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Amanda Brown

Professor Wong

ENGL 3017

May 8, 2018

Exploring the Imaginative Life of ​Peter Pan

For students and children in general there is often a fear of growing up. The book ​Peter

Pan​ by J.M. Barrie offers a perspective in the compare and contrasting views of growing up, and

never growing up. The book offers a bridge between the reality of growing up and the adventure

that occurs in childhood. Using this book in the classroom can help students be aware about their

personal feelings around the topic of growing up, and how they can start to cope with those

feelings. In his article, Psychologist Carl Pickhardt, addresses some of the fear and anxiety that

children associate with moving from childhood to adolescence. The article outlines numerous

parental perspectives of how their children’s behaviors changed as they moved through this

stage. He also found that children tended to have the anxiety about the developmental change as

they had more opportunity to make personal decisions for themselves, and the fear of not

choosing the correct thing is very hard for children to get past (Pickhardt). This unit is not solely

on the psychological factor of growing up, however, it does touch upon the topic of fear of

growing up at numerous points. The book is being used as a way of starting to bridge into the

topic of moving from childhood to adolescents. Students will be able to start their introduction

into this topic while also learning and experiencing the fun that comes in the story of ​Peter Pan.

I will be using the ​Peter Pan​ by J.M. Barrie as a basis for my unit plan of “Exploring the

Imaginative Life of ​Peter Pan​” with my fourth grade class. This three week unit will involve
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students participating in group read along, and individual reading which correlate to different

lessons throughout. The three lessons, I’ve chosen to discuss are each from a different week. The

first lesson opens up the conversation about the story of Peter Pan with student creation of their

own Neverland. The second weeks lesson targets students exploring description and

characteristics of individual characters and character compare and contrast. The last day of the

unit, the students will be examining the topic of growing up, and the negative and positive

benefits of staying a child forever. Each of the lessons presented in this unit will help encourage

student ability to use a text and correlate that to their reading, writing, art, listening, and speaking

skills.

In the opening of the unit the students will be getting in tune with their creative and

imaginative side. The lesson is for students to use their imagination and create their own

“Neverland”. Students will be writing and illustrating what it would look like. My hope is for

students to be able to use descriptive writing and incorporate illustrations to create their own

happy, fun, carefree imaginative scenery. Some students may choose to pick a place they have

been with family, or on their own. Others may decide to come up with a made up land far away

that incorporates all the things they love. My idea for the project is incorporating creativity in the

classroom. I fear that as students age they lose part of their imaginative and creative side.

Coincidentally, Jeanne Magagna’s book, discusses the importance of children’s imaginations

specifically through the process of using fairy tales. While she uses early childhood aged

children as a source in her book, she gives parents (which could be applied to teachers) the

advice about how children interpret fairytales and how they help to cope with emotions

(Magagna). My hope that in this lesson, having students work creatively will help them start to
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understand some of the emotions that come with their imaginative scenery. The world of ​Peter

Pan​ can be fascinating for children as it gives them the opportunity to get lost in a creative story.

Bringing an awareness to what makes an imaginative place so appealing, I am hoping students

will start to think about what makes them feel safe, and how these places are so different for

individuals. As a teacher I’d share my imaginative scenery with the students, that way students

can understand that there is a partnership between teachers and students, and they are not alone.

Next, in the second week of this unit, between days six and eight, the students will

participate in a lesson that aims to target character description. The focus will be for students to

use the text to describe the characters within the story. The hope is for students to show their

ability to use descriptive language both written and verbally. Students may choose to do the

option of compare and contrasting two characters within the story. Students will be

incorporating the gender roles that are presented in the story of ​Peter Pan.​ This idea of character

description and gender roles was influenced by Chris Routh’s article, which focuses on the

gender roles presented throughout the story of ​Peter Pan​ with a main focus on the character

development of Wendy and Peter. This article was helpful in encouraging my ideas of these

lessons, as it explores how illustrations and character descriptions are used by readers to

understand what the author meant (Routh). The students will be working as a whole, small

group, and individual. Each of the grouping stages will build on each other and help scaffold

students into their individual writing pieces.

