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

Read-Aloud Lesson: John's Secret Dreams

Lesson Plan

John's Secret Dreams

John's Secret Dreams
Learning Goal
Use the prose and song lyrics in the book to identify John Lennon’s dreams and determine whether they were achieved.
Duration
Part 1: Approximately 40-45 minutes
 
Part 2: Approximately 15-20 minutes
 
Part 3: Approximately 15-20 minutes
Necessary Materials

Provided:
1. Detailed lesson plan
2. Graphic organizer for guided practice
3. Independent student worksheet

Not Provided:
John’s Secret Dreams: The Life of John Lennon

 
  1. This lesson is a close reading of the entire text. So it’s important to engage students often, to enhance their learning. Here are two tips:

    •   When you ask the more complex questions from the lesson, ask students to “turn-and-talk” or “buddy-talk” before answering.

    •   Once you are deep into the lesson, instead of asking students every question provided, ask them to share with you what questions they should be asking themselves at that point in the text. This is also a great opportunity to use "turn-and-talk."
       
  2. Suggested teacher language is included in the lesson.

  3. We recommend you read the book once to your students, either the day or morning before teaching the lesson.

  4. This research-based, read-aloud lesson may seem long. Why do students need the lesson to be this way?
 

Part 1: Teacher Modeling and Questioning

 

Write the following student-friendly learning goal on the board, then read the learning goal out loud with the class: 

We will identify John Lennon’s dreams using the prose and song lyrics in the book and determine whether they were achieved.

 
Transition Students into the Text
 
Teacher says: All of us find ourselves thinking about life, what makes us happy or sad. Sometimes we wonder what makes other people, even people we don’t know, happy or sad. And we think about goals and dreams and what we would want life to be like. Some of us write these things down or draw or paint a picture about them, or sing about them. John Lennon wrote and sang some extremely popular songs about them. Let’s hear some of them by reading on.
 
The text of this book includes both prose and song lyrics. The lesson provides guidance on when to read and when to pause for asking questions. Follow the instructions provided, reading the prose first and the song lyrics second on each page as you proceed.
 
Read pages 1-4 out loud, then stop. Page 4 ends with the song lyrics, “...hide your love away!”
1.
Teacher says: The author just told us about John’s childhood. When John was five years old, his mother decided to stop taking care of him.
2.
Teacher asks: What did John’s mother do with him?
 
Students answer: John’s mother took him to live with his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George.
3.
Teacher says: I read that one thing John liked to do in his new home was read the rhymes written by Lewis Carroll.
4.
Teacher asks: What are the other things John did in his new home?
 

Students answer:

  • John wrote his own stories.
  • John drew pictures.
5.
Teacher says: We also learned one of John’s dreams. He dreamed of being a poet or an artist. Remember we are reading closely to identify John’s dreams and determine whether or not those dreams came true.
 
Read pages 5-10 out loud, then stop. Page 10 ends with the song lyrics, “...crossed that room”
6.
Teacher asks: What else did John dream of?
 
Students answer: John dreamed of rock 'n' roll.
Read more
7.
Teacher says: John followed his new dream by playing in a band. Let’s see where that took him.
 
Read pages 11-14 out loud, then stop. Page 14 ends with the song lyrics, “...Hall of Fame.”
8.
Teacher says: Three other people joined John’s band. Their names were Paul, George, and Ringo.
9.
Teacher asks: What was the name of the band?
 
Students answer: The name of the band was the Beatles.
10.
Teacher asks: What happened wherever the Beatles went?
 

Students answer:

  • Flashbulbs popped.
  • Reporters shouted questions.
  • Fans screamed and tried to touch The Beatles.
11.
Teacher asks: Think about John’s experience with The Beatles. Is there evidence in the text that he achieved his rock 'n' roll dream?
 
Students answer: Yes, John was playing in a popular rock band.
12.
Teacher asks: Look at the illustration on page 11. How does the illustration show that John achieved his rock 'n' roll dream?
 
