Lia Grant

November 25 and 26th, 2014

th

LESSON
PLAN

LESSON PLAN
TIME OF DAY: 10:15 am (after recess)

CLASS: English Language Arts &

Ethics and Religious Culture

DURATION: 30 - 45 minutes

GRADE: 3 (Cycle 2)
21 children

FOCUS of LESSON: Acceptance and inclusion (similarities and differences in people), Authors
Message & Connections
LESSON SOURCE: WITS program lesson plan resource (see
http://www.witsprogram.ca/schools/books/the-boy-who-grew-flowers.php?source=book-lists)

OBJECTIVES

MELS
COMPETENCIES

Main objective: Students will engage in discussion regarding acceptance and

inclusion through use of the story and the worksheet
Students will continue engage in dialogue relating to Authors Message and
Connections (two of the key concepts for Readers Responses)

English Language Arts:

Competency 1: To read and listen to literary, popular and information-based texts
Students will participate in a reading of The Boy Who Grew Flowers by Jen
Wojtowicz
Students will continue to consider questions that are a part of Readers
Response
Competency 2: To write self-expressive, narrative and information-based texts
Students will work in pairs to discuss and write about their similarities and
differences
Competency 3: To use language and communication to learn
Students will discuss in pairs and as a class
Ethics and Relgious Culure:
Competency 1: Reflects on Ethical Questions
Students will be asked to reflect on acceptance and inclusion
Cross-Curricular Competencies:
Communicates effectively
Students will be asked to share their own ideas at various points during the
lesson
Works in a team
Students will discuss with a partner their unique and similar qualities

Lia Grant
November 25 and 26th, 2014
th

PROFESSIONAL
COMPETENCIES

During group discussion students will be expected to listen attentively and be

respectful of peers contributions

Competency 1: To act as professional inheritor, critic and interpreter of knowledge

or culture when teaching students.
Competency 2: To communicate clearly in the language of instruction, both orally
and in writing, using correct grammar, in various contexts related to teaching.
Competency 4: To pilot teaching/learning situations that are appropriate to the
students concerned and to the subject content with a view to developing the
competencies targeted in the programs of study.
Competency 6: To plan, organize and supervise a class in such a way as to promote
students learning and social development.
Competency 12: To demonstrate ethical and responsible professional behaviour in
the performance of his or her duties.
Specific Professional Development Goal for the Lesson:
Competency 6: To plan, organize and supervise a class in such a way as to promote
students learning and social development.
To try a new teaching strategy: no raised hands (teacher calls on students
after wait time). The reason for this strategy is to get more students involved
in the questions that are posed to them.

BACKGROUND

Students are aware of the WITS program we have discussed WITS together, and
we have read and discussed several of the recommended books.
In regards to Connections and Authors Message the students are becoming more
familiar with the idea of making life connections to stories that we read together.

NOTES ON
CLASSROOM
MANAGEMENT

INCLUSIVE
STRATEGIES &
SPECIAL
ADAPTATIONS
MATERIALS

The teaching strategy of no raised hands will be introduced at the beginning

of the lesson
My expectations of the students based on behaviour will be set out right
away at the beginning of the lesson

Red Group (N, R, M, and A) & Blue Group: (J, J, L, and S):
Take into special consideration who these students should be paired with
(perhaps with a student who can help scaffold)
Spend more time with these children when they are writing in pairs
A copy of The Boy who Grew Flowers by Jen Wojtowicz
WITS program lesson plan resource (see
http://www.witsprogram.ca/schools/books/the-boy-who-grewflowers.php?source=book-listsprogram.ca/schools/books/enemypie.php?source=lesson-plans)
What do we have in common? Worksheet

Lia Grant
November 25 and 26th, 2014
th

TIME

LESSON
INTRODUCTION

(1 minute)

Call the students group by group to the gathering spot (remind them to sit beside
someone who makes them a good listener).

(2 minutes)

Introduce new teaching strategy: no raised hands

Today we will be trying something new. When I ask a question, I dont want
anyone to raise their hand to answer.
(That does not mean I want children calling out their answers)
The reason I will be doing this is because I want to see everyone thinking about
the questions I ask and I will be calling on any of you for your ideas.
Now, I am not doing this to make anyone nervous! Remember that we all make
mistakes, and for most of these questions today there are no wrong answer!
Try your best!

(2 minutes)

Lets get started!

Introduce the story:

Show the students the cover of The Boy Who Grew Flowers
Ask them: What do you notice?
Why do you think the boy is holding flowers and green shoes?
Why do you think there is a full moon on the cover?
DEVELOPMENT

(15 - 20
minutes)

(5 10
minutes)

Read the story with the children

During the reading, ask the students: Why did the townsfolk consider the
Bowagons to be strange people?
On page 7, ask the students: Why did the children feel unsafe around Rink?
Did Rink say or do anything to make them feel that way?
Pretend you are the classmate to whom Angelina has asked the question, Why
wont anyone talk to him? What would you say to Angelina?

Post-Reading Questions:
If Rink was in your class what could you do to help him so he wasnt alone?
Rink gave Angelina the gift of dancing slippers. What gift did Angelina give
Rink?

What do you think the authors message is in this story? (What did she want the

Lia Grant
November 25 and 26th, 2014
th

TIME

LESSON
reader to think about? What lesson or moral might she have had in mind?)
Does this story connect to your own life in any way?

(15 20
minutes)

Explain the activity:

In pairs, you will fill out the What do we have in common? worksheet
(Make sure students understand the term in common)
Pair students up
Let them work as you circulate!

(5 - 10
minutes)

CLOSURE
After all pairs have filled in their worksheet, you may ask if anyone would like
to share what they discovered about each other
ASSESSMENT

Reflection:
Red Group:

Blue Group:

Students will be informally assessed on their engagement in the task at hand

(Did they listen attentively during the reading and discussion? Did they
participate/contribute to the discussion? Did they work well with their partner?
Did they complete the task?)