Cross Curricular Connections

Within our unit, we will also be drawing from other Grade 5 curriculums to add depth to our lessons, and widen our understanding of the issues we are studying. Below is a Language Arts lesson that we will be integrating into our unit on perspectives, conflicts, and social justice. 

Here are the our lesson learning goals:
- I can understand stated and implied ideas in the text 

- I can clues from the text and my own background knowledge to make inferences 

- I can use my understanding of the main message in the text to extend the story

- I can think of a way to apply the main message of the text into my own life 

INTRODUCTION/ DEVELOP QUESTIONING:  

What is an enemy? How do we create an enemy?

In their writing journals, students will begin a quick write thinking of the questions above. 

Explain that today we will be looking at a text that talks about enemies.

Ask students to think of the overall message or big idea in the book as we are reading. 

CORE LEARNING: 

Read aloud of "The Enemy: A book about peace"

General classroom discussion of the book with a series of questions 

·      What did you think of the book?

·      What is the overall message or big idea in the book?

·      Has your opinion on what an enemy is changed at all?

·      Did anyone make a connection to the text?

·      How do you feel about the point of view the author chose to use?

·      What questions came to your mind as you listened?

Students will then write a continuation to the story

Writing prompts:

• Try to make it at least 4 sentences (or more)
• What happens once the bottles land in the holes?
• What does the enemy’s note say?
• What happens after they have read the notes?
• Do they go back home?
• If yes, what is it like?
• If no, then what?  

SHARING:

Students will have the opportunity to share their answers with the class.

CONSOLIDATION:

With their table group, students will write create a statement that gives an everyday application for the overall main message. They will then place this on a puzzle piece that creates a piece sign when all the pieces come together.    

The goal if this lesson is to prompt students to think critically about the concept of an "enemy" and how an enemy is created. Students will consider the various perspectives in the text to gain a better understanding of how different people can see the same event, but also the similarities between humans. This leads us back to our inquiry question... do conflicts have resolutions? Why might the same event have a different impact on different people?

Can't wait until we bring this lesson to life! 

Talk soon,

Miss Vessio