Indiana Wesleyan University

Elementary Education (Children’s Literature) Lesson Plan

Delaney Nuckols

Book Title and Author/Illustrator: A Friend Like Simon by Kate Gaynor and illustrated by
Caitriona Sweeney

LESSON RATIONALE/INJUSTICE CONFRONTED: I chose to confront the social injustice

against kids with special needs, more specifically I plan on addressing the importance of creating
an inclusive environment for everyone in the classroom.

READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
A. Goal(s): Students will determine themes by how the author develops the point of view of
the narrator.
B. Objective(s):
a. Students will agree on the theme of A Friend Like Simon by Kate Gaynor by
discussing the point of view of the narrator, mood, tone, and text.
b. Students will apply the theme of A Friend Like Simon by Kate Gaynor by creating
their own stories of inclusion.
C. Standard(s):
a. 6.RL.3.2 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker
in a work of literature and how the narrator or speaker impacts the mood, tone, and
meaning of a text.
b. 6.RL.2.2 Determine how a theme or central idea of a work of literature is conveyed
through particular details; provide a detailed, objective summary of the text.
II. Management Plan-
A. Time: 30 minutes
B. Materials: A Friend Like Simon by Kate Gaynor
C. Space: For the read aloud the students will all sit on the floor in front of me. When we
move to our response activity, students will go back to their seats for a quick write and
will create a story of their own that addresses how they can or have included someone
who was viewed as different.
D. Behavior: I will use Park Elementary’s Behavior Matrix system as incentive for good
behavior. I will also implement my own “Respectful Thinkers” strategy that rewards
thoughtful and respectful responses and discussion with tokens that can be exchanged for
a treat.
III.Anticipatory Set
• I will pass out one M&M’s to each student and one Peanut M&M to an individual
student. I will then tell students to go and stand with the other students who have the
same type of M&M. I will then ask the students to look around and think about how they
would feel to be on the other side.
 • Essential Question: What individual actions can we each take to include those who are
different?
IV. Purpose: “I am going to read A Friend Like Simon by Kate Gaynor. I want you to figure out
what the big theme is by observing the characters and their interactions.”

PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION

V. Adaptation to Individual Differences and Diverse Learners: To help students who
struggle with spelling, I will post a list of vocabulary that is related to our in class discussion:
Inclusion, Excluded,

VI. Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)

• Read Aloud: I will read the story to them using different voices for the characters in A
Friend Like Simon by Kate Gaynor.

VII.Check for understanding.

• I will guide whole class discussion by using probing questions:
o How did you like the story?
o What did you like about it?
o What didn’t you like about it?
o What do you think the problem was in the story?
o What consequences do you see for the choices that the characters made?
o What big idea can we take away from this story?
• I will then have students grab a piece of paper and a pencil. Once students return to their
seats, I will have them respond to the prompt on the board: “A Friend Like..” Students
will use this prompt to write their own stories about a time they had a friend like Simon,
or was a friend like Matthew. Students must include within their story or at the end of the
story how they will personally include someone who is typically excluded because of
their differences.

VIII. Closure: Simon was excluded because of his differences, but Matthew made the decision
to be Simon’s friend. How can we all be a friend like Matthew?

PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT

• Formative: I will observe how students respond to the anticipatory set and the whole
class discussion after we read the book. Lastly, students will respond to the book by
answering a writing prompt. I will then collect their stories and look for how they shared
they would include the other.

REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS

1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. Was the M&M activity efficient?
7. Were students able to grasp the theme of inclusion?