The College of New Jersey School of Education Bianca Venice and Heather Wuest Title: Salt in His Shoes:

Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream Grade Level: 1st grade