Students answer (may vary): The illustration shows three gold albums and screaming fans. This shows that John's rock 'n' roll band is famous.
 
Read pages 15-16 out loud, then stop. Page 16 ends with the song lyrics, “...please help me?”
13.
Teacher asks: How did John start to feel?
 

Students answer:

  • John started to feel trapped.
  • John started to feel unhappy.
 
Read pages 17-22 out loud, then stop. Pages 22 ends with the song lyrics, “...with kaleidoscope eyes.”
14.
Teacher asks: What did some people call John?
 
Students answer: Some people called John a poet.
15.
Teacher says: Listen again to some of the words John wrote for a song. As you listen, think about why people might have called him a poet: “Picture yourself in a boat on a river / With tangerine trees and marmalade skies. / Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, / a girl with kaleidoscope eyes.”
16.
Teacher asks: Why might some people have called John a poet?
 
Students answer (may vary): Some people might have called John a poet because of the creative language he used when writing songs.
17.
Teacher asks: Remember how we read that John once dreamed of being a poet or an artist? Using evidence from the book, explain whether he achieved that dream.
 

Students answer (may vary):

  • Yes, we’ve read words to the songs John wrote that were really poetry.
  • Yes, we’ve read that John became a musician, and musicians are a type of artist.
  • No, we’ve read that John became a musician, which is not the same as a poet or artist.
18.
Teacher says: So far we know two of John’s dreams. He dreamed of being a poet or an artist, and he dreamed of rock 'n' roll. Let’s see whether he had any other dreams.
 
Read pages 23-27 out loud, then stop. Page 27 ends in prose, “...sang John’s song.”
19.
Teacher asks: We just read about another dream of John’s. What was it?
 
Students answer: It was to write a song as powerful as “We Shall Overcome.”
20.
Teacher says: “We Shall Overcome” was a song that people fighting for African-American rights in the 1950s and '60s sang in support of their cause. John wanted to write a song that people could sing to support peace and protest war.
21.
Teacher asks: Was John able to achieve his dream of writing a powerful song for peace?
 
Students answer: Yes.
22.
Teacher asks: Where was John’s song for peace sung?
 
Students answer: John’s song for peace was sung wherever people protested war.
23.
Teacher says (models thinking): By writing this song for peace, John achieved another of his dreams. Dreams seem like a big part of his life, so I am going to predict that he will have others. Let’s see.
 
Read pages 29-32 out loud, then stop. Page 32 ends with the song lyrics, “...like starting over.”
24.
Teacher asks: What dreams of John’s were just mentioned?
 
Students answer: John’s dreams of a more loving world were just mentioned.
 
Continue reading out loud, stopping after the sentence, "John Lennon was murdered when he was only forty years old," on page 34.
25.
Teacher asks: The book just mentioned something else John dreamed about. What was it?
 
Students answer: John dreamed about being sixty and being with Yoko.
26.
Teacher says: Listen again to these lyrics: “Grow old along with me / The best is yet to be.”
27.
Teacher asks: Whom might these lyrics be about? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: These lyrics are about John and Yoko. The author writes that John dreamed about being sixty and being with Yoko, and the lyrics are about growing old with someone.
28.
Teacher asks: Did John’s dream of being sixty and being with Yoko come true? Explain why or why not.
 
Students answer: This dream did not come true. John was murdered when he was forty.
 
Read the remainder of page 34 and continue through page 36, finishing the book.
29.
Teacher asks: The author writes, “Now it’s up to us to make John’s dream for the world come true. . . .” What was John’s dream for the world?
 
Students answer (may vary but should resemble the following): John’s dream for the world was that it would be more loving.
30.
Teacher says: Listen again to these lyrics that John wrote. As you listen, think about how John used song lyrics to express and communicate what his dreams were: “Imagine all the people / Living life in peace, / You may say I’m a dreamer, / But I’m not the only one. / I hope some day you’ll join us / And the world will live as one.
 

