Lessons & Units :: John's Secret Dreams 4th Grade Unit

Paired Text Questions: "Star Power" and John's Secret Dreams

Lesson Plan

John's Secret Dreams

John's Secret Dreams
Learning Goal
Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Star Power” and the book John’s Secret Dreams to be able to write or speak more knowledgeably about celebrity philanthropy.
Duration
Approximately 20 minutes
Necessary Materials
Provided:
  1. Questions
  2. Non-fiction reading passage “Star Power”

Not Provided:
John’s Secret Dreams
 
  • Questions 1 and 2 refer to the non-fiction passage “Star Power.” Questions 3 and 4 refer to the book John’s Secret Dreams. Questions 5 and 6 refer to both the passage and the book.
  • Student versions of the questions are in the 'Texts & Materials' tab.
 
Part 1: “Star Power”
 
Read the passage “Star Power” out loud to your students. Alternatively, students can read the passage independently or as a group.
 
Question 1: What do the celebrities described in the passage have in common?
 
Sample student answer: The celebrities are trying to solve big problems in the world.
 
Question 2: Why do some people believe celebrities can make a big difference in solving problems?
 
Sample student answer (may vary): Celebrities can make a big difference because they have a lot of money and a lot of people listen to them and pay attention to them.
 

Part 2: John’s Secret Dreams

 
Question 3: According to the book, how did John Lennon feel about war and violence?
 
Sample student answer: John Lennon wanted war and violence to end.
 
Question 4: What did John Lennon do to try to end war and violence?
 
Sample student answer: John Lennon wrote a song about peace that people sang wherever they protested war.
 

Part 3: “Star Power” and John’s Secret Dreams

 
Question 5: What are two ways that John Lennon and the people described in “Star Power” are alike?
 
Sample student answer (may vary):
  • John Lennon and the people described in “Star Power” are famous and are celebrities.
  • John Lennon and the people described in “Star Power” took actions to try and solve big problems.
 
Question 6: The title of the article we read is “Star Power.” Why might stars like John Lennon and the people described in the article have a lot of power to help solve problems in the world? Give an example.
 
Sample student answer (may vary):
  • Stars have a lot of power to help solve problems because they can get their fans to help out. Faith Hill got her fans to bring books to her concerts to help fight illiteracy.
  • Stars have a lot of power to help solve problems because they can use their talent to make an impact. John Lennon used his songwriting ability to write a song that would help to lessen the problem of violence.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

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