Lesson Plan Format - Ms. Hale's Classroom



Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Peace Lesson

Choice Lesson Plan

Name: Kerianne Hale Date: October 31, 2013 Grade Level: Fifth Grade

Subject: Literacy & the Arts Topic: Sadako Sasaki/Peace/Community Service

Purpose:

The purpose of this lesson is to hear the story of Sadako Sasaki and how her classmates used her story to promote peace in the world to create a class peace message and make 1,000 paper cranes to send to Sadako’s monument.

Curriculum Standard:

W.5.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Objective(s):

While listening to a whole group read aloud of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, students will verbally answer analytical and opinion questions about the text.

After a read aloud of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, students will work individually to write a thoughtful opinion journal entry including their opinion and justification for that opinion.

Following a read aloud of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, the whole class will see Sadako’s monument using Google Earth and will create a class “message for peace” to send to Hiroshima, Japan.

After creating a “message for peace,” students will participate in a class community service project to make one thousand paper cranes (forty per student) to send to Hiroshima, Japan by the end of the school year.

Materials Needed for Learning Experience:

Teacher:

• Read aloud book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

• Journal prompt

• Expo markers

• Several large pieces of paper (for origami lesson)

• 1,000+ pieces of origami paper (40 pieces for each student)

• 25 pieces of string with 1 bead on one end

• Peace powerpoint presentation

• Google Earth – Monument: 34˚23’18” N, 132˚27’9.94” E USE STREET VIEW

• Google App – “Origami Player”

• Smartboard or projector

• Index cards

• Origami paper instructions worksheet

• Cardboard box with label

• Letter to parents

Students:

• White lined paper

• Pencil

• Google App – “Origami Player”

• 1 index card

• 40 pieces of origami paper

Anticipated Length of Learning Experience:

Read Aloud – 30 minute intervals over 4 days

Journal – 20 minutes

Powerpoint & Origami Lesson – 50 minutes

Student Grouping:

This lesson is designed for the whole class involvement with tasks for individuals. The origami portion of this lesson is to promote a class community to reach a common goal. Students may help each other if some are struggling with the making of the paper cranes.

Prerequisite Knowledge:

Teacher:

Sadako Sasaki was two years old when she was exposed to radiation from the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima. When she was twelve years old, she was diagnosed with leukemia (the atom bomb disease) and died on October 25, 1955. While in the hospital, her friend encouraged her to make 1,000 paper cranes to get her wish. It is a Japanese belief that if one makes 1,000 paper cranes they will be granted one wish. Sadako made 644 cranes before her death. Sadako’s classmates were inspired by her story and made the remaining 356 cranes to be buried with her. They also wanted to create a monument and with the help of 3,100 schools in Japan and 9 other countries, the Children’s Peace Monument was built in Peace Park in Hiroshima. People send thousands of paper cranes there every year. The message engraved on the monument reads: “This is our cry. This is our prayer. For building peace in this world.”

Every year on August 6, Hiroshima hosts a Peace Memorial Ceremony to pray for the victims of nuclear weapons and war and to wish for world peace. The mayor of Hiroshima issues “declarations of peace” every year for the demolition of nuclear weapons. Nobody knew the full effect that nuclear weapons would have when dropped, and it was discovered that the radiation from the bomb was just as devastating to the people of Japan as those who were killed by the bomb’s direct impact.

Student:

Students may have some prior knowledge of World War II and the dropping of atomic bombs in Japan. Students will most likely have misconceptions about the impact of atomic bombs and will need to be taught that their impact includes radiation that dispersed much further than the bomb itself. Students will have an understanding of what peace looks like and will be drawing from this conception to make one message for peace.

Procedure:

1. Introduction:

• Students will make a transition to circle for a read aloud of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Students are asked to pick a spot where they will not be distracted and to take responsibility for their success.

• Teacher shows the cover of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Ask if anyone has read the book before. Prepare the students for what the book is about by clearing misconceptions about World War II and the atom bomb:

o “This is a story about a girl who was affected by the atom bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. No one knew the impact this bomb would have. The gases from the bomb (called radiation) made people sick that were far away from where the bomb landed.”

• Teacher asks students to listen carefully to the story and to think about how the bomb affected Sadako’s family.

