasks, purposes, and
audiences; apply reading standards to support analysis, reflection, and research by drawing
evidence from literature and nonfiction tasks.  
6.W.5 - Conduct short research assignments and tasks to build knowledge about the research
process and the topic under study.  
6.SL.2.4 Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments
that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.  
History: 
6.1.21 - Form research questions and use a variety of information resources to obtain, evaluate
and present data on people, cultures and developments in Europe and the Americas.  
6.3.10 - Explain the ways cultural diffusion, invention, and innovation change culture.  
 
Class Goals and Objectives: 
 Students will be able to create paragraphs and multiple-paragraph essays 
 Students will be able to use the steps of the writing process (plan, draft, write,
revise, edit, print, and share) to write letters 
 Students will be able to understand effective communication in group activities 
 Students will be able to conduct research on their own and answer basic questions
related to the topic researched 
 Students will be able to describe similarities and differences between two
cultures 
 
Materials: 
 Book “Same Sun Here” by Silas House & Neely Vaswani 
 About Me Worksheet, Research Worksheet, Venn Diagram (provided with lesson
plan) 
 Access to research materials (internet, books, library use, etc.) 
 Means of writing paragraphs (computer, paper/pencil, etc.) 
 
 
Procedures: 
(Pages 1- 33) Have students complete the “About Me” worksheet below to begin consideration
on who they are, where they come from, and what is important to them. This will aid in the
following sections of the lesson plan.   
 
(Pages 34- 71) Students should research and describe their family culture, or at least what can be
found out at this time. They should mimic the character's introductory letters to introduce
themselves to someone who may not have any idea who they are or where they come from. They
should describe their family life, their life at school, their environment, their favorite things to do
and places to go. Describe what makes them who they are. Students should use their “About Me”
worksheet to help with this assignment. Students may include photos, poetry, or any other
creative outlets just as the characters in the novel do themselves. Make it as detailed as possible
with the time available in class. Students should format this as though they are sending a text to a
peer or making a post on social media. 
 
(Pages 72-130) Continue reading the story as a class; when appropriate, analyze the poems that
the characters incorporate in their letters. If time allows, students may create their own poems
that model the ones in the novel. When students approach page 103, allow time to discuss
discussion question 7 in the back of the book (listed below).  
“‘Ignorant people don’t know any better,’ Mamaw tells River, ‘but stupid people WANT to be
stupid’ (page 103). What do you believe is the difference between ignorance and stupidity?
Which is more dangerous?”  
Students should be given ample opportunity to express their opinions and share personal
experiences, especially regarding their cultural identity. It is the teacher’s responsibility to
structure this discussion in an appropriate and inclusive manner among their students in the
classroom. 
 
(Pages 131-228) Students will choose any country (excluding the United States) to research for
this portion of the lesson. No two students should choose the same country. Students will
complete the Research Worksheet below to help find out as much relevant information as
possible on their country of choice.  
 
(Pages 229-268) Students should work in pairs and discuss what they learned about their chosen
country from the previous section. They will then be given the Venn Diagram below to compare
and contrast the two countries. The objective is to allow students to become like Meena and
River and find commonalities between two countries or concepts that may at first glance seem as
though there is nothing in common. Students may need to do further research to find similarities
that may not have been present in initial research. Close observation is advised in guiding
students to create these observations. Advise students to think beyond demographics and
environment (although these are up for discussion as well) but to also think about the cultures,
the clothes they wear, the food they eat, traditions, etc. We suggest students look back on letters
between Meena and River and see what common ground these two very different people found.  
 
(Pages 269-297) Students should use the information from their Venn Diagrams and
independently write a summary paragraph of what they learned. This should include similarities
and differences between the two countries, what they learned about themselves, and what
interested them in their findings. If time allows, have students compare their final paragraphs
with their previous partner to demonstrate different results from the same data.  
 
Assessment of Goals and Objectives: 
Students will be informally assessed throughout the lesson through their completion of the three
worksheets and participation in the group and partner discussions. Students should be evaluated
on their involvement in the writing process of their letters. Understanding of similarities and
differences between two countries will be assessed using the Venn Diagram.  
 
Modifications: 
This lesson gives students the opportunity to think about their own story and share it with others.
Students will learn about their peers’ backgrounds, becoming more culturally aware. The lack of
materials or the presence of barriers shouldn’t deter teachers from providing this education to
their students. Many modifications can be made to accommodate different schools and
demographics.  
For schools without access to copies of “Same Sun Here” or schools with students who may have
trouble reading the book independently: 
 An audiobook version of “Same Sun Here” is available on YouTube and linked
below. (This audiobook was not created by Classroom Connections or Ball State
University and can be found as a public video.) 
 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYeS5apIA3GZ2HvX7O0beM4_JLeemFCG7  
For schools without the ability to print or electronically share the worksheets: 
 All portions of the lesson could be completed without the use of the physical
worksheets. Worksheet questions can be answered aurally or on blank paper. The
worksheets simply include formatting of the content.  
For students who are English Language Learners or would struggle with writing paragraphs: 
 Many of the activities in the lesson are completed with partners who could assist
in the research process.  
 The written portions of the assignment could be shortened for students.
Describing cultures could also be visually communicated using photos or drawings.  
 Use of the audiobook could help English Language Learners by following along
as they hear the words spoken to them. Furthermore, YouTube offers the option of
slowing a video down to allow more time for processing.