THEME: Celebrating the Spirit … the Spirit of JUSTICE
LESSON: Somewhere Today: A Book of Peace
Author: Shelley Moore Thomas
Photographer: Eric Futran
ISBN: 9780807575444
GRADE LEVEL: Primary
TEACHER INFORMATION:
This affirming prose poem asserts that peace begins with simple gestures. The premise is that all over the world, people are helping one another and in doing so, they are bringing about peace: "Somewhere today … someone is being a friend instead of fighting" or "someone is fixing old toys to give to new friends." Each double-page spread is illustrated with full-colour photographs of multiethnic children and adults. A doctor cares for an infant, a boy teaches his sister to ride a bike, two youngsters visit an elderly woman, a family plants trees, etc. The book is visually appealing and offers a simplistic approach to building peace in our own communities and creating a better world.
MATERIALS: Somewhere Today: A Book of Peace,
BLM1: Making the World A Better Place,
BLM2: Let There Be Peace On Earth
TIME FRAME: 1 x 45 minute lesson with extended lesson options
MINISTRY CURRICULA LINKS
Reading: OE 1.3-1.4
Writing: OE 1.5, 2.5
Oral: OE 1.6, 1.8
Media: OE 1.1 / CATHOLIC CONNECTIONS
Catholic Social Justice Teachings:
Community and the Common Good – Every person is created in the image and likeness of God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit: the perfect community. To be fully human, then, we must learn to live in community with others and seek the common good.
Solidarity – We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they live.
Scripture Connections: Luke 4:18-19
Romans 15:13; 1 Peter 3:8
Religious Education Program: Grade 1: Unit 8 – Theme 22
Grade 3: Unit 6 – Theme 18
Fully Alive Program:Theme 2 – Living in Relationship
Theme 5 – Living in the World
Catholic Graduate Expectations:
5 (d) A collaborative contributor who finds meaning, dignity, fulfillment and vocation in working for the common good.
DISCUSSION POINTS
- What are some of the things people did in this book to create peace in their communities?
- Mahatma Gandhi
Remind students:
- We all belong to the family of God.
- We ask God to guide us in helping others.
- Praying for others is also a way of showing them love.
- Romans 15:13
Download clips from YouTube™ prior to viewing.
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/ Before Reading:
- Look at the cover of the book. What do you notice?
- Read the title of the book and have students make predictions.
- Finish the sentence: “Somewhere today, …”
- Activate prior knowledge: Brainstorm what “peace” means to you.
- Pause throughout the book and invite children to wonder out loud in response to “I wonder” questions.
- “I wonder how these things created peace …”
- “I wonder what peace means to you …”
- “I wonder what you could do to build peace around you …”
- Making the World A Better Place: Distribute BLM1 and have students reflect on the following two sentence starters:
- Icould make the world a better place by …
Ask students to draw a picture to represent their thinking.
- Peacemakers List: Have students list things they can do at school and at home that will have a positive impact on those around them (e.g. help someone to solve a problem, wait my turn to share my answer, pick up garbage left in the yard, etc)
- Peace Collages: Have students create collages of people involved in activities that bring about peace.
- Drama: Brainstorm and role play a variety of ways to build peace in our own lives. Have the audience guess what each group is enacting.
- Paper Peace Quilt: Give each student a square piece of paper or fabric to decorate with their own way of building peace using words, symbols, images, or drawings. Assemble the individual pieces to create a class quilt.
- Pass the Peace: Sitting in a circle, have each student say in one or two words what he or she will do within the coming weeks to help create peace. Pass the peace from person to person by shaking hands.
Let there be Peace on Earth: The Choirboys
Lyrics for the song, Let There Be Peace on Earth, are provided on BLM2.
(Lyrics and Music By: Sy Miller and Jill Jackson, ©1955)
Text to Text Connection:
Read Let There Be Peace On Earth … And Let It Begin With Me(ISBN: 9781582462851), a 2009 picture book (with CD included), based on the traditional ballad by Jill Jackson and Cy Miller.
Have students compare/contrast this book with Somewhere Today.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
How will I change the lesson to meet the needs of individual students?
Peer Tutor/ Partner Increase/Decrease Time Manipulatives
Oral Explanation Include Visuals Extend
ASSESSMENT:
How will I know when my students are successful?
Anecdotal Notes Peer/Self Assessment Checklist
Rubric Oral Reports Rating Scale
Interview/Conference Include Visuals Extend
Name: ______Book Title: ______
MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
In the story, the world becomes a better place because ____________
______
______ / I could make the world a better place by ______
______
______
______