#1771. Love and Friendship

Reading/Writing, level: Elementary
Posted Wed Nov 8 20:52:37 PST 2000 by Stephanie Barry (Iup9802@aol.com).
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pa
Materials Required: The book, "The Rag Coat," fabric glue, scissors, material that the children bring from home
Activity Time: 1 hour
Concepts Taught: Love and friendship are important, even to those that seem a little different from us.

I. Stephanie Barry
March 27, 2000
Reading Lesson: Love, Friendship, and Respect
Third grade: 24 students
Instruction time: 60 min.
II. Rationale and Background
The purpose of this lesson is to teach the students about the importance of love and friendship, even to those who are different than us. The students will do a hands-on activity after being read aloud the story of The Rag Coat, in cooperative groups. The students have sufficient background in 'quilting' from art class.
III. Lesson Objectives
1. TLW retell the story and point out the lesson of The Rag Coat after being read to.
PI: The students will show their understanding of the story and point out the lesson that is told in the story, by retelling it in their own words.
2. TLW create a small "quilt" in groups after having the story read aloud.
PI: The students will be put into cooperative learning groups and create a small quilt out of scraps that are of importance to them from home.
3. TLW work cooperatively with others in their groups.
PI: The students will be grouped with other students in the class, of different learning needs. The students must work cooperatively together and share materials.

IV. Materials
A copy of The Rag Coat
Fabric glue
Pieces of scrap materials from home
Scissors
V. Concepts
Love and friendship are important in life. Just because someone looks or acts different than we do, doesn't mean you can't love them or be friends with them. This book shows the importance of friendship and love. You shouldn't make fun of people just because they are different. Diversity is what makes up the world, and if you didn't have these different people (learners, cultures, sizes, looks, etc.), then the world would be a pretty boring place.
VI. Procedures
A. Introduction and Motivation
The teacher will ask students to recall a time when they may have pointed or laughed at someone who was different than they were. Why? The students will get a chance to share their stories. The teacher will then ask students to recall a time when they were laughed at. Did you like it? Did you think the other person was being kind and friendly?
The teacher will introduce and explain the importance of love, friendship, and why being different doesn't mean you can't like that person. The teacher will then introduce the book The Rag Coat, and read aloud to the students.
B. Lesson Body
T: Last week in our reading lessons, we discussed the importance of being patient and read a book about it.
Can someone raise their had and tell me what they remember?
The teacher calls on students to allow their responses and writes them on the board.
T: Well, today we're going to switch gears a little bit, and talk about love and friendship. I have a book about a little girl who is just a little different than the other boys and girls, and she gets made fun of. But, in the end, something changes. I want you to listen very carefully and tell me what that is.
Teacher reads aloud the story of The Rag Coat. After reading the story, the teacher then calls on students to tell what happened in the end.
The students explain that the little girl doesn't have a coat and needs one. So, the quilting mother's take the scraps from their quilts and make her new coat. The other kids make fun of her coat because they say it's rags and she can't afford a new coat. After she tells them about the coat, and it being made of the scraps of their old, loved things, the children all like her. They figure she's not as different as they think, and they become friends.
Quilting Activity
T: Now that we have read the story and understand our lesson, we are going to make a quilt of our own here in class.
Each student will get out their scraps of material they brought to school, that has meaning to them. Students will be instructed to get into their assigned groups and then share with the group, the importance of their scraps. Once the students are in their groups, they will share glue, scissors, and materials. They will each be responsible for cutting and gluing their materials together at the edges to form a quilted pattern.
C. Closure
After each group has their pieces glued together, the groups will come together as a class on the floor, and glue their small quilts into one large quilt. Each student will then share their special pieces with the whole class, and we will hang the quilt in the hall for the school to see.
Students will also be asked closure questions about the importance of love and friendship.
VII. Evaluation
A. Student Assessment
1. Assessment Plan
The students' understanding of the story about love and friendship will be informally assessed through questioning, teacher observation, and through the group activity.
Group assessment will be done through teacher observation of how well students cooperate in their groups and follow instructions.
2.Reflection on Assessment of Student Performance
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B. Self-evaluation
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