Building a Classroom Community Through People Books Lesson #3
Teacher: J. Powley
Grade level: 2nd
Unit/Topic: Beginning of the year lesson to build classroom community
Lesson Objectives:
- Build a classroom community
- To introduce students to their classmates and the teacher
- To learn about each other
SOLs: 2.3 The student will use oral communication skills.
2.11 The student will maintain legible printing and begin to make the transition to cursive.
2.12 The student will write stories, letters, and simple explanations.
Design Challenge for students: Today you will create a person book that looks like you. You need to include a report about yourself. It needs to be neat and have at least 1 moving part.
- Lesson from “Children’s Engineering” with Susan Eckenrode
Lesson Steps:
- Teacher will explain the purpose of the lesson to the students- we want everyone to get to know one another.
2. Teacher tells the class we’ll be making “People Books.” Teacher shows and models her “person book” to tell the class a little about herself. She points out that the book person looks like her, points out all the materials she used, and opens the book up to read them a few sentences about herself.
3. Teacher then gives the students their direction sheet with all the requirements (see attachment). Go over this with the class and answer any questions.
4. Make the pattern of the person together: each student gets a big piece of construction paper (they can choose their own color). Then fold it in half (hamburger way), then in half again, then in half again. Open up the paper and your should see eight boxes. Cut bottom right box. Cut the bottom left box (these become the arms). Then fold the top boxes on the end in towards the center.
4. Students get to work! At this time, the teacher goes around from table to table assisting students and answering any questions. All the materials are on the back table and students may get them freely and return to their seats to work. This format allows you to really see how your students work and think. It’s a great beginning of the year activity to quickly get to know your students and their personalities. Who’s having trouble? Who jumps right in? Who’s looking at what everyone else is doing? Who is not following the directions?
5. Closing: students gather in a circle and share their person books by showing the class the front of their book and then reading what they wrote inside. The teacher could then have kids tell something they liked about the person’s book or have kids make a connection like, “I have a pet dog too!” (This share time can be done the following day if there’s not enough time or over the next few days because it will take a while).
Name:
People Books
Design challenge: Today you will get to know your classmates by making a person book. Your person book needs to look like you. You also need to include a few sentences about yourself. Your person book needs to be neat and include at least one moving part.
Limitations: You need to use the pattern included (we will do together)
Your book needs to have sentences about you written neatly in print or cursive
Your book needs to look like you
Your book needs at least one moving part
Materials: book pattern, recycled materials, yarn, cardboard, fabric, art supplies
Tools: scissors, rulers, glue
Restate the challenge: ______
Use the lines below to write a few sentences about yourself:
______