In the concluding week three of the unit and last day, the students will be contemplating

the statement, “If I could stay a kid forever, I would…”. My idea is for students to write about

their own personal beliefs about the topic of never growing up and whether it would be a fun or a
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frightening one. Throughout the story of ​Peter Pan​ it is widely stated that Peter is the one child

that never grew up. Peter is described as being afraid of becoming a man, and all the different

elements that are involved in growing up. Peter may have negative views on growing up,

although some of the other characters seem more content with the idea of growing up. My hope

is that while students are moving from their childhood to adolescent phase in life, they are aware

of these feelings and can potentially talk about those feelings knowing they are not alone.

Dependent on the students willingness to openly discuss this topic, I may choose to start with an

anonymous questioning of “does the topic of growing up scare you, make you maybe uneasy, or

you are totally fine with it”. This way the students know that their peers feel the same way, the

teacher may give personal feelings about the topic as well. My overall hope is that the students

will be aware of some of the insecurities and fears that come with growing up and those feelings

can be addressed in the classroom in either whole group or small group discussions and/or in

individual student writing.

Overall, this unit uses J.M. Barrie’s ​Peter Pan​ as a way of developing numerous student

skills. In each lesson, students will be expanding on their critical thinking, communication,

collaboration, and creativity. As a teacher I hope to help scaffold for students how they may use

a text to complete an assignments in the future on their own. Each of the lessons I have

developed should help students gain an understanding of a process they could take when

examining a book. Correspondingly, I am hoping that through the incorporation of these lessons,

students will be able to connect on a personal level, and that these lessons bring a touch of a

psychological awareness for individuals.

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Works Cited

Magagna, Jeanne. "The Children's Fairy Tales." ​Being Present for Your Nursery Age Child:

Observing, Understanding, and Helping Children.​, Jeanne Magagna, et al., Karnac

Books, 2014, pp. 191-193.

Pickhardt, Carl E. “Early Adolescence and Anxiety about Growing Up.” Psychology Today,

Sussex Publishers, 15 Apr. 2013,

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/201304/early-ado

lescence-and-anxiety-about-growing.

Routh, Chris. "“Man for the Sword and for the Needle She”: Illustrations of Wendy's Role in

J.M. Barrie's Peter and Wendy." ​Children's Literature in Education​, vol. 32, no. 1, Mar.

2001, pp. 57-75.

 UNIT TOPIC:
FOR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE CONNECTIONS TO THE TEXT TO CREATE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEXT AND FIND DEEPER
UNIT GOALS:
MEANING IN THOSE CONNECTIONS.
WEEK/DAY WEEK 1 – (Day 1 / 2)
CCSS.ELA.W.4.3
Write narratives to develop real or
LANGUAGE OR CRITICAL SKILL imagined experiences or events using
OBJECTIVE effective technique, descriptive details,
and clear event sequences.
For students to be able to use descriptive
writing and illustrations to create an
CONTENT OBJECTIVE imaginary scenery of their ideal
Neverland.
ú Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie – Class set
ú Pencils / Pens / Markers
MATERIALS
ú Paper – lined and blank
MINI-LESSON
Descriptive writing and illustrating.
(SKILL/AIM)
Describing your own Neverland. Students
will be reading about Neverland, and
writing a description piece about “What
ACTIVITY would your Neverland be?”
ORIENTATION
Whole Group, Pair Work, Individual
SKILL INTEGRATION (R/W/S/L) Writing
ú Activating Prior Knowledge
ú Graphic Organizers/Maps
STRATEGIES
Individual – based on writing.
Teacher will look for writing structure,
ASSESSMENT TYPE and student ability to connect the story to
the piece.
THE IMAGINATIVE LIFE OF PETER PAN
WEEK 2 – (Day 6 - 8)
CCSS.ELA.L.4.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions
of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
For students to be able to use the text to
describe characters using descriptive
language (adjectives, verbs, etc.) both
written and verbally.
ú Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie – Class set
ú Paper
ú Pencils / Pens / Markers
Descriptive Writing
Character Description. Students will be
reading the story, and creating connections
to individual characters. Students will have
one character to write about – incorporating
the factor of how boys and girls are
presented in the story.
Whole Group, Pair Work, Individual
Language
ú Identify similarities/differences
ú Summarizing/note taking
ú Cooperative Learning
Individual – based on writing.
Teacher will look for writing structure, and
student ability to connect the story to the
piece.
WEEK 3 – (Last Day)
CCSS.ELA.RL.4.9
Compare and contrast the treatment of
similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of
good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g.,
the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional
literature from different cultures.
For students to be able to write a personal
piece, including proper spelling and
grammar.
ú Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie – Class set
ú Paper
ú Pencils / Pens / Markers
Compare and Contrast Writing
“If I could stay a kid forever, I would…”
Students will be writing about their view of
the factor of never growing up – as the story
of Peter Pan focuses on the factor of Peter
being the one child who never grew up.
Whole Group, Pair Work, Individual
Reading
ú Identify similarities/differences
ú Summarizing/Note Taking
ú Reinforce effort/provide recognition
ú Graphic Organizers/Maps
Individual – based on writing.
Teacher will look for writing structure, and
student ability to connect the story to the
piece.
Exploring the Imaginative Life of Peter Pan ­ 1
Author: Amanda Brown
Date created: 04/26/2018 3:46 PM PDT ; Date modified: 04/29/2018 4:42 PM PDT

