GENEVA COLLEGE

BEAVER FALLS, PA
EDU 343
INCLUSION LESSON PLAN

NAME: Allie Gore DATE: April 8, 2020

COURSE: EDU 343 GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten

I. TOPIC AND GENERAL GOAL

It’s Okay to Be Different- Promoting the idea of diversity and being empathetic towards one
another, falling in line with the novel It’s Okay to Be Different where the main theme is
acceptance and celebrating differences.

II. REFERENCE TO PA OR COMMON CORE STANDARDS

1.2 K.B With prompting and support, answer questions about key details in a text.
1.2.K.C With prompting and support, make a connection between two individuals, events,
ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
1.2 K.J Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading, and being read to, and
respond to texts.

III. LESSON OBJECTIVES

The students will be able to demonstrate comprehension of the words similar and different by
using them multiple times in conversation and writing.
The students will be able to determine similarities and differences they have with a partner.
The students will be able to describe how It’s Okay to Be Different’s theme of acceptance and
diversity can be shown in our everyday lives.

IV. MATERIALS
 It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr
 Whiteboard and markers
 Student’s journals
 Pencil
 ABC chart

V. A. INTRODUCTION
We all love to play games here in our classroom, so I thought we could begin today’s lesson
with a little activity. Today, we are going to be learning about the word diversity, and we are
going to do so by bringing attention to the differences and similarities of each of us. Do you
guys know what difference means? (Allow wait time and call on students until the right
answer is said, then do the same for the word similarities) If the students are not able to
answer what these words mean, then I will explain the meaning to them. I am going to ask
you a question, and if the statement applies to you, then stand up.
 Statements:
1. All the 5-year-olds stand up
2. All the people wearing sneakers stand up
3. If you like to dance stand up
4. Stand up if you have brown hair
Can anyone think of other statements? What can these different statements help us
understand about each other?
I will write the word diversity on the board and activate the students prior knowledge by asking
them what does this word mean? I will write down their answers on the white board under the
word diversity. I will have students keep responding until I get a response similar to “being
different from each other”.

B. LESSON DEVELOPMENT
I will show the students the cover of the book It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr and ask
them to predict what they think it’s about. I will then read the book to the class and discuss the
following questions:
 What is different about the characters on the front page? What is similar?
 Is anyone missing some teeth like this character on our first page?
 Have you ever helped anyone who needed it? What did you do?
 Would you consider yourself small, medium, large, or extra-large? How about your
parents?
 Who wears glasses in here, raise your hand?
 What are feelings? What are some feelings that you’ve had today?
 What are some bad things that we should say no to?
 What different places are we from in this classroom?
 What different pets do you have?
 Do we all have a different mom and dad in our class?
 What are some nice things we could do for someone?
 What are some things you get mad about?
 What different wishes do you guys have?
 Do you know anyone who is like a character in this book?
 Which of these characters looks like you?
After I finish reading this book I will ask the students what was some differences about the
characters and what some similarities are. I will then ask the students to go back to their seats
and write in their journals what are some differences we have in this class and what are some
similarities? Remind the students that they must use the two new words. I will write these two
words on the board for the students to see, so they can copy it. After the students have finished
writing, I will bring them back to the carpet and ask them what they wrote. I will label on the
whiteboard similarities and differences and write what they say under each label. I will then ask
the students can you think of any other example of a similarity or difference that we have in this
class. I will share some examples if the students haven’t said them already, examples include:
 We are similar because we are all in this class
 We are similar because we all have a beating heart.
  We are different because we all come from different homes.
 We are different because we are all good at different things.
I will tell the students to look at all of the ways we are similar in this class but also look at all
the ways that we are different. We are all different and that’s a good thing, if we were all the
same that would be no fun. When we see that someone is different than us, we should celebrate
their differences because we all get to be our own unique person. (Explain unique in kid friendly
terms- being the only one of its kind, or unlike anyone else)

C. EVIDENCE OF DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

Product: Students may either write in their journal in complete sentences about the
similarities and differences of everyone in the class, or they can draw pictures to
describe these things, or they can write in short phrases.
Process: I will come to the struggling learners last when I go around the room for the
think-pair with the teacher-share, so they have more time to think of their response,
and I will only ask them either one or two of the questions. Also for the advanced
learners I will ask all three questions.
Learning Environment: When I say go back to your seats, I will give students the option
of flexible seating. For students who struggle to remain in their seats, I will allow them
to sit on the carpet or wherever is comfortable for them.

