Title of Unit Who is your Superhero?

Grade Level Second Grade

Superheroes in our everyday
lives
Curriculum Writing/SEL based learning Time Frame November 9-13, 2020
Area 5 days (5 Lesson Plans)
New Jersey Student Learning Standards
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.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.5
With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.6
With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with
peers.

SEL Competencies
Self-Awareness
Understanding your emotions and thoughts and how they influence your behavior.
Skills include: identifying emotions, self-perception, recognizing strengths, self-confidence, and self-efficacy.
Relationship Skills
The ability to establish and maintain healthy and meaningful relationships with others.
Skills include: communicating clearly, listening, cooperation, resisting negative pressure, resolving conflicts, and supporting one
another.
Rationale Overarching Goals/Big Ideas
How does the topic fit into the students’ learning? What is a Superhero?

A gift from Papa Diego, highlights the strong What makes someone in our lives a superhero?
relationship between a young boy and his How do we channel our emotions into our personal narratives?
grandfather and the geographical distance between How can we use checklists to compose a list of edits?
them. This is a topic many students may resonate
with, especially during the current climate of our
world. We all have a person we look up to whether
that is a family member, friend, or celebrity, and we
want the students to celebrate their “super heroes”.
We will be examining these super heroes, like Papa
Diego, through personal narratives

How does the instruction and content meet the needs

of the learners?

Our learning standards incorporate social and

emotional learning within our literacy standards. By
bridging their bonds to their “superhero” through
personal narratives, they will be able to express
themselves in their writing. There will be an implicit
SEL aspect of the lesson which covers: identifying
emotions, self-perception, recognizing strengths,
self-confidence, and self-efficacy. As well as
creating descriptive and elaborate narratives about
their superheroes.
How does this unit fit in with the rest of the
curriculum?

We strive to have our students connect to what they

are writing through using SEL lessons. Within the
writing curriculum, students should be efficient in
creating descriptive and elaborate personal narratives
by using planning and editing skills during the
writers workshop experience. We decided to use
superheroes as the focus of this lesson, but that topic
can be replaced as well as the genre of writing.
Overall, this lesson will continue to stress the
importance of elaborating, planning, editing, and
emotional connection when it comes to student
writing.

Essential Skills Assessment

SWBAT formulate an opinion about what a Pre-Lesson Assessment: What is a superhero? Fill out anchor chart as a class
superhero is to them During Lesson Assessment: Fill out graphic organizer of thoughts or anchor
SWBAT identify a superhero in their life chart
SWBAT plan a personal narrative Editing Writing Assessment: Use the “is the piece finished” chart to look for
SWBAT improve on their writing skills and places to edit the personal narrative (anchor chart: engagement learning goal)
compose a draft to revise and edit Final Assessment: Write a personal narrative about a superhero in the
SWBAT organize their thoughts in a graphic students’ life.
organizer
SWBAT show their writing to their peers
 Resources Other Notes/Modifications
A Gift from Papa Diego by Benjamin Alire Sáenz Bilingual reading/worksheets
Online graphic organizer
Anchor chart (What is a superhero? Can you name
Use computer or write (paper modification)
any superheroes?)
Use microphone to speak into computer and computer types for them (print
Computer with audio capabilities disabilities/ESL)
Wireless mouse for computer navigation

Learning Plan
Lesson #1- Read book and introduce topic
A. Pre-Assessment: What is a superhero?
a. Turn and Talk: sitting on a rug, have students talk to the person sitting next to them-> What is a superhero?
b. Fill out anchor chart as a class
B. Read
a. A Gift from Papa Diego by Benjamin Alire Saenz
b. Discuss initial thoughts on the story

