Lessons & Units :: Fact and Opinion 1st Grade Unit

Lesson 3: Form an Opinion Based on Facts

Lesson Plan

A Picture Book of Helen Keller | 660L

A Picture Book of Helen Keller
Learning Goal
Form an opinion based on facts in a text.
Duration
Approximately 50 minutes
Necessary Materials
Provided: Independent Practice Worksheet
Not Provided: A Picture Book of Helen Keller by David A. Adler

  • Teacher Modeling

    will review what we already know about opinions and how to identify an opinion in a text. I will explain that today we are going to read A Picture Book of Helen Keller by David A. Adler and form our own opinions about facts we read. I will model how to identify one fact (“The illness had left Helen Keller blind and deaf.”) on page 3. I will explain that this is a fact because it is not what the author thinks about Helen, but the true story of what happened in her life. Then, I will form my own opinion about this fact using signal words, such as "I think", "I believe", and "I feel"). For example, say: "I believe that losing your ability to see and hear is very hard." I will continue to identify facts on pages 2-4 and form an opinion about each fact.

    TIP: You may want to chart examples from the text to provide students with a visual reference.

  • Think Check

    Ask: "How did I form my own opinions based on the story? " Students should respond that you read the text, chose a fact from the text and thought about what you think or feel about it.

  • Guided Practice

    will identify facts from each page as we read, stopping at page 17. For each fact, we will form and share our opinion about the fact. We will use signal words to state our opinion.

  • Independent Practice

    will listen as I read the rest of the book aloud. You will identify two facts that you learned about Helen Keller as an adult. You will form your own opinions about each fact in writing about Helen Keller and her life. (Independent Practice Worksheet is provided.)

Build Student Vocabulary blind

Tier 2 Word: blind
Contextualize the word as it is used in the story After her illness, “Helen had changed. She turned away from bright lights. She didn’t hear people when they spoke to her. The illness had left Helen Keller blind and deaf. The world for her became forever dark and quiet.”
Explain the meaning student-friendly definition) Blind means not able to see. When Helen’s illness left her blind, it means that her illness took away her ability to see.
Students repeat the word Say the word blind with me: blind.
Teacher gives examples of the word in other contexts The blind man used a guide dog to help him cross the street. Many blind people read by using a print called Braille.
Students provide examples What other senses could you use if you were blind? Start by saying, “If I was blind, I could _________________.”
Students repeat the word again. What word are we talking about? blind
Additional Vocabulary Words deaf, handicaps

Build Student Background Knowledge

Stop on page 16. Tell students that Anne Sullivan is teaching Helen Keller Sign Language. Sign Language is still used today. In fact, there are schools and universities for the deaf that use sign language in the classroom.. In American Sign Language, you do not need to spell every single word with your hands. Time permitting, share a sign language word like "Love" with your class and have them repeat it.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

(To see all of the ReadWorks lessons aligned to your standards, click here.)

User Comments

This story was very useful when speaking about classroom bullying.

Submitted by Ysmith_1093105 on 12/5/16

Awesome Lesson

Submitted by carla.colebrooks_1217749 on 3/30/15