Lessons & Units :: To Be a Kid Kindergarten Unit

Read-Aloud Lesson: To Be a Kid

Lesson Plan

To Be a Kid

To Be a Kid
Learning Goal
Identify and compare different childhood activities to determine a main idea of the book.
Necessary Materials
Provided:
  1. Detailed lesson plan
  2. Graphic organizer for guided practice
  3. Independent student worksheet

Not Provided:
To Be a Kid
 
  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 learn about different activities kids do around the world. Then we will decide what it means to be a kid.

 
Transition Students into the Text
 
Teacher says: You know what it is like to be a kid. But is being a kid the same for people in South America and Europe and other parts of the world as it is for you? Let’s find out.
 
Read pages 1-3 out loud, then stop. Page 3 ends with, “...your family.” Show students the accompanying photographs. If possible, always show students the photos accompanying the pages you read throughout the lesson.
1.
Teacher asks: We just read two things that being a kid means. One of them is being carried by those who love you. What else does being a kid mean?
 
Students answer: Being a kid means spending time with your family.
 
Read pages 5 and 6. Page 6 ends with, “...new things.”
2.
Teacher asks: What else does it mean to be a kid?
 
Students answer (both of the following responses should be given):
  • To be a kid means going to school.
  • To be a kid means learning lots of new things.
3.
Teacher says (displaying photos on pages 5 and 6): As you can see, the photos are showing what the words of the book are describing. We read that being a kid means going to school and learning new things. These pictures show kids learning things at school in South Africa, Pakistan, the Philippines, and other countries. Throughout the book, look at the photos to help you understand the words you are hearing.
4.
Teacher says (models thinking): Looking at these photos makes me realize something else, too. Wherever the kids in the pictures are, they are all going to school. Their classrooms and their clothing may be different, but they are all learning new things in school. This similarity makes me think that part of what it means to be a kid is going to school and learning new things. That is true for kids in South Africa, in Pakistan, in the United States, and in many other parts of the world.
Read more
 
Read pages 7-10. Page 10 ends with, “...in a parade.”
5.
Teacher asks: What else does it mean to be a kid?
 
Students answer (any of the following responses are acceptable):
  • To be a kid means walking home together.
  • To be a kid means sharing a story.
  • To be a kid means having a cool snack on a hot summer day.
  • To be a kid means marching in a parade.
6.
Teacher says (models thinking): As we read, I am noticing that some of the activities kids do have a lot in common. For example, walking home together and sharing stories are both activities for more than one person. That makes me think that an important part of being a kid means spending time with other people. As we keep reading, pay attention to other ways that kids’ activities are alike.
 
Read pages 11-14. Page 14 ends with, “...a board game.”
7.
Teacher asks: What else does it mean to be a kid?
 
Students answer: All of the following responses are acceptable. Make sure at least two are given before moving on.
  • To be a kid means playing ball.
  • To be a kid means running races.
  • To be a kid means going skating.
  • To be a kid means riding a merry-go-round.
  • To be a kid means playing a board game.
8.
Teacher asks: How are the kids’ activities you just mentioned alike?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary but should recognize such similarities as the athletic and recreational nature of the activities.
 
Read pages 17-20. Page 20 ends with, “...dancing your heart out.”
9.
Teacher asks: “Dancing your heart out” means dancing with as much energy as you can. Dancing your heart out is another thing that being a kid means. What else did we just read that being a kid means?
 
Students answer (both of the following responses, or paraphrases of them, should be given):
  • To be a kid means painting beautiful pictures.
  • To be a kid means sharing the joy of music.
10.
Teacher asks: Think of the three kids’ activities we just read about: dancing, painting pictures, and sharing the joy of music. How are these activities alike?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary but should recognize such similarities as the artistic and expressive nature of the activities.
 
Read pages 21-24. Page 24 ends with, “...acting silly.”
11.
Teacher asks: Look at these photos. How are the kids in them acting silly?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary but should reflect the content of the photos. For example:
  • One kid is hanging upside down.
  • Some of the kids are playing on stilts.
 
Read pages 25 and 26. Page 26 ends with, “...forever and ever.”
 
The “Being a Kid” section at the end of the book recasts the content of the preceding pages in a wordier format. While you are welcome to read these two pages to your students, doing so is not a requirement of the lesson.
 

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. After students provide a correct answer, reveal the corresponding answer on the graphic organizer. Then cross out the corresponding phrase in the “Activities” box below the graphic organizer.
1.
Teacher asks: Look at the first “Picture” box below. Now look at the phrases in the big “Activities” box under all the pictures. Which phrase, or group of words, does the first picture illustrate?
 
Students answer: The first picture illustrates being carried by those who love you.
2.
Teacher asks: Which phrase does the second picture illustrate?
 
Students answer: The second picture illustrates learning lots of new things.
3.
Teacher asks: Which phrase does the third picture illustrate?
 
Students answer: The third picture illustrates sharing a story.
4.
Teacher asks: Which phrase does the fourth picture illustrate?
 
Students answer: The fourth picture illustrates running races.
5.
Teacher asks: Which phrase does the fifth picture illustrate?
 
Students answer: The fifth picture illustrates painting pictures.
Read more
6.
Teacher asks: Which phrase does the sixth picture illustrate?
 
Students answer: The sixth picture illustrates acting silly.
 
After the answers for the graphic organizer have been completed and discussed with the class, ask the following extension questions.
 
Teacher asks: Think of all the kids’ activities mentioned in the book. How are many of them alike?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary and include the following:
  • Many of the activities are things kids do with friends.
  • Many of the activities are things kids do at school.
  • Many of the activities are things kids do for fun.
 
Teacher asks: The main idea of a book is what the book is mostly about. What is the main idea of To Be a Kid? Think about what the different activities mentioned in the book have in common, or how they are alike.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary but should recognize that the book is mainly about what being a kid is like.
 
Before asking the next extension question, write the following sentence stem somewhere students can see it:

To be a kid means . . .
 
Teacher asks: Based on what we have read and talked about, complete this sentence your own way: "To be a kid means . . . ." Explain why you completed the sentence the way you did. Make sure you can support your choice with information from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they have a basis in the book. For example:
  • To be a kid means . . . having fun. Having fun is part of many of the kids’ activities in the book. For example, running races and acting silly are fun activities.
  • To be a kid means . . . being around other people a lot. Many of the kids’ activities in the book are activities for more than one person. Two examples are being carried by someone who loves you and playing a board game.
 

Part 3: Student Independent Practice

 
Read each question out loud to your students and have each student complete the worksheet independently. For questions 5 A) and 6, you can have students draw their answers, answer orally, or write their answers, depending on your students’ progress. If you have them write their answers, you may want to write the word(s) on the board for them to copy.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

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User Comments

Wow! This lesson is amazing! The graphic organizer with illustrations is perfect for my language learners!!
Thank you!!!

Submitted by emilyfran280 on 12/8/16

I am getting to discover Readworks and I am finding amazing things here! I can't believe what you guys are doing, putting together such great lessons for all teachers to use! Keep up with the good work! God bless!

Abra

Submitted by Abra_T_Edoh_2378824 on 10/31/16

I really appreciate the graphic organizer and independent work page because of the use of pictures and word banks. This is perfect to use with newcomer ELLs.

Submitted by helene.henken on 5/2/16