Developmental Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Mandy Xu Date:

Group Size: 24 Allotted Time: 30 mins Grade Level: 3rd

Subject or Topic: Cultures Compare and Contrast

Common Core/PA Standard(s):
8.4.3.C Compare and contrast selected world cultures

Learning Targets/Objectives:
● SWBAT compare and contrast the two different cultures of two characters
● SWBAT give details to support their reasonings
● SWBAT drafted a letter to Kailash stating the differences between each other’s lives in
a friendly letter
Assessment Approaches: Evidence:
1) compare and contrast the Venn 1. Student-teacher will have students find
diagram (Elliot and Kallish) evidence in the story of how Kalish
2) Essential question: “What makes you and Elliot are the same/different
different from Kailash?” 2. Students will complete a Venn
3) Writing a letter to Kailash diagram comparing the similarities
and differences between themselves
and Kailash
3. Students are to compare and Contrast
their lives form Kalish from India.

Assessment Scale:
Venn Diagram-
● Contrast: Students are able to come up with at least 3 differences between Elliot
(American) and Kalish (India) pulled from the text (Text evidence)
○ 3/3 differences between Elliot (American) and Kalish (India) pulled from the
text: Proficient
○ 2/3 differences between Elliot (American) and Kalish (India) pulled form the
text: Below
○ 1/3 differences between Elliot (American) and Kalish (India) pulled form the
text: Below Basic
● Compare: Students are able to find 2 examples that Kalish and Elliot share in the story
Letter writing rubric-
●
Subject Matter/Content:
● Individuals who make up our community in the classroom
● Individuals in our community who make up our community in the United States
Prerequisites:
● Comparing and contrasting
● Venn diagram
● Parts to a friendly letter
Key Vocabulary:
● Community- A place where people live, work, and play together
● Compare- Find details that are similar
● contrast- find details that are the same
● Friendly Letter – An informal letter that is aimed at sharing news, feelings,
information, or thoughts with an individual.

Content/Facts:
● Looking at cultures from two perspectives
Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:
A friendly letter from Matais from Paraguay
● Student-teacher will read the letter sent to Miss Xu.
● Student-teacher will first introduce a picture up on the board of her friend Matais from
Paraguay.
● Student-teacher will ask students if they know or introduce them to what a foreign
exchange student is
○ Student-teachers will explain that students get the opportunity to leave their
home country and experience life living in the United States.
● Student-teacher will read one rundown of the letter from a friend who lives in a
different country.
*friendly letter will be pulled up on the smartboard*
● What are some differences you could possibly point out that may be different between
you and Matias?
● Ask students to share aloud some differences they may be able to point out
○ Food
○ School
○ Weather
● Student-teacher will have a variety of pictures that Matias had shared. These pictures
should excite the students to see some different cultures. These different cultures and
styles of living.
● Allow students to ask questions and make observations that allow them to view the
differences.
 ● Student-teacher will share that Matias does live in another country so his customs,
language, and traditions are all different from those that we celebrate in the United
States.
Development/Teaching Approaches
“Now that we talked about some differences that make you and my friend Matais different.
Does this remind you of anything we do in class, we practice this skill all the time in our
reading?”
● Students should be making a connection to the skill COmparing and COntrast
● Student-teacher will ask Students what do we usually think of when we compare and
contrast
○ Students’ answers should be using a Venn Diagram
Whole Group: Compare and COntrast
Intro to the book: “Same, Same but Different”
● Student-teacher will introduce the story, including the front and the back cover
○ Have students try to observe the pictures and try to make an inference to see if
they are able to make a connection between the two students.
“Now I want you to ask you before we start, what was your method of transportation to school
today? How were you able to get to school?”
● Student my share the following
○ Bus
○ Car
○ Walking
● Allow students to share their method of transportation, encourage them to give
different ones.

