Social Justice Lesson Plan

Background Information:
Teacher Candidates: Melody Wolen, Kristi Scramlin, Susie White & Sandy Arlene
Date: 5/5/16
Cooperating Teacher: Sonia Bringhurst
Grade: 2nd
School District: Pullman School District
School: Jefferson Elementary School
University Supervisor: NA
Unit/Subject: Social Justice: Literacy& Math
Instructional Plan Title/Focus: Richard Wright and the Library Card
Section 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment
Instructional Plan Purpose:
The purpose of this lesson is to inform students on injustices prior to the Civil Rights
Movement, while practicing relevant math and literacy concepts. The teachers will read the
story Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller with the entire class. The students
will then spend an equal amount of time at a math and literacy station. The math station will
help students to practice addition and subtraction up to 1,000 as well as telling time by solving
story problems on an individual whiteboard. The literacy station will allow students to write a
letter to the main character of the story to discuss their personal experience with libraries and
elaborate on the injustices the main character experienced. This lesson will be taught near the
end of the school year as a review when most 2nd grade math and literacy concepts have been
mastered. Students have also briefly learned about the Civil Rights Movement through the guest
speaker Paula Young Shelton. Any lessons following should continue to review and expand on
concepts, especially that of the Civil Rights Movement.
State/National Learning Standards:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.NBT.B.7
Add and subtract within 1000, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place
value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate
the strategy to a written method. Understand that in adding or subtracting three-digit numbers,
one adds or subtracts hundreds and hundreds, tens and tens, ones and ones; and sometimes it is
necessary to compose or decompose tens or hundreds.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.C.7
Tell and write time from analog and digital clocks to the nearest five minutes, using a.m. and
p.m.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts
with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.3 Write narratives in which they recount a well- elaborated event
or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use
temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.

Content Objectives and alignment to State Learning Standards:

Math:
1.. SWBAT Use subtraction within 1,000 to complete one and two step word problems.
Aligned standard: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.OA.A.1
2. SWBAT Use addition within 1,000 to complete one and two step word problems.
Aligned standard: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.OA.A.1
3. SWBAT Determine time from an analog clock.
Aligned standard: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.C.7
Literacy:
1. SWBAT write a letter to the main character of a book discussing their experience with
libraries.
Aligned standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.3
Language Objectives:
1. SWBAT collaborate with peers orally about their writing.
Aligned standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1
Previous Learning Experiences:
Previously in the school year students learned about the Civil Rights Movement, Martin
Luther King Jr., and passive protest. Our theme of equity will tie into students prior knowledge.
Students who were in the Pullman School District several months ago also attended an assembly
where the author Paula Young Shelton came and read her book Child of the Civil Rights
Movement, and spoke about racism and discrimination.
In math, students have been working on adding and subtracting numbers up to three
digits. As well as place value and looking for patterns in sets of numbers. This will provide
student with context for our math station where students will be solving word problems that
relate to the story Richard Wright and the Library Card.
Planning for Student Learning Needs
To accommodate to large class size we decided to break up the class into four small
groups. These groups will consist of five or six people. This allows the teachers to closely
monitor, and check in with the students who have IEPs or are ELLs. During the activities, the
teachers will be reading the directions and demonstrating the activities to ensure that struggling
students are following along and understanding the expectations. All students including ELLs
will have the opportunity to work with a partner and their peers, this will help boost their
confidence and be more willing to share their work. Additionally, by working with peers it will
help boost the ELLs social and academic language. During the math portion of the lesson, the
students will be given the opportunity to work with manipulatives and other tools to help student
comprehension and engagement. The teachers will also review key vocabulary from the story
and math portion to support the vocabulary acquisition of ELLs. In order to accommodate
students who meet the standards, there are extra challenge math questions to challenge the
student and push for higher thinking.

Assessment Strategies:
Content/Language Objectives

Assessment Strategies

Math Content Objective #1:

SWBAT Use subtraction
within 1,000 to complete one
and two step word problems.

Informal:
Students will be given story problems at a math station in
which they have to subtract within 1000. The teacher will be
assessing the students based on their answers on the white
boards. (using a checklist-Figure 1)

Math Content Objective #2:

SWBAT Use addition within
1,000 to complete one and two
step word problems.

Informal:
Students will be given story problems at a math station in
which they have to add within 1000. The teacher will be
assessing the students based on their answers on the white
boards. (using a checklist- figure 1)

Math Content Objective #3:

SWBAT Determine time from
an analog clock.

