LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

About this resource

Appropriate grades
3–5
Subjects
English language arts (literature, reading, story telling, writing), second languages (cultural awareness), thinking skills (information literacy, visual literacy), diverse learners (English language learners, multiple intelligences, race and culture)
Provider
IRA/NCTE

Legal

Creative Commons License

This catalog record is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. This license applies to the content of this page only and does not apply to the referenced website.

In this lesson, after a read aloud and analysis of Family Pictures/Cuadros de Familia, by Carmen Lomas Garza, students describe the book's pictures and discuss family traditions.

Students will:

  • appreciate unique family traditions by analyzing a piece of children’s literature by and about a Mexican-American woman and by thinking about and researching their own family traditions.
  • apply what they have learned about family traditions and use their creativity and the writing process to make three pages of a class book that include artwork.
  • practice research skills by looking up information about their ancestral countries and writing about it in the class book.
  • practice using description in writing about their family traditions.
  • practice letter writing by inviting their families to a potluck lunch.
  • develop social skills with their peers and other adults by sharing their books and family recipes and hosting a lunch in which they will make short oral presentations to the invited guests.
  • build self-esteem and bond as a class by writing about topics that are important to them, by working together to complete a class book, and by planning a potluck lunch.

Readwritethink provides several helpful online and print resources for this lesson. This lesson also suggests a variety of extension activities and offers multiple reflection opportunities.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 3

  • Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
    • Objective 1.04: Increase sight vocabulary, reading vocabulary, and writing vocabulary through:
      • wide reading.
      • word study.
      • listening.
      • discussion.
      • book talks.
      • book clubs.
      • seminars.
      • viewing.
      • role play.
      • studying author's craft.
    • Objective 1.05: Use word reference materials (e.g., dictionary, glossary) to confirm decoding skills, verify spelling, and extend meanings of words.
    • Objective 1.06: Read independently daily from self-selected materials (consistent with the student's independent reading level) to:
      • increase fluency
      • build background knowledge
      • extend vocabulary.
  • Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
    • Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, or viewing by:
      • setting a purpose.
      • previewing the text.
      • making predictions.
      • asking questions.
      • locating information for specific purposes.
      • making connections.
      • using story structure and text organization to comprehend.
    • Objective 2.03: Read a variety of texts, including:
      • fiction (short stories, novels, fantasies, fairy tales, fables).
      • nonfiction (biographies, letters, articles, procedures and instructions, charts, maps).
      • poetry (proverbs, riddles, limericks, simple poems).
      • drama (skits, plays).
    • Objective 2.05: Draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text.
    • Objective 2.08: Listen actively by:
      • facing the speaker.
      • making eye contact.
      • asking questions to clarify the message.
      • asking questions to gain additional information and ideas.
  • Goal 3: The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
    • Objective 3.01: Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by:
      • considering the differences among genres.
      • relating plot, setting, and characters to own experiences and ideas.
      • considering main character's point of view.
      • participating in creative interpretations.
      • making inferences and drawing conclusions about characters and events.
      • reflecting on learning, gaining new insights, and identifying areas for further study.
    • Objective 3.03: Use text and own experiences to verify facts, concepts, and ideas.
    • Objective 3.06: Conduct research for assigned and self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).
  • Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
    • Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
      • present information in a sequenced, logical manner.
      • discuss.
      • sustain conversation on a topic.
      • share information and ideas.
      • recount or narrate.
      • answer open-ended questions.
      • report information on a topic.
      • explain own learning.
    • Objective 4.03: Share written and oral products in a variety of ways (e.g., author's chair, book making, publications, discussions, presentations).
    • Objective 4.04: Use planning strategies (with assistance) to generate topics and to organize ideas (e.g., drawing, mapping, discussing, listing).
    • Objective 4.06: Compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus on the topic by using preliminary plans.
    • Objective 4.07: Compose a variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama selections using self-selected topics and forms (e.g., poems, simple narratives, short reports, learning logs, letters, notes, directions, instructions).
    • Objective 4.08: Focus reflection and revision (with assistance) on target elements by:
      • clarifying ideas.
      • adding descriptive words and phrases.
      • sequencing events and ideas.
      • combining short, related sentences.
      • strengthening word choice.
    • Objective 4.09: Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., personal narrative, short report, friendly letter, directions and instructions).
    • Objective 4.10: Explore technology as a tool to create a written product.

