Dana Davis

ELD 307
Dr. Casey
Spring 2015
Interactive Read Aloud Lesson Plan
Sam and the Lucky Money
Grade Level: 2
Subject: Literacy

Topic: Reading/Cultural Holidays/Wants vs. Needs

Rationale: Students respond to the story Sam and the Lucky Money by identifying the main
characters and key details in the story. Students discuss customs and celebrations of their own
cultures and cultures of others. Students demonstrate their understanding of the difference
between wants and needs. Students begin to empathize with people who have needs that differ
from their own and state ways that they may be able to help others.
Standards:
CCSS.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate
understanding of key details in a text.
CCSS.RL.2.2
Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central
message, lesson or moral.
CCSS.RL.2.3
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
Objective: The students will be able to (SWBAT) identify the main characters in the story.
Students will compare/contrast Sams choices with choices they have made/would make in their
own lives. Students will create collages of wants/needs. Students will define key vocabulary:
wants, needs, save, spend, and donate.
Materials: copy of the book Sam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chin, paper, scissors, glue,
magazines, crayons/markers.
Procedure:
1. The teacher will begin by asking Who knows the difference between something you
want and something you need? and allow the students to give examples.
2. The teacher will then provide a definition of wants and needs. Wants are things
that we would like to have, but we dont need them. Needs are things that we must have
to survive, such as food and water.
3. The teacher will show the students the front cover of the book and ask if anyone knows
what the picture is showing.

4. The teacher will then discuss Chinese New Year and its customs and then ask the students
to offer some examples of customs/traditions/holidays that they celebrate in their
families.
5. The teacher will then read the story Sam and the Lucky Money, pausing each time one of
the targeted vocabulary words are introduced and discuss their meaning.
6. Pause after reading page one and discuss the meaning of spend and leisee, then ask
the children if they know where Chinatown is (there are several Chinatowns, so there
could be multiple answers).
7. Pause after reading page eight and ask the students what they could buy with $4.00.
8. Pause after reading page ten and ask the students what they think the sound was that Sam
heard.
9. Pause after reading page nineteen and ask the students about how Sam was acting. Was
he being nice or not?
10. After reading page twenty-six, pause and ask the students how Sam knew the man could
buy socks with $4.00.
11. When the story is finished, refer to the ending. The last sentence in the story reads: As
they headed home for more New Years celebration, Sam knew he was the lucky one.
What do you think this means?
12. Ask the students to identify the main characters in the story.
13. Ask the students to explain what they think the moral of the story is.
14. Ask the students how Sam spent his money and then how they might spend the money.
Discuss the key vocabulary words; save, spend, and donate as these will likely be some
of the answers the students give.
15. Ask the students if they thought Sam knew the difference between wants and needs.
16. Ask the students to give examples of how they could help people in need.
17. Have the children do the activity explained in the Assessment.
Assessment:
1. Students divide a piece of paper into two sections. One section labeled wants and the
other section labeled needs. Next the student will cut pictures from magazines and glue
on the paper under the label they decide it corresponds it.
Differentiation: The activity can be done as a whole class or in small groups, rather than
individually. This lesson can be adapted for a lower age level by limiting the discussion and
assessment to ways we can help others, rather than differentiating wants and needs. It can be
adapted to higher age levels by giving the students a more involved, possibly even global project
to accompany the story. Students could collaborate in groups to create a program to help a
targeted issue that they feel passionate about. (ie: A program to create a bag dinner which
distributes a packaged dinner to students who may not have food at home, in an attempt to battle
hunger).
Future Connections: This book can be used for a writing lesson by having the students write a
story about one of their own family customs/traditions. It can be used to introduce a Social
Studies Lesson that discusses customs of other cultures. It can be used to introduce a Math
lesson that targets spending/budgeting. It can be used in a Science lesson to introduce the lunar
calendar (on which the Chinese New Year is based) versus the solar calendar.

References
"Learning to Give, Philanthropy Education Resources That Teach Giving and Civic
Engagement." Learning to Give. N.p., n.d. Web.
Books, Lee & Low, Sam And The Lucky Money TeacherS Guide, and P. Classroom Guide for
Sam and the Lucky Money (n.d.): n. pag. Described and Captioned Media Program. The Active
Learner/Lee & Low Books. Web.