2. Body of Learning Experience:

Read-Aloud

• Read 2-3 chapters at a time – gauging how attentive and engaged the students are

• Questions to ask:

Chapter 1-2

1. Why did Mr. Sasaki pray for his family to be protected from the atom bomb even though it was dropped 9 years ago?

2. Have you ever been to a festival? What was it like?

3. What is a kimono?

Chapter 3-5

1. Why did Sadako keep her dizziness a secret from her family?

2. How do you think Sadako is feeling her first day in the hospital? How would you feel if you were in Sadako’s position?

3. Why does Sadako start making 1,000 paper cranes?

Chapter 6-7

1. How did making paper cranes help Sadako’s family?

Chapter 8-Epilogue

1. How did Sadako and her story affect people after she died? Why do you think people felt this way?

2. How will our class making 1,000 paper cranes honor Sadako’s life? What does it mean to honor something/someone?

Journal

• After finishing the read aloud, explain the expectations for the journal response. Students should be thoughtful in their responses and take their time to write. Also, responses should be reasonable and not silly. Students are required to explain their response clearly. Use proper spelling and grammar.

o Journal prompt: “People visit Sadako’s monument every day to pray and make wishes. If you were given one chance to visit her monument, what would you wish for? Why?”

• Write the journal prompt on the whiteboard. Write difficult words to spell on the whiteboard (Sadako, Hiroshima, monument). Give students 20-25 minutes to respond.

o Go to students who have difficulty starting to write. Give them paragraph starters such as: “If I was to go Sadako’s monument I would wish for…”

o Observe for students who are not writing. Approach them to help them start the writing process or give them encouragement.

• Students who finish early may read silently or finish any unfinished work.

Peace Lesson and Paper Crane Origami

• Open the Peace Powerpoint, Google Earth, and Google Apps before lesson begins.

• Students are seated at their desks. Ask them to completely clear their desks and to put away any reading books.

• Open the Peace Powerpoint. Talk briefly about the Peace Festival and the Children’s Peace Monument.

o Ask students what they remember about the Peace Festival from the read aloud.

o On slide “What does PEACE look like?” ask students what they can visualize when they think of peace. Draw their responses on the slide.

o On slide “What words can we use to describe PEACE?” ask students for responses and write the words on the slide.

o On slide “5Shea’s Message for Peace” explain to students that we will be sending a message for peace with our 1,000 paper cranes to the Children’s Peace Monument. Pass out index cards. Ask students to think for one minute to develop one sentence that they think we should send. Write your sentence on an index card.

▪ The teacher will collect the index cards and develop 3 messages for peace using student responses. Students will vote on which message they want to send to Japan the following school day.

o Pass out origami paper. Each student gets one piece. Go over the last slide in the powerpoint. Explain that we are trying to read a goal as a class community and it is important that everyone is a part of the community.

▪ How can we help each other reach this goal?

o Without using the google app, teach the class how to fold a paper crane. The teacher will use a large piece of paper so it is easy for all to see. After each step, ask the students to hold their paper in the air. Do this 2-3 times.

o If time allows, open the google app and have students try to make a paper crane on their own. They can follow the google app or use the instruction handout. Teachers will go around the classroom helping those who are having trouble.

3. Conclusion:

• Show students what to do with a finished paper crane. Write your initials really small on one of the wings and place it in the box in the classroom. Keep a tally of how many paper cranes you have made so you can reach your goal of 40.

• Every Thursday during recess, the teacher will be in the classroom for students who want to work on their paper cranes. Students will get community service hours for participating in this activity.

• The next day, write 3 messages for peace options on the whiteboard and have students vote.

Assessment

Formative:

• Verbal responses to questions posed during read aloud

• Verbal responses during Peace Powerpoint

Summative:

• Journal response is collected to assess opinion writing skills in relation to a read aloud.

• Index cards are collected to assess ideas of peace.

Child Guidance:

Attention getting strategies

• Ask students to summarize what happened in the previous reading of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

o Activates prior knowledge

• Ask questions that students can relate to and share their own experiences

Transitions

• Students move between their desks and circle on the floor throughout the lesson. Gets students moving and energized.

• Dismiss students in groups and not until they are quiet and ready to transition.

Individual accommodations

• Students who struggle with attention will have the guidance of other teachers in the room to make their paper cranes.

• Students who need help writing will be given paragraph starters to guide them into their journal response.

