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Second Grade Diversity and Overcoming Adversity Lesson Plan

Book Name: ​“Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx / La jues que crecio en el Bronx”

Author:​ Jonah Winter

Publication Date: ​2009

Grade Level:​ Second

Social Justice Standards

Identity 5: Students will recognize the traits of the dominant culture, their home culture, and

other cultures and understand how they negotiate their own identity in multiple spaces.

Diversity 9: Students will respond to diversity by building empathy, respect, understanding, and

connection.

Justice 15: Students will identify figures, groups, events and a variety of strategies and

philosophies relevant to the history of social justice around the world.

Materials

● “A Judge Grows in the Bronx / La jues que crecio en el Bronx”

● Overhead projector

● Whiteboard and markers

● Pencils and story map pages

● Students chairs for small group discussion

Nevada Academic Content Standards for Second Grade - Reading Standards for

Information Text and Writing Standards

Reading Standard:
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6. Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or

describe.

Writing Standard:

2. Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions

to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

Objectives

The student will be able to describe key points of the story and identify the topic, setting

characters, and moral of the text and the message the author is trying to convey through

whole-class discussion, small group discussion, and individual story mapping with 85 percent

accuracy.

Procedure

1. Introduction

A. Start out by showing the students different pictures from the book and asking what they

think the story may be about.

B. Then provide the students the name of the book (Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the

Bronx / La jues que crecio en el Bronx) and the author, Jonah Winter.

C. Lastly, ask the students what they think it means to overcome adversity and then ask how

are people different from each other and how it is a good thing.
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2. Read

A. The majority of the reading will be read by the teacher and pulling popsicle sticks to have

each student read a sentence.

3. Discuss

A. First discussions about the book will take place in a whole group while reading the books.

Throughout the reading ask questions to determine if the students are identifying key

concepts. What are some characteristics of Sonia’s culture? What was Sonia’s home life

like? How did she come to be a judge and why was it more difficult for her than others?

What are some of the things that Sonia accomplished? Where does the story take place

and who are the main characters? Write out the answers the students provide on the

board.

B. Have the previous answers on the board and in small groups have students discuss the

question “How is Sonia’s life different and alike to yours?”

4. Activities

A. Have the students use Think/Pair/Share. This where students will individually and

silently consider the question, “How is Sonia’s life different and alike to yours?”. After a

few minutes, students will break into groups of 3-4 and discuss what Sonia’s life is like

and the answers they came up with while thinking on their own.
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B. Afterward, the students work on a concept map as a whole class. List some of the key

elements of the story, like Sonia’s culture and what message they think the author is

trying to convey.

Assessment

Students will be assessed on their contributions during the whole group discussion and from the

think/pair/share portion of the lesson. Evaluate if students identify the differences in people’s

culture and if they identify what challenges Sonia faced.

Students will also be assessed using a story map they will fill out individually. Students will be

expected to use complete statements and describe who the main character was the setting and the

moral of Sonia’s life story. They will use complete sentences to describe the sequence of events.

They will be instructed to use the words first, then, and lastly. Their last sentence should include

why Sonia’s accomplishments are so important to diversity.

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