Lesson #2- Do you know any superheroes? (anchor chart and have students choose their superhero)
A. Students will sit on rug and review the “What is a Superhero?” anchor chart from the day before
B. Turn and Talk with the person sitting next to them: do you know any superheroes?
 a. Fill out anchor chart with their ideas
C. Send students to desk and have them write about their superhero in their writers notebook
a. Include 5 details about this person (can be in an idea web, list, or any way the student wants to organize it)
Lesson #3- Draft story of their personal hero
A. Mini lesson (10 mins max) of descriptive words to go along with the ideas of what they think a superhero is
a. Adjectives
b. Do a brainstorm (will be using their brainstorm to help them describe their super hero)
B. Create our own rough draft (at a second grade level_ and have the students deconstruct it)
C. Students will began to write about their superhero by using their anchor chart and descriptive brainstorm
Lesson #4- Revise (partner share and edit)
A. By using an editing checklist, students will partner up go through their writing piece and decide what areas need to be edited
a. Punctuation, capitalization, descriptive words
B. Teacher(s) will hold mini conferences using their chart to provide encouragement and constructive assistance
a. Have students read out loud to teacher
Lesson #5- Share and celebrate final draft of story
A. Students will finish up their final draft of their story
a. Final touches, go over writing one last time
B. Students will be able to have parents/family come in and listen to their stories as a class
a. Students can dress up like their hero and read story out loud and/or have family/friends read it
 Lesson Plan #1

Overarching question: What is a superhero?

Standards for the lesson:
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.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.5
With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.6
With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with
peers.

Learning Objectives: Assessment:

SWBAT identify the characteristics of a superhero Work with classmates to fill out anchor chart about superheroes

Materials:
● Anchor chart: “What is a superhero?”
● Markers
● A Gift from Papa Diego by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Pre-lesson assignments and/or prior knowledge:
● What is a superhero? Students should have prior knowledge of some superheroes
Lesson Beginning:
● Students will turn and talk with their neighbor sitting next to them on the rug
○ Come up with a few ideas
 ● Students will share with class and put ideas in each lightening bolt on the anchor chart
Instructional Plan
● Explain that we will e read Read A Gift from Papa Diego by Benjamin Alire Saenz
● Discuss students initial thoughts
○ Class discussion
● Leave time the next day to discuss their thoughts of the book
 Lesson Plan #2

Overarching question: Do you know any superheroes?

Standards for the lesson:

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.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.5
With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.6
With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with
peers.

Learning Objectives: Assessment:

SWBAT identify a superhero in their life Anchor chart as a class: Do you know any superheroes?

Writer’s notebook entry of who they superhero is and the

qualities of that person
Materials:
● Anchor Chart: “Do you know any superheroes?”
● Markers
● Writer’s notebook
Pre-lesson assignments and/or prior knowledge:
● Review the anchor chart from the day before “What is a superhero?”
Lesson Beginning:
● Turn and Talk with the person sitting next to them: “Do you know any superheroes?”
○ Fill out anchor chart with their ideas of who a superhero could be in their life
Instructional Plan:
● Send students to desk and have them write about their superhero in their writers notebook
○ Include 5 details about this person (can be in an idea web, list, or any way the student wants to organize it)
 Superhero Writing Lesson Plan #3

Essential Question: How can students continue to develop their writing by using different strategies/tools during the drafting process

Standard: 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.

Learning Objectives:

Learning Objectives Assessments

SWBAT implement adjectives into By brainstorming adjectives that describe their “super hero”
their

SWBAT classify adjectives as words By using the “super words” anchor chart
that describe nouns

SWBAT begin drafting their By using their writer’s notebooks and create an outline of their
narratives using their new adjectives narrative (independently)
to describe their hero

Materials:
● Anchor charts
● Writer’s notebook
 ● Pencils
● Whiteboard tool/ whiteboard

Pre-Lesson assignments (e.g. homework) and/or prior knowledge:

Students will have already worked with personal narratives and have experienced the writer’s workshop

Lesson Beginning (“before” phase):

We will start with asking students about their heroes, here about their responses.
Metacognition- start hearing how they are describing their super hero and how it is important to enhance their narratives for
descriptors. And how it makes our writing better.