VITAL INFORMATION
Total Number of
Students
Area(s) Students
Live In
Free/Reduced
Lunch
Ethnicity of
Students
English Language
Learners
Students with
Special Needs
Subject(s) Art, Elementary, Language Arts (English)
Topic or Unit of
Exploring the imaginative life of Peter Pan
Study
Grade/Level Grade 4

Comments Lesson Date: Week 1 ­ Day 1­2 (Start of Unit)

KEY CONCEPTS & STANDARDS

Big Idea & Describing your own Neverland. Students will be reading about Neverland, and writing a description piece about "What would your Neverland
Essential Questions be?"

Learning SLO 1: For students to be able to use descriptive language in writing to describe their ideal Neverland (imaginative) environment.
Outcome(s) SLO 2: For students to be able to use illustrations accurately to show their interpretation of their reading. 

Students will be involved in a read along with teacher in the Peter Pan text. Students will be exploring the descriptive writing of J.M. Barrie in the
Summary depiction of Neverland. Students will be looking at videos as well in creating both a descriptive writing piece, and illustration from their individual
writing. 

CA­ California Common Core State Standards (2012)
Subject: English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects
Grade: Grade 4 students:
Strand: Writing
Domain:
Standards Text Types and Purposes
Standard:
1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Standard:
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Comments

ASSESSMENTS

SLO 1: Teacher will assess student ability to accurately use descriptive writing of an imaginary environment by looking at the individual writing
done by each student.
Assessment/Rubrics
SLO: Teacher will assess student understanding of illustrations by their depiction of the writing, and by student oral description of their illustration

Page 1 of 2
 and the connection.

Comments

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie ­ class set
Instructional Pencils / Pens / Markers / Crayons
Materials Paper ­ lined and blank
(Handouts, etc.) Colored Construction Paper 
Glue

Comments

IMPLEMENTATION

1.  Teacher will introduce the topic of reading the book, Peter Pan, to the class. TTW say, “We are going to be reading Peter Pan together
as a class, and then having some activities that will work with this book. 
2.  TTW transition by asking students to raise their hand if they’ve ever read the book, and how many know what Neverland looks like. 
3.  TTW ask students to respond with what they remember from Neverland, and write their responses on the board.
4.  TTW show a video of the Peter Pan (2003) movie – a scene about the initial scene of imagination amongst the Darling
children, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3uvkzCNcUA
5.  TTW read the part about Neverland from the Peter Pan book by J.M. Barrie
6.  TTW ask the students, “If you could go to Neverland. What would your Neverland be? What would be there?”
7.  TSW pair and share with partners, and TTW write on the board some of the students’ thoughts and ideas on the board
Sequence of
8.  TTW instruct the students to think about their own personal Neverland, and then instruct students to take out paper and a pencil, and
Activities
begin writing about their “ideal Neverland”
9.  TTW instruct students that they will be adding an illustration, and they can either start with the illustration and/or description – teacher will
reinforce the idea that students should be using proper spelling, grammar, and writing strategies.
10.  TSW have time to write/illustrate their own Neverland
11.  TTW transition, and ask if any of the students want to share about their Neverland, how it differs from the Neverland in the story, and
whether or not the Neverland from the story would be of appeal for them
12.  TSW be able to share their Neverland and engage in group discussion
13.  TTW transition students to the next subject – having students turn in their description/illustrations. (Illustrations will be posted around the
classroom, teacher will assess student ability to write descriptive and detailed imaginary of their Neverland)

