Our Lives!

Essential Question

How are our lives effects by our ancestors? Where did we come from and how has it shapes the life we live today?

Texts

Literature

Eat, My Fine Coat!

Which are you more likely to notice: a person’s character or his or her clothing? Hoca has a witty response when the latter is true at a dinner he attends after a day of hard work.

Barbara Walker

Grade Level

K-2 3-5

Topic

Class

July 3, 2014

Literature

What Is Talmud?: A Jewish tale set in medieval Germany

This story introduces the Talmud, an important book in the Jewish faith that contains the ideas and teachings from hundreds of rabbis. A father reads a story from the Talmud to his daughter and they talk about its meaning.

Nina Jaffe and Steve Zeitlin

Grade Level

K-2 3-5

Topic

Religion Gender & Sexual Identity

July 3, 2014

Informational

Families

This excerpt explains that families are defined by love, caring and sharing, not the number or gender of its members.

Ann Morris

Grade Level

K-2 3-5 6-8

Topic

Race & Ethnicity Religion Class Immigration

November 7, 2014

Teaching Strategies

Responding to the Read-Aloud Text

Cracking the Code

During Cracking the Code, students examine texts for bias related to race, gender, class, religion, age and sexual orientation, among other identity categories.

Grade Level

K-2

CCSS

RL.K-2.1, RL.K-2.2, RL.K-2.3, RL.K-2.6, RL.K-2.7, RI.K-2.1, RI.K-2.2, RI.K-2.6, RI.K-2.7

July 19, 2014

Responding to the Read-Aloud Text

Readers' Theater

During a readers’ theater, two or more students dramatize a text by reading expressively.

Grade Level

K-2

CCSS

RF.K-2.3, RF.K-2.4, RL.K-2.1, RL.K-2.3, RI.K-2.1

July 19, 2014

Student Tasks

Do Something

Buddy Share

Students choose a mode of expression—e.g., writing, art or storytelling—to share theme-related ideas and feelings with a “buddy” from outside the classroom.

Grade Level

K-2

July 13, 2014

Do Something

Community Puzzle Mural

Students create a community puzzle mural, a large-scale artistic depiction, usually displayed in a community space. Puzzle pieces covered in student’s artwork relating to diversity, anti-bias or social justice themes from the central text comprise the mural.

Grade Level

K-2

July 13, 2014

Do Something

Community Spotlight Cards

Students create “trading cards” spotlighting diverse community members who work toward social justice goals that connect to themes from the central text.

Grade Level

K-2

July 13, 2014

Plan Built By

ilabberton

Our Lives!

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