Title of the Lesson: Life of an Immigrant

Book: The Distance Between Us: Young Readers Edition

Author: Reyna Grande
Published Date: September 16, 2016
Grade: 5
Subject: English
Culture: Latinx Immigrants
Social Justice Standard(s):
Identity Standard #1: Students will develop positive social identities based on their
membership in multiple groups in society.
Diversity Standard #8: Students will respectfully express curiosity about the history
and lived experiences and exchange ideas and beliefs in an open-minded way.
Justice Standard #11: Students will recognize stereotypes and relate to people as
individuals rather than representatives of groups.
Action Standard #17: Students will recognize their responsibility to stand up to
exclusion, prejudice, and injustice.
Nevada Academic Content Standard(s) (Section topic, Grade Level, Number, and
Description):
[RL.5.2] Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text,
including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker
in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
[RL.5.6] Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are
described.
[RI.5.3] Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals,
events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific
information in the text.
Objective(s):
The student will summarize an autobiography in a group discussion and individual story
mapping with 90% accuracy.
The student will construct a question related to the book and is clear to their group
members with 80% accuracy.
The student will develop a concept map using a foldable to describe different characters
with 90% accuracy.
Materials:
● Copy of “The Distance Between Us: Younger Readers Edition” by Reyna Grande
● Ebook, physical, and audiobook
● Some writing utensil
● Variety of art supplies
● Colored copy paper
● Colored cardstock paper
● Markers
 ● Scissors
● Projector
Procedure:
1. Introduce: The teacher will introduce the book “The Distance Between Us” by
Reyna Grande. They will then talk about how much of the population of the
United States is of immigrant roots.
2. Read: The teacher will start off reading a passage before asking another student
to take over. The class will follow along. After two passages teacher will delegate
another student. The teacher will check for student engagement by asking
questions like:
a. Ex: “What do you think they meant by saying…?” and “What do you think
about the decisions Reyna is making?”
3. Discuss: This will be the first activity, Fishbowl.
a. How does the book begin?
b. Do you think what their “Papi” did was the right choice? Explain.
c. Why does Reyna take” Papi’s” photo?
d. What is the reason that their “Mami” is leaving?
e. Why is she leaving?
f. What experiences did Reyna and her siblings go through?
g. What was the saddest thing that has happened?
h. How much time passed before Reyna, and her siblings went to “El Otro
Lado?”
i. Each student will come up with a question and share it with their group.
4. Activities:
a. Fishbowl
i. The teacher will split the class into groups of 4 to 5 and find a place
to set up, at a desk or the floor.
ii. Students will not set their groups up right beside each other to
prevent the inability of the group to hear one another.
iii. The teacher will have the questions projected upon the board.
Refer to the questions above.
iv. The teacher will be moving to different groups providing prompting
questions, reference questions above. They will intervene if the
discussion seems to be getting too loud.
b. Concept Mapping-Foldable
i. After picking at least two different colored papers, students will
return to their desks one cardstock per student and one copy paper
per two students.
ii. The teacher will direct the class to create a foldable concept
map(refer to the last page for the steps in pictures):
a. Fold cardstock paper in half, hamburger style, twice.
 b. Unfold paper once, cut along the spine of the folded paper
twice.
c. Completely unfold the paper; there will be three creases
separating four rectangles.
d. There should be two lines going across the two middle
rectangles.
e. Set cardstock aside.
f. Cut copy paper in half and distribute it between two
students, so each has a half.
g. Each student will cut their half in half again.
h. Insert the two strips into the cuts made on the cardstock
paper.
i. The students will insert both strips to give the appearance of
checkered paper.
iii. Students will then work individually on filling out their own foldable.
a. Each half will have a character’s name, student’s choice.
b. The squares of each half will be titled the same thing, but the
inside will be different as it will be regarding the character of
the half they are writing.
c. The first two squares will be the same for all students with
labels: “Background” and “Personality.”
d. Students will decide on their own what else they believe is
important about the two characters they chose.
e. The teacher will walk around and help students choose if
they seem to be having a hard time finding topics.
f. On the inside, the students will fill out the information
regarding the title on the outside square.
Assessment
1. Discussion/Fishbowl: Students will be assessed on the fishbowl discussion
based on their participation and effort to answer the questions as best they can.
Students will use their ability to provide a thought-provoking question; the teacher
will assess their understanding of what they have learned about why people
immigrate.
2. Concept map/foldable: The foldable concept map will assess the students’
ability to comprehend the characters, i.e., who the characters are and the
experiences they are going through(minor and significant experiences/events,
results of the events/experiences).
Foldable steps in images:
x

Background 1 2
Char 2)
name

Personality 1 2
name( er

acter

1
(
ct
1)

2
Chara

1 2

Outside Inside