An At-Home Literacy Lesson Plan Crafted by BGCHarlem Literacy Specialist Kristin Richardson Jordan
Photo: Folksy.com
Parents:
It is quite possible to be feeling loss during these times of COVID19.
Whether it is missing school, a hobby, an item, the experience of being outside, someone you used to see, or the loss of a relative, one of the things we can do during this time is to remember family history and strengthen family bonds.
It is especially important that we do this for youth who may experience loss during this time, but, for all of us, it is always important to remember.
The following literacy activity allows students to think about their family ancestry and/or remember someone they’ve lost by creating their own word art frame.
Start by either watching the Disney movie, “Coco,” or by taking a look at the read-aloud (link below). Then, have a conversation using the following vocabulary words and guide your kids in creating a word-art frame using the example below as a guide.
Addresses Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7 Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate an understanding of its characters, setting, or plot. (Common Core ELA - Literacy Standards)
STANDARD 7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats (New York State Education Department ELA learning standards) (You may click here to print the lesson or the student may view the lesson online and write his/her answers on a separate piece of paper)
Students:
A Kid's Literacy Lesson Plan: Ways to Remember Family & Ancestry - Make a Word Art Picture Frame
Step 1: View the Disney Film “Coco” and/or book below.
Books Read Aloud for Children by Flying Dragons
Discuss These Vocabulary Words:
Ancestor: any person from whom one is descended
Memory: something recalled from the past
Blessing: a prayer asking for favor and protection
Family: all the descendants of a common ancestor
(definitions from dictionary.com)
Step 2: Complete the Following Sentences
1. One of my ancestors is _________________. She/he was ___________________.
[Name an ancestor and tell us something about them]
2. Family means ______________________________________________.
[To the Riveras, family means love, food, and music. What does family mean to you?]
Step 3: Make A Word Art Frame
Find or print out a picture of one of your ancestors like Miguel had in “Coco.” If you find a picture, glue it to a full sheet of paper. If your print the picture, make sure to print it so that there is space for a frame.
Then, make a word art frame around your ancestor by using different colored markers to write words that describe them. For example, here is one Ms. Kristin made of her aunt Debbie who was joyful, smart, kind, and funny.
As an alternative, if a picture is hard to find or it is not possible to print, you can write your ancestor’s name in big letters on the center of a paper and then do your word art frame around their name.
Watch the clip below to see how to turn the word “KOBE” into a picture Kobe Bryant who recently joined the ancestors a couple of months ago on January 26th.
Follow BGCHarlem social media channels for daily updates. Students, we would love to see your work! Be sure to upload a picture of yourself with your completed lessons using the hashtag #BGCHarlem.
View our additional 'Resources For Students & Parents for Dealing with COVID-19' HERE