• Detailed, visual instructions are given to every student for equal opportunities to make paper cranes.

• Multiple modes of directions for paper cranes are given: verbal, visual, and linguistic and students practice in a whole group and individual setting.

Early finishers

• Since the paper crane activity end goal is the end of the school year, students will be working on their paper cranes as an early finisher activity.

• For students who finish their 40 cranes, can help string the cranes so they are ready to ship to Japan or help other students who are struggling with their paper cranes.

Differentiation:

Multiple modes of directions for paper cranes are given: verbal, visual, and linguistic and students practice in a whole group and individual setting. Extra opportunities to make paper cranes (during recess, after school) will be available for students who do not have a lot of free time during the school day to make their 40 cranes by the end of the year.

Resources Used:

The City of Hiroshima. (2001). Paper Cranes and the Children’s Peace Monument. Devotion to

the Cause of Peace. Retrieved from: .

html

Coerr, Eleanor. (1977). Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. New York, NY: Putnam.

Google Applications. (2012). Crane. Origami Player. Retrieved from: .

Com/ showorigami_ch_h5.php?origami=crane&sel=0&norot=0&paper=&scissor

=0&title=Crane

Hampton-Brown. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Unit 5: Traditions. Retrieved from:



Lesson Reflection:

I was very pleased with this lesson and I think it will continue to be a presence in Mrs. Shea’s classroom. The students were all very interested in the read aloud of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and always asked me when I was going to read the next chapter. I was a little nervous about starting the read aloud because although Sadako’s story is noble and has a great message, the concept of war and death can be very uncomfortable for some students. I chose to introduce the book focusing on Sadako and not the atom bomb, but I felt the atom bomb should be mentioned. The class handled the discussions about nuclear weapons, leukemia, and death with maturity and had many thoughtful questions and comments. I think I paced the read aloud well because even though I usually had short chunks of time to read the book, it was enough for the students and kept them wanting to hear more. The most surprising part of the read aloud was that I finished reading the book on the fifty-eighth anniversary of Sadako’s death. I did not plan this, but I think the impact of Sadako’s story really hit them when they realized it was a true story at this moment.

It’s hard to say what the best part of the peace/paper crane lesson is since it really won’t be over until May. I was very impressed with the messages for peace that the students wrote. I chose to have these messages nameless because I didn’t want the students to feel pressured to write something just because I know who wrote it. I decided to have the students glue their messages to the inside of the box that we send the cranes in so even though we can only send one message, everyone will send their message to Japan in some way. I was impressed by these messages because there is no way I could ever teach what they wrote. Their messages were what they really believe about peace. I cannot teach them what to believe.

The first time I taught my class how to fold paper cranes went very well. I underestimated how much time it would take them to make one paper crane, but they met my objective and I think they are very excited to make more cranes. It really helped to have a large piece of colored paper (I used wrapping paper) as a visual because many of the step are quite complicated and they could see it big and clear at the front of the room. Only two students were not able to make a crane correctly, but with individualized help, I think they will be able to be successful. The students who I had anticipated needing extra help were not in the room during this lesson and I think the lesson would have gone differently if they had been there. After thinking about this, I actually think this was beneficial for both groups of students. The students who were not there for the lesson do much better work when working in small group or individual instruction, and since they were not there, that is the kind of instruction they will receive. For the students who were there for the lesson, I was able to give them the help and support they need instead of focusing on the students who were not there who would have most likely have had most of my attention. I have full confidence in both groups of students; I just need to differentiate and give each student the kind of instruction that will make them most successful. I am lucky because I do get to teach this lesson over and over again in our “Sadako Crane Club” meetings on every Thursday after school. Students have the opportunity to stay after school with Mrs. Shea and me to work on reaching their goal of forty paper cranes. I anticipate students needing less and less instruction as time goes on because they will pick up the paper crane folding procedure.

I cannot wait to finish this project with my class. Our first after school session is this upcoming Thursday and it sounds like many students are going to attend. Mrs. Shea has given me many opportunities to help the students fold their paper cranes and they are very engaged in finishing. I really feel like they understand the purpose behind sending these paper cranes to Japan and this would not have been possible without the read aloud, journal, and presentation before the paper crane lesson. I know this because of their incredible journal responses. I would love to do this lesson or something similar with every class I work in because not only does it build literacy skills, but the class comes together as a community to help a cause.

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