Part 2: Guided Practice and Discussion

 
For this oral lesson, it is suggested to have the completed graphic organizer on the board with the answers concealed before this part of the lesson. After students provide a correct answer, reveal the corresponding answer on the graphic organizer.
 
Transition Students into the Guided Practice
 
Teacher says: We read about the different dreams John Lennon had. We also talked about whether those dreams were achieved or not. Let’s take another close look at some of the things the author told us.
1.
Teacher asks: What did John dream about as a little boy when he was living with his aunt and uncle?
 
Students answer: John dreamed about being a poet or artist.
2.
Teacher asks: Did John achieve that dream? Explain why or why not.
 

Students answer (may vary):

  • Yes, John achieved that dream because the words to the songs he wrote were a type of poetry.
  • Yes, John achieved that dream because he became a musician, which is a type of artist.
  • No, John did not achieve that dream because he became a musician, not a poet or artist.
3.
Teacher asks: What did John dream of as a young man, playing the guitar and singing in a band?
 
Students answer: John dreamed of rock 'n' roll.
4.
Teacher asks: Did John achieve that dream? Explain why or why not.
 
Students answer: Yes, John played in a popular rock band.
Read more
5.
Teacher asks: What did John dream of doing for the cause of peace?
 
Students answer: John dreamed of writing a song that people could sing to support peace.
6.
Teacher asks: Did John achieve that dream? Explain why or why not.
 
Students answer: Yes, John achieved that dream. His song for peace was sung wherever people protested war.
7.
Teacher asks: John also dreamed about a more loving world. Did he achieve that dream? Explain why or why not.
 

Students answer (may vary):

  • John partly achieved that dream. His song for peace helped make the world more loving, but there is still a lot of war and violence.
  • John did not achieve that dream. The world is still full of war and violence. The author writes that it is up to us to make John’s dream for the world come true.
8.
Teacher asks: What did John dream about near the end of his life?
 
Students answer: John dreamed about being sixty and being with Yoko.
9.
Teacher asks: Did John achieve that dream? Explain why or why not.
 
Students answer: No, John was murdered when he was forty.
 

After the answers for the graphic organizer have been completed and discussed with the class, ask the following two extension questions.

 
Teacher asks: What evidence in the text supports the conclusion that John’s actions to achieve his dreams impacted other people? Give at least one specific example.
 

Students answer (may vary):

  • John’s dream of rock 'n' roll led him to forming the Beatles. That had a big impact on the other people who joined the band. Also, the Beatles had a big effect on popular music and turned lots of people into huge fans.
  • John’s dream of writing a song for peace resulted in a song that people sang wherever they protested war, and impacted all of those people.
 
Teacher asks: How did the songs John wrote help him achieve, or come closer to achieving, his dreams? Give at least two examples.
 

Students answer (may vary):

  • John dreamed of rock 'n' roll. Writing songs with Paul helped him become a rock 'n' roll star.
  • John dreamed of a peaceful world. Writing a song that people sang to protest war was a step toward that dream.
 

Part 3: Student Independent Practice

 
Both the student question set and teacher answer sheet are provided in the 'Text & Materials' section.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

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

User Comments

I am looking for the text to this and cannot find it.

Submitted by nikolausenglen_1343120 on 7/21/16
Hello there! ReadWorks does not provide the trade book featured in this unit, John's Secret Dreams. We only provide a link to the Amazon page where you can find the link: https://www.amazon.com/Johns-Secret-Dreams-Lennon-Story/dp/0786808179?SubscriptionId=AKIAJ2PCDIRRY6BU4NFA&tag=urbaeducexch-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0786808179 We do provide the Paired Text featured in the Paired Text Activity. You can find that here under the Texts & Materials tab: http://www.readworks.org/lessons/grade4/johns-secret-dreams/paired-text-questions Hope that helps. Happy Teaching!
Submitted by ReadWorks Team on 8/16/16