Whole ­ Reading of the book 
Grouping Strategies Small ­ "Pair and Share"
Independent ­ Writing the piece and illustrations

Differentiated instruction for students may include requiring a lesser description from students about their ideal Neverland. The teacher may
choose to help students by giving them starter sentences/more of a structure as to how they may think about their written piece.
Differentiated
Instruction For students who are advanced learners, teacher may have students write a compare and contrast piece additionally. The piece would then
include students writing about how their Neverland / Imaginative place differs from the Neverland J.M. Barrie depicts in Peter Pan.

Comments

REFLECTIONS

Prior knowledge of the students will be only what they bring into the classroom in their previous reading/watching experiences of Peter Pan. This
Prior to Lesson
lesson will be in the first week and first days of instruction, therefore, prior knowledge is not needed. 

Teacher will assess post lesson whether or not the learning outcomes were met based on student writing and illustration. Teacher may assess
Post­Lesson illustration based on students ability to orally describe their illustration. 

Teacher will use individual assessment strategies by looking at the pieces from students. 

Comments

Page 2 of 2
Exploring the Imaginative Life of Peter Pan ­ 2
Author: Amanda Brown
Date created: 04/26/2018 9:32 PM PDT ; Date modified: 04/29/2018 4:46 PM PDT

VITAL INFORMATION
Total Number of
Students
Area(s) Students
Live In
Free/Reduced
Lunch
Ethnicity of
Students
English Language
Learners
Students with
Special Needs
Subject(s) Elementary, Language Arts (English), Reading
Topic or Unit of
Exploring the Imaginative Life of Peter Pan
Study
Grade/Level Grade 4

Comments Lesson Date: Week 2 ­ Day 6­8 (Middle of Unit)

KEY CONCEPTS & STANDARDS
Big Idea &
Character description of one individual character in Peter Pan and/or compare and contrast between two characters in the story.
Essential Questions

SLO 1: Students will be able to use the text to describe characters.
Learning
SLO 2: Students will be able to use descriptive language (adjectives, verbs, etc.) both written and verbally to describe a character. 
Outcome(s)
SLO 3: (dependent on activity) Students will be able to accurately compare and contrast two characters with accurate description of both.

Students will be learning about the individual characters, and what makes each character unique. Students after reading will create connections to
Summary the characters and text. Students will write about one character including descriptive characteristic language ­ incorporating gender, class, and/or
race roles. Students can choose to do a compare and contrast of two characters, dependent on student level. 

CA­ California Common Core State Standards (2012)
Subject: English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects
Grade: Grade 4 students:
Content Area: Literature K–5
Strand: Reading
Domain: Key Ideas and Details
Standard:
3. Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).

Strand: Writing
Domain:
Range of Writing
Standards Standard:
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline­specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Strand: Speaking and Listening
Domain:
Comprehension and Collaboration
Standard:
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one­on­one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on
others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Page 1 of 3
 Standard:
3. Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker or media source provides to support particular points.

Comments

ASSESSMENTS

SLO 1: Teacher will assess student ability to use text to describe characters by assessing student progress in their written work as well as looking
at the writing after. 

SLO 2: Teacher will assess student ability to use descriptive language by their ability to accurately describe their reasoning/justification both
Assessment/Rubrics
written and orally.

SLO 3: (Dependent) Teacher will assess student ability to effectively compare and contrast two characters by reviewing their written work, and
possibly asking oral questions. 