Grade 4

  • Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
    • Objective 1.04: Increase reading and writing vocabulary through:
      • wide reading.
      • word study.
      • knowledge of homophones, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms.
      • knowledge of multiple meanings of words.
      • writing process elements.
      • writing as a tool for learning.
      • seminars.
      • book clubs.
      • discussions.
      • examining the author's craft.
    • Objective 1.05: Use word reference materials (e.g., glossary, dictionary, thesaurus) to identify and comprehend unknown words.
  • Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
    • Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
      • setting a purpose using prior knowledge and text information.
      • making predictions.
      • formulating questions.
      • locating relevant information.
      • making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.
    • Objective 2.03: Read a variety of texts, including:
      • fiction (legends, novels, folklore, science fiction).
      • nonfiction (autobiographies, informational books, diaries, journals).
      • poetry (concrete, haiku).
      • drama (skits, plays).
    • Objective 2.05: Make inferences, draw conclusions, make generalizations, and support by referencing the text.
    • Objective 2.09: Listen actively by:
      • asking questions.
      • paraphrasing what was said.
      • interpreting speaker's verbal and non-verbal messages.
      • interpreting speaker's purposes and/or intent.
  • Goal 3: The learner will make connections with text through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
    • Objective 3.06: Conduct research for assigned projects or self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources through the use of technological and informal tools (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).
  • Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
    • Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
      • present information and ideas in a clear, concise manner.
      • discuss.
      • interview.
      • solve problems.
      • make decisions.
    • Objective 4.03: Make oral and written presentations using visual aids with an awareness of purpose and audience.
    • Objective 4.05: Use planning strategies to generate topics and organize ideas (e.g., brainstorming, mapping, webbing, reading, discussion).
    • Objective 4.06: Compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus on the topic with specific, relevant, supporting details by using preliminary plans.
    • Objective 4.07: Compose fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using self-selected and assigned topics and forms (e.g., personal and imaginative narratives, research reports, diaries, journals, logs, rules, instructions).
    • Objective 4.09: Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., personal and imaginative narrative, research reports, learning logs, letters of request, letters of complaint).
    • Objective 4.10: Use technology as a tool to gather, organize, and present information.

Grade 5

  • Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
    • Objective 1.03: Increase reading and writing vocabulary through:
      • wide reading.
      • word study.
      • word reference materials.
      • content area study.
      • writing process elements.
      • writing as a tool.
      • debate.
      • discussions.
      • seminars.
      • examining the author's craft.
    • Objective 1.04: Use word reference materials (e.g., glossary, dictionary, thesaurus, on-line reference tools) to identify and comprehend unknown words.
  • Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
    • Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
      • making predictions.
      • formulating questions.
      • supporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or other sources.
      • drawing on personal, literary, and cultural understandings.
      • seeking additional information.
      • making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.
    • Objective 2.03: Read a variety of texts, such as:
      • fiction (tall tales, myths).
      • nonfiction (books of true experience, newspaper and magazine articles, schedules).
      • poetry (narrative, lyric, and cinquains).
      • drama (plays and skits).
    • Objective 2.09: Listen actively and critically by:
      • asking questions.
      • delving deeper into the topic.
      • elaborating on the information and ideas presented.
      • evaluating information and ideas.
      • making inferences and drawing conclusions.
      • making judgments.
  • Goal 3: The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
    • Objective 3.01: Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by:
      • analyzing word choice and content.
      • examining reasons for a character's actions, taking into account the situation and basic motivation of the character.
      • creating and presenting a product that effectively demonstrates a personal response to a selection or experience.
      • examining alternative perspectives.
      • evaluating the differences among genres.
      • examining relationships among characters.
      • making and evaluating inferences and conclusions about characters, events and themes.
    • Objective 3.06: Conduct research (with assistance) from a variety of sources for assigned or self-selected projects (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).
  • Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
    • Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
      • formulate hypotheses.
      • evaluate information and ideas.
      • present and support arguments.
      • influence the thinking of others.
    • Objective 4.03: Make oral and written presentations to inform or persuade selecting vocabulary for impact.
    • Objective 4.05: Use a variety of preliminary strategies to plan and organize the writing and speaking task considering purpose, audience, and timeline.
    • Objective 4.06: Compose a draft that elaborates on major ideas and adheres to the topic by using an appropriate organizational pattern that accomplishes the purpose of the writing task and effectively communicates its content.
    • Objective 4.07: Compose a variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using self-selected topic and format (e.g., poetry, research reports, news articles, letters to the editor, business letters).
    • Objective 4.09: Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., clarification, essay, feature story, business letter).
    • Objective 4.10: Use technology as a tool to enhance and/or publish a product.