Informal:
Students will be given story problems at a math station that
require them to tell time. The teacher will be assessing the
students based on their answers on the white boards. (using
a checklist-Figure 1)

Literacy Content Objective #1:

SWBAT write a letter to the
main character of a book
discussing their experience with
libraries.

Informal: Students will be asked to write a letter to the

main character at a literacy station. They will be assessed
based on the letter they write using the poster that includes
the important parts of a letter (Figure 3). They will be given
the prompt/directions. (Figure 5).

Literacy Language Objective

#1:
SWBAT collaborate with
peers orally about their writing.

Informal: Students will be asked on a volunteer basis to

share their letters with the class at the end of the lesson, or
in their small groups.

Student Voice:
K-12 students will be
able to:

Student-based evidence to
be collected (things
produced by students:
journals, exit slips, selfassessments, work
samples, projects, papers,
etc.)

Description of how students will

reflect on their learning.

1. Explain student
learning targets and
what is required to
meet them (including
why they are
important to learn).

Discussion
-Student understanding
recorded with a checklist-

Students will reflect on their

learning through a brief discussion
at their literacy and math stations.
Once the learning objectives are
explained we will ask students to
say the objectives in their own

words and why they think they are

important to learn.
2. Monitor their
own learning progress
toward the learning
targets using the tools
provided (checklists,
rubrics, etc.).
3. Explain how to
access resources and
additional support
when needed (and
how/why those
resources will help
them).

Thumbs Up
Studentunderstanding
willberecordedwitha
checklist

Throughout the lesson, we will

periodically ask students to pause
and self-assess their progress
towards the learning goals using
thumbs up, thumbs sideways, or
thumbs down.

Poster
(Figure3)

-At the literacy station we will have

a poster that will serve as a
checklist for students to make sure
they have all the components of a
friendly letter.
-At the math station students will
have access to manipulatives
(counters) etc. to help them as
needed.

Manipulatives

Grouping of Students for Instruction:

Whole Class - At the beginning of the lesson the instruction will be whole group this is so that all
the students are able to listen to the book. During the reading there will be short discussion
questions asked for students to share their thoughts and ideas to the whole class.
Group - In order to accommodate to the teacher to students ratio, we separated the students into 4
small groups of 5 and one of 6. This gives the teachers a better opportunity to monitor and check
student comprehension and progress. This also allows for students to practice their developing
social skills.
Individual - At the end of each station the student will work on a math problem related to the
reading and complete a letter. Each individual student has to complete this work in order to show
comprehension. Although students will be able to ask questions to their peers and the teacher for
support.
Stations - During the lesson there will be a math station and a literacy station. The students will
switch stations halfway through the lesson. The stations provide the students the opportunity to
work with a different teacher and get to move around.
Section 2: Instruction and Engaging Students in Learning
Introduction:
Good morning class! Today we are going to be talking about the civil rights and reading
the book Richard Wright and the Library Card. Do any of you remember the assembly you had
earlier in the year when Paula Young Shelton came and talked about her book, Child of the Civil
Rights Movement? ( Pause for thinking them have one or two kids share out what they remember
learning) Well, today we will be reading a story about the same subject, equality and racism.
Questions:

1. Why do you think a library card could help make someones future better?
(Understanding)
2. When you want something really badly, how do you go about getting it? (Remembering)
3. What kinds of qualities might a person need to achieve an important goal? (Analyzing)
4. Why do you think Jim did not say anything to Richard after he thanked him?
(Understanding)
5. What do you think would have happened if the librarian found out that Richard had
written the note? (Understanding)
6. Would you be brave enough to go into the library like Richard did? (Applying)
7. What do you think it would be like if you were never allowed to use any of our books
here in school or at the library? (Evaluating)
Learning Activities:
Learning Steps and Activities

Supporting Theories/Principles

1.
Introduction to topic. Teachers will all
students about their prior knowledge on the
subject (using the introduction script.
The learning goals will be written on the
board and discussed

-Incorporates prior knowledge-Assessment of student voice component 2Periodically throughout the lesson students
will be asked to show thumbs up,
sideways, or down to show how they feel
about their learning
-Multiple means of representation- By
clearly displaying the learning goals on the
board students will understand what they
should be learning and be more likely to
stay on topic.

2.
One teacher will start reading Richard
Wright and the Library Card. While
reading, pause at least twice and ask students
comprehension and reflective questions for
engagement.