Comments

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Instructional Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie ­ Class set
Materials Paper
(Handouts, etc.) Pencils / Pens / Markers

Comments

IMPLEMENTATION

1.  Teacher will introduce the topic of descriptive writing, and show students connections to how descriptive character writing gives readers an
idea of what the author is thinking without needing a visual
2.  TTW ask students what makes descriptive writing, probing the question of what is needed to create a descriptive piece.
3.  TSW "pair and share" their ideas of what makes a piece descriptive and how authors might go about it. 
4.  TTW ask students what characteristics make up a person. Teacher might say, "When we describe someone, we use their characteristics,
which are things that make each person unique. What are some characteristics, we can think about? Even for ourselves?"
5.  TSW "pair and share" their ideas and then share out as a group. Teacher will write down students responses
6.  TTW transition and instruct students to group up and create a web. Each group creating a web on a different character ­ giving ideas about
descriptions/characteristics to use for each character 
7.  TSW group into their own table groups, using a large piece of paper will create a web in which they will describe characteristics about
each character.
8.  TTW transition the class back together and may say, "Now that we've all thought about the characteristics, I want each group to share out
what they think, and give everyone an example of the things they may use to describe a character".
Sequence of 9.  TSW share out to the whole class their web and then post on the wall
Activities 10.  TTW instruct students to return to their desks and "Now each of you are individually going to write about a character. You may pick any
character you want, but I want you to write about the characteristics that make up each character. Make sure to include lots of
description, and even using examples from the story. Something you may say is that, 'Peter Pan is an adventurous boy because he is
always out searching for something to do'". (Teacher may give more advanced students the task of compare and contrast of two
different characters ­­ rather than simply one character description)
11.  TSW gather their materials for the lesson and start their drafting/writing process.
12.  TTW (after time) bring the class back together, and ask if any student wants to share out their writing to the class.
13.  TSW share (if they choose) and teacher will give feedback/students will be able to give each other feedback and comments about what
they liked from the lesson
14.  TTW end the lesson by stating that "it is important to learn how to be descriptive, as it gives the reader a visual image of what the author is
trying to put out". 
15.  TTW ask students what they think about the work that the author did, and if it was helpful, or if it was other media's that have shaped their
views of how specific characters are suppose to be/look.
16.  TSW have time to think and then share out to the class giving their example

Whole ­ Reading group
Grouping Strategies Small ­ Pair and Share
Independent ­ Individual writing on character description/compare and contrast

Page 2 of 3
 For students in special education, ELL, or students at risk, teacher may modify the writing needed, and/or rather than individual writing, teacher
may have whole class pair/groups of three to create collaboration pieces. Teacher would pair students together so that their is different abilities in
Differentiated different groups. 
Instruction
For advanced learners, teacher might encourage students to do the character compare and contrast, keeping specific to a topic that is presented
in Peter Pan to elaborate and provide examples upon.

Comments

REFLECTIONS

Prior to lesson, students will have read about half of the Peter Pan story. The imaginative world of Neverland will be described and written
Prior to Lesson about. Students will have explored some of the topics that present themselves in the story such as gender, class, and race. Students will have
learned about descriptive writing, and how to effectively describe character characteristics. 

Post lesson teacher will assess whether or not the students have met the learning outcomes. If learning outcomes have not been met, teacher will
Post­Lesson revisit the lesson but with a different approach. If learning outcomes were met, but potentially not where teacher wanted all students, teacher
could further the lesson incorporating more into the topic of character/characteristic descriptions. 

Comments

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Exploring the Imaginative Life of Peter Pan 3
Author: Amanda Brown
Date created: 04/26/2018 9:51 PM PDT ; Date modified: 04/29/2018 4:52 PM PDT

VITAL INFORMATION
Total Number of
Students
Area(s) Students
Live In
Free/Reduced
Lunch
Ethnicity of
Students
English Language
Learners
Students with
Special Needs
Subject(s) Elementary, Language Arts (English), Reading
Topic or Unit of
Exploring the Imaginative Life of Peter Pan
Study
Grade/Level Grade 4

Comments Lesson Date: Week 3 ­ Last Day (End of Unit)

KEY CONCEPTS & STANDARDS
Big Idea &
Writing assignment for students with the statement, "If I could stay a kid forever, I would..." 
Essential Questions

SLO 1: For students to be able to write a personal opinion piece. 
Learning
SLO 2: For students to be able to use proper spelling and grammar. 
Outcome(s)
SLO 3: For students to be able to express their feelings in an oral and verbal way.