● Student-teacher will read the cover pages from inside the book that talk about the
characters in the story, Elliot, a young boy from America, and Kalish, a young boy who
lives in India.
● Student-teacher will walk around the room and read the book to the students.
*Book has no page numbers*
○ First page and second page: Comparing and Contrasting the differences
between Kailiah’s and Elliot’s world
■ Students will notice that Kalish's world is blue and with water whereas
Kalish’s world is mostly just green and it is mainly from land with a tiny
stream or a river going across it.
○ Student-teachers will point out positives and lifestyles. Have the students
noticed that we can relate to Elliot’s world? Although we do not live right next
to the Atlantic Ocean like Elliot, it is important to see that we know our main
bodies of water and our large oceans. Whereas Kalish in his everyday life he
may only see a stream as his water source. That is just the lifestyle comparison.
Student-teacher will take the time to pause have students tell the student-teacher what to write
up on the board for the Venn Diagram
○ Page Fourth and 5th Page: Comparison between their families
■ Students will notice that Elliot only lives with his Mother, Father, and
Sister, but on the other hand, Kalish lives with his whole entire family
on a farm with lots of animals.
○ Student-teachers will ask students to make that comparison to see if they relate
to Elliot or Kalish in a sense where they may live with a lot of different
members of their families.
Student-teacher will take the time to pause have students tell the student-teacher what to write
up on the board for the Venn Diagram
○ Students can share if they choose to.
○ On pages twelve and thirteen, Student-teacher will start off by reading Elliot’s
side where it shows how he is able to get to school and then flip it over to see
how Kalish got to school.
■ Students will notice that the two ways of transportation between the two
boys are very much so different.
○ Student-teacher will refer back to the question about transportation.
Student-teacher will take the time to pause have students tell the student-teacher what to write
up on the board for the Venn Diagram

Introduce activity for comparing and contrasting

Students will be asked to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between both
Kailash and Elliot in the story.
● The student-teacher will have a student pass out the Venn Diagrams.
● Ask students how we should fill out this Venn Diagram
○ “What should we label at the top?”
○ One side for Kalish and one side for Elliot
○ The middle circle will be for the comparison: characters that they both share.
● Have students complete the Venn diagram with at least 3 differences between Kalish
and Elliot in each of the Venn Diagrams.
● Students will have 2 points of similarity.

Individual practice
Students will be asked to write a letter to Kalish. In this letter, they will include 2 differences
between Kailish’s life and their own lives.
Closure/Summarizing Strategies:
Have students try to proofread their work over. I want to make sure that the students are able to
treat this letter as if they were going to send this to someone they may send a letter to. I think it
is incredibly important for students to be able to share their work aloud with their peers
because it allows their peers to pick up any ideas they may like or may not like and has an
impact on their writing. The students are able to share and allow their work if they would like
or feel comfortable doing so towards the end.
Accommodations/Differentiation:
Follow all IEPs
For Student J who often struggles when it comes to writing I had printed him out a different
style when it came to writing the letter. I had the students use scratch paper before they wrote
on their final drafts and I had student J use extra-large lined paper in order to help him write
better and larger. Student J had moved into the district not too long ago from the beginning of
the school year and it is evident that they need extra help when it comes to writing and
spelling. They do need extra help when it comes the overall convection of their writing so I
think it would have been best that I had created some sentence starters at the beginning.

Materials/Resources:
● Venn diagram:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qvK7bK4wq2jjXw-gN6k9ZBGRq3gl8CaF/view?usp=
sharing
● Crayons
● Pencils
● Letter Templates
● Envelope
● Matias Pictures:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1v6OE3lrUpbXOpKEXQ8FaCefoiw2Lgfr-g8m
iCyJTEEs/edit?usp=sharing

Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels

Remediation Plan (if applicable)

I think for students who struggle a little bit when it comes to their writing I can come up with a
pdf that has sentence starts for them. I have noticed a lot when it came to my students and their
writing that starting is always the hardest part of their writing. half of their time goes into starting
their writing and I think that is soothing that I could easily help accommodate by using sentence
starters and they could help them when it comes to putting together their work.
Personal Reflection Questions
I think for the future, I would like to make them more engaging such as maybe facetime
someone of different cultures in different and having the students meet with them to talk and
ask them questions. I think this could have extended the unit for two days more but I think it is
something that excited the students and will allow them to become more engaged in their work.
I feel that bringing in other people into the lesson will allow the students to explore more
outside of what I as the teacher may know. Learning from other people is all a part of the
experience of learning in the classroom.

Additional reflection/thoughts
I think this was one of my favorite writing lessons because I was able to incorporate
children’s literature and book are something that the students really don’t get to get their hands
on anymore due to covid. The students were incredibly engaged when I was reading the stoyr
because I had walked around the room and bent down to show them different parts of the book.
I had also asked them several questions throughout the story which I had really enjoyed.