D. CLOSURE
I will group the students into partners and instruct them that they are going to be using the
words similar and different in a sentence class. One partner will go first and say in a full
sentence “I am similar to you because _____ and I am different than you because ____.” Once
the first partner goes, then the second one will go, and each partnership will have a chance to
go over they sentences just with them two first, then they are going to share their sentences in
front of the class.
After this, I will instruct the students to go back to their seats and we will think-pair with the
teacher-share these questions I pose. However, in this think-pair with the teacher-share they
will be sharing with me the teacher as I walk around to each of their desks. While the students
are waiting for me to come to them and when they have finished sharing with me, they will
work on their ABC chart, where they will be filling in the alphabet letters on their chart.
 How does it make you feel that we are all different?
 How can you show others that you appreciate their differences?
 How should we treat someone who is different than us?
o I will remind the students of the questions when I get to them.
VI. ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
As the students answer the questions I pose throughout the reading of It’s Okay to Be Different
by Todd Parr, I will assess their attention and comprehension of the concept of diversity,
similar, and different.
When the students write/draw in their journals, I will assess if they properly used the words
similar and different correctly in a sentence or if they drew these correctly.
When the students stand in front of the class and share their statements on how they are
similar and different from their partner, I will assess if they used the two terms correctly and if
they chose correct things to describe these words.
As I walk around and have the students share with me their answers to the questions I pose, I
will be assessing the student’s ability to apply the main theme of acceptance and celebrating
differences to their everyday lives.

VII. ADAPTATION FOR YOUR EL

 For my EL, Ian who is fictitious, I would give him a letter to take home at the beginning
of the week telling his parents the book we are reading this week, and ask them to listen
to the book with him that night (on YouTube) so he hears the book not once, but twice. I
will also encourage his parents to have a conversation about this book prior to my
teaching on it so he will have even more prior knowledge before we learn about
diversity together in class. Especially since Ian is only in the emerging level of reading,
having him hear the story twice, will increase his understanding of the text.
 When I ask the students what the word diversity means, I will call on Ian first, because
he will have an answer from his conversation with his parents. I will call on him first as
well because someone may chose his answer, and he will struggle to think of another
response on the spot.
 During the reading of the book It’s Okay to Be Different, I will make sure that Ian is close
to me so he can hear me, and so I can keep a closer eye on him to make sure he is
listening intently. Since Ian is at the expanding level for listening, he shouldn’t struggle,
however, he is a kid who would rather be doing things with his hands so in sitting closer
to him, I can correct him if he loses focus.
 When the students are told to write complete sentences in their journals using the
words similar and different, I will instruct Ian to draw how he is similar and different
from his classmates instead of writing. I will instruct him to draw because he is in the
emerging level for writing, but he is very advanced in creativity. So, encouraging him to
draw will keep him engaged in the lesson, while also still reaching the objective of being
able to comprehend the words similar and different.
 When I bring the students back together on the carpet to share what they wrote or
drew in their journals, I will again call on Ian first to give his example because he would
only had time to draw one thing and if he doesn’t go first someone may take his answer.
I want to make sure that Ian is having opportunities to speak so we can help to move
from the developing level of speaking to the expanding level.
 When I group the students in partners, I will group Ian with an advanced learner so if he
struggles to come up with a response, they can give him some extra help. Then when
the students are asked to share with the class what they said, I will prompt Ian so he
doesn’t get confused. I will first say Ian how are you the same as everyone in this class?
Now, how are you different from everyone in this class? I will not be assessing him on
using a full sentence, just getting him in front of the class to work on his speaking is
enough.
 Lastly, I will adapt the think-pair with the teacher-share for Ian by only asking him the
question How can you show others that you appreciate their differences? I will only be
 asking him one question, because if I ask him all three, he will get overwhelmed, so
asking this question alone, is enough and still reaching the objective of how we can
show acceptance to others in our everyday lives.

VIII. ELS PROFICIENCY LEVEL

Overall, Ian is at the Developing Level or, English Language Proficiency Level 3. Ian is lower
in two levels and higher in the other two. He is at a level 2 (emerging) for reading and
writing. Then, on the other hand, he is at a level 4 (expanding) for listening and for speaking
a level 3 (developing).

IX. INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS

This inclusion lesson connects to reading because we read a story and question it. We use
the strategy questioning to gain a deeper understanding of the text.
This lesson also integrates writing when the students write complete sentences in their
journals about similarities and differences we all have. It also integrates art when the
students have the option to draw these similarities in their journals instead of writing them.

X. SELF-EVALUATION
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XI. JUSTIFICATION
This lesson promotes the inclusion of my El, Ian, because it teaches my students the
importance of recognizing that we are all different and the same in many ways. This lesson
promotes the theme of the book It’s Okay to Be Different which is acceptance and
celebrating differences. This is important for the students to learn because, not everyone
they meet is going to be the same as them, and they need to learn how to accept other who
are different and still show them that they are appreciated. This lesson would hopefully
make Ian feel more comfortable in the classroom because he will hear all the students
saying the many ways they are all different and realize that he is not the only one in the
class who is different. He will hopefully realize that it’s a good thing that we are all different
and that should be celebrated.
This lesson would have benefitted my EL by helping him work on his speaking skills.
Throughout this lesson, the students are asked to share in front of the class, and this would
help Ian move from the developing level of speaking to the expanding level. This lesson
would also benefit my EL, like I said, in helping to foster a more comfortable environment
for him. This lesson would do that because he won’t feel like an outcast because of his
differences but he would feel welcomed and celebrated for them. Lastly, this lesson would
benefit my EL because we would be taking a lot of time using the strategy questioning in
this lesson which could help Ian in future reading scenarios to better understand a text. Ian
is only in the emerging level for reading, so by learning this strategy, he could take it, and
apply it to other reading experiences to help him expand in reading.