Instructional Plan (“during” phase):

Introduce our super words (adjectives) they describe people, places, or things
Then brainstorm full class for some adjectives that make up our super heroes (strong, pretty, happy, etc). Using the whiteboard tool on
zoom or whiteboard

https://www.canva.com/design/DAEMksNNTSk/share/preview?token=Ob-
M5iWHzSLBe1_jgAno4A&role=EDITOR&utm_content=DAEMksNNTSk&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_
source=sharebutton (adjectives anchor chart)

Closure (“after” phase):

Students will work independently on their draft using their newly acquired super words (adjectives) and outline their drafts.

Modifications
Have spanish translations of the adjective
 Superhero Writing Lesson Plan #4

Essential Question: How will students be able to edit their writing to improve its quality through using partner's/teacher conferencing
and using a checklist.

Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.5
With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.

Learning Objectives:

Learning Objectives Assessments

SWBAT identify errors or places of By using a writer’s checklist and explaining the chart
concern in their writing

SWBAT conference with a teacher Student- teacher small group setting

about the status of their writing

SWBAT conference with a partner Partner work and using the writer’s checklist
using the same checklist

Materials:
Checklist anchor chart
Notebook
Pencils
Computer

Pre-Lesson assignments (e.g. homework) and/or prior knowledge:

They have completed the rough draft/outline of their heroes, and have an understanding of writing goals (capitalization, spacing,
punctuation, and adjectives)

Lesson Beginning (“before” phase):

Explain to students that though their writing may look done, it can always get better
If you don't know where to start, use this chart

Instructional Plan (“during” phase):

Model chart (by using teacher example) and explain each category
Break off individually and begin to use checklist to check their writing

https://www.canva.com/design/DAEMkcEJIMo/share/preview?token=7EbTzWPT-
3xSiwGDXpcQXg&role=EDITOR&utm_content=DAEMkcEJIMo&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=s
harebutton (checklist)

Closure (“after” phase):

Students will meet with either teacher or partner for writing progress

Modifications
If they need more independent work time for writing, it will be provided
Bilingual materials needed
And provide another day for teacher conferences

Lesson #5
2nd Grade Lesson #5- Share and celebrate final draft of story: Wax museum

Lesson Essential Question(s):

How can we produce and publish our writing using digital tools and recordings?

Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.5
Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when
appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.6
With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration
with peers.

Learning Objectives:

Learning Objectives Assessments

Student will be able to construct an Recording

audio recording of their narrative
with guidance from teachers

Students will be able to compose a Final published draft of narrative

final draft of their narrative

Students will be able to display their Visual Aids, final presentation

recording of their narrative along
with other visual aids they created

Materials:
 ● Final copies of narrative writings
● Markers, crayons, posters, tape, glue, scissors, construction paper, colored pencils, etc.
● Other visual aids
● Student’s costumes
● Media equipment- speakers, projector, ipads, laptops, etc.

Pre-Lesson assignments and/or prior knowledge:

As the final lesson in this unit, the students should have prior knowledge in what a superhero is, adjectives, the
writing process, revising, and editing.

Lesson Beginning:
I will show all of the students a pre-recorded example of my own narrative as an example. I will then show them
how I did it using my laptop/ipad. I will use this to engage the students in what they will be doing today.

Instructional Plan:
I will give the students some time in the beginning of class to finish their final touches of their narrative. They will
then get to use digital tools such as ipads and computers to record themselves reading their narrative. They will do
this in groups of 2. They will also have class time today to create more visual aids such as posters and/or props to
add to their “wax museum” if they finish recording early. I will be walking around during this time helping any
groups that need it and checking to make sure everyone is on task. I will also use a flexible seating option during
this time so that students are not all too close together while recording themselves. 1 partner will go at a time for
recording. I will also have students use their headphones to block out noise. One accommodation for this will be
that students will have the option of publishing their final draft by either typing or writing.

Closure:
I will close the lesson by trying to get the students excited for the wax museum by talking about all of the hard work
they have done and congratulating them. I will remind students that if they need to finish any visual aids to do so
for homework and to bring in their costumes. The following day all of their families will be coming in and listening
to their recordings of their narratives while the students are dressed up like their superhero in a “wax museum”.