Schools around the World

Age: second grade (7-8 years old), Social Domain

Activity name: Back To School
Standards:
RI.2.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2
topic or subject area.
W. 2. 2. Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use
facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or
section.
RI. 2.9. Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on
the same topic.
Objectives:
After reading the article, students will be able to fill out the worksheet and
compare and contrast their school and the other schools.
Goals:
To point out the similarities and the differences (compare and contrast)
between the schools.
Content:
Vocab:
Bamboo
International
Students will be able to relate to other students around the world.
Materials:
Kids time magazine
Document camera
Worksheets
Procedures:
1. I would start off the lesson by having them walk quietly to the circle area. I
would do a quick reminder of what our bodies should be doing (crisscross
applesauce, still hands, quiet mouths, listening ears). Then I would ask
them this question,
a. Have you ever been in another classroom in this building?
b. Did they look exactly like your classroom?
c. What were some of the things that were different or some
of the things that were alike?

2. After some of the students have had a chance to answer I would introduce
the article,
a. We are going to look at our magazine and see what some different
classroom looks like.
3. I would then start of reading the article on the document camera. I would
put the article under it so that the students can follow along with it.
4. As we are reading and we come to vocabulary word that the students
dont know I will ask them,
a. I need a helper to tell me what _______ means.
Then I will also be asking them questions throughout the article about
some of the differences and similarities that we see.
5. When we get to the end of the article we are going to look at the map, talk
about where the countries and schools are and then we will see if that has
anything to do with why the school rooms look different than ours.
6. Once we have done that I will be giving directions for the worksheet. I will
say to them,
a. We are now going to work on a worksheet. You will be
doing all the questions on the front, as well as the bonus
question on the bottom. You will be doing these at our
seats, and you may talk quietly, however if it is not finished
then you will have to take it home for homework.
Otherwise, when you do finish please bring it up to me for
me to check. You may now go to your seats.
Accommodations:
If a child has special needs and needs accommodations for this activity, they
may read the articles out loud or with partners. They may have their partner write
the words that they want to say, this is good if the child cannot write or needs
constant supervision.
Simplifications:
If I needed to simplify this lesson, I would have it where I just read the article
to them and then we wouldnt do the worksheet. I would ask them some questions
about the reading or have them draw a picture of what they want their school to
look like now that they have seen some of the schools in other countries.
Extensions:
An extension that I would use if the students seem to getting this really fast
would be for them to skip the worksheet altogether, but have them do the bonus
question. Compare your classroom to the other schools. What do you have that
they dont? What do they have that you dont? This would be a good way for the
students to practice writing some paragraphs and complete sentences.
Assessments:

Informal- I would observe and assess on how alert and responsive they are
when reading, discussing and working on the worksheet.
Formal- I will be collecting the worksheet at the end of the lesson to see if
they could answer the questions correctly.

Terminating Statement:
I will end the lesson by asking them some of the things that they wrote about
on the back of their paper about how the schools are similar and different.