Students will be answering the statement "If I could stay a kid forever, I would...". This statement comes from the view that Peter Pan is the one
Summary child who never grew up. After finishing the book, and end of unit activity, students will reflect on their opinion on what they would do if they
were to be like Peter, and never grow up. 

CA­ California Common Core State Standards (2012)
Subject: English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects
Grade: Grade 4 students:
Content Area: Foundational Skills (K–5)
Strand: Reading
Domain: Fluency
Indicator:
a. Read on­level text with purpose and understanding.

Strand: Writing
Standards
Domain:
Text Types and Purposes
Standard:
1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Strand: Language
Domain:
Conventions of Standard English
Standard:
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

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Comments

ASSESSMENTS

SLO 1: Teacher will assess student ability to write a personal opinion speech by reading the work produced by each individual student.

SLO 2: Teacher will assess student ability to use proper spelling and grammar by reviewing the individual work produced by the students.
Assessment/Rubrics
SLO 3: Teacher will assess student ability to express their feelings about the topic of growing up by listening to student discussion both in whole
group, small group, and individual writing.

Comments

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Instructional Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie ­ Class Set
Materials Paper
(Handouts, etc.) Pens / Pencils / Markers

Comments

IMPLEMENTATION

1.  Teacher will bring the students together, to ask "What did you think about the book? Specifically, what do we think about the factor of
Wendy, and the lost boys going home to grow up, while Peter stayed alone and never grew up"
2.  Students will have time to think about it themselves, pair and share, and then group discussion. 
3.  TTW lead students in discussion, writing some thoughts on the board during group discussion/during pair and share while listening to
conversations
4.  TTW instruct students to think about both sides, "What would it be like to never grow up?" "Is it bad to never grow up?"
5.  TSW again have time to individually think, pair and share, and then group discussion. 
6.  TTW write some ideas on the board, and then transition the students
7.  TTW say, "We've looked at the possibilities of the positive and negative in growing up. Now, I want to know what you think individually,
and write down what you think. I want you to answer the question, "If I could stay a kid forever, I would..." (teacher may also
dependent on students offer the ability for students to answer the question, and then answer the compare and contrast of positive
v negative in not growing up)
Sequence of 8.  TSW get materials out and start their writing
Activities 9.  TTW walk around as students are writing ­ checking in with students ­ looking for proper spelling and grammar 
10.  TTW give students about 20 minutes (more or less) to formulate their writing
11.  TTW ask students to share with the group their thoughts
12.  TSW share out their responses
13.  TTW then ask students ­ "we know that we have to grow up, but does anyone know what they want to do when they are grown up?
Maybe like an idea about high school, college, or a dream job?"
14.  TSW share out their thoughts of future
15.  TTW end lesson talking with students about the factor of growing up. TTW reinforce for students that while growing up may be scary, it
happens and it can be a fun way of life. 
16.  TTW answer any questions about growing up for students (teacher may decide to do a heads down, thumbs up type of activity and
ask questions such as who is afraid of growing up? who is not?) 
17.  TTW end activity by reinforcing to students that growing up is a scary, confusing, and weird time however it does get better, and tell
students that teacher will always be there for students regardless if they are still her students or not. 

Whole ­ reading / teacher lead discussion
Grouping Strategies Small ­ "pair and share" discussion amongst partners / table group
Independent ­ individual writing from students

Teacher may choose to have lesson more oriented towards whole group/small group writing for students in special education, ELL, and students
at risk of failing. In this way students will be able to feel less singled out and less in need of reinforcements. It could be turned into a group project
Differentiated in which students talk about thier individual ideas but in a group project way. 
Instruction
Teacher may have advanced learners not only writing about their opinion piece, but potentially to write about whether or not the factor of never
growing up is right, or wrong? 

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Comments

REFLECTIONS

Prior to lesson, students will have read the whole book. Students will have engaged in numerous learning activities throughout the unit, finishing
Prior to Lesson
with the question about whether or not the factor of growing up is right or wrong, and/or what a student would do if they were to never grow up. 

Teacher will assess post lesson whether or not the students have met the learning outcomes by the student writing responses. 
Post­Lesson
Teacher may decide that if learning outcomes were not met, to approach the topic of never growing up, and the fears behind that in a group
setting, and/or do more activities on coming of age, and being OK with it. 

Comments

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