-Incorporates Questions 1-3

1. Why do you think a library card
could help make someones future
better? (Understanding)
2. ) When you want something really badly,
how do you go about getting it?
(Remembering)
3.) What kinds of qualities might a person
need to achieve an important goal?
(Analyzing)
-Engagement- With a younger age group
students attention wanders easily. By
pausing periodically students are more
focused and engaged in the story.

3.

Count-off students into 4 groups by

-Grouping strategy- students will be in

numbering them 1-4. They will be spending

15 minutes at a literacy station, and 15
minutes at a math station.

smaller group sizes so that the student to

teacher ratio is smaller. This way students
will receive direct instruction and
immediate feedback.

4. At the literacy station students will be

writing a letter to Richard Wright about their
first time going to the library and how they
would feel if they werent allowed to check
out books.

-Assessment of student voice component 1students will discuss and share their
opinions of the importance of the learning
goals at the station
-Student voice component 3- Students will
have a poster to view that demonstrates the
important parts of a letter as a resource,
and also doubles as their rubric.
-Assessment of Literacy Content Objective
#1, and Literacy Language Objective #1

5.
At the math station, students will
complete a series of story problems on their
white boards with a teacher until it is time to
switch stations. The students will be
working in groups with the support of their
peers and the teacher.

-Assessment of student voice component

1- students will discuss and share their
opinions of the importance of the learning
goals at the station.
Student voice component 3- at the math
station students will have access to
manipulatives as well as a clock that they
can use to help them solve the problems
-Assessment of Math Content Objectives
1-3-

6. After the stations are completed the class

will transition into the closure.
Closure:
After the students have completed the work at each of the stations, the students will
return to the carpet for whole class instruction. During this time the teachers will engage the
students in a class discussion. Students will be asked to summarize the learning goals for the day,
to connect the reading to the content and work they were doing. Students will be asked to reflect
back on the reading and the importance of equality. At the end of the discussion the teachers will
announce to the students some ideas of things they can do at home for independent practice.
Independent Practice:
Students will be encouraged to collect data on how much their family members read each
week and to compare the numbers to their own. They will also be encouraged to interview a
grandparent or family friend who may have lived through the time prior to the Civil Rights

Movement if they can. They can ask them questions about anything that may have been denied
from them or anything that they saw denied to others. They can bring back their data and
responses from family members to share with the class.
Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology:
Personal Whiteboards
Whiteboard markers
Whiteboard erasers
Math Checklist- (Figure 1)
Letter template- (Figure 2)
Letter Checklist and Rubric- (Figure 3)
Math Story Problems- (Figure 4)
Counters
Clock
A copy of Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller
Library cards

Figure 1: Math Checklist

Student participated in
story problem discussion:

Student worked to
independently solved the
story problems:

Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Comments on students:

.
Figure 2: Letter Template

Student solved
the story
problems
correctly:

Figure 3: Letter Rubric and Checklist

Figure 4: Math Story Problems

Richard Wright and the Library Card

1.
It takes 10 hours by train to get from Memphis to
Chicago. If Richards train leaves Memphis at 8:00 am, what

time will he get to Chicago?

2.
It takes 10 hours by train to get from Memphis to
Chicago. Richards train left at 6:00 am, however it broke down
for 1 hour and 30 minutes. What time did Richard get to
Chicago?
3.
It is 530 miles from Memphis to Chicago. It is 480 miles
to go from Memphis to Cincinnati. How many more miles is the
trip to Chicago than Cincinnati?
1.

How many pages of books do you read each day?

2.

How many days are in a week?

3.

How many pages do you read each week?

4.
If Richard reads 600 pages each week, what is the
difference between what you read and what he reads?

Figure 5: Letter Directions/Prompt

Directions:
1.) Please write a letter to one of the main characters from the book,
Richard Wright and the Library Card.
2.) Choose either Jim, or Richard to write the letter to.
Write about:
-Do you remember the first time you went to the library?
-Was it different from when Richard went to the library? Why?
-If you could say anything to Jim or Richard, what would it be?

Have fun

Acknowledgements:
This lesson plan was created by Melody, Sandy, Susie and Kristi. We created the materials except
for the ones listed below:
Letter template found on: http://petersons-pad.blogspot.com/2012/09/postcards-and-letterwriting.html
Sample letter checklist found on:
http://mrsterhune.blogspot.com/2012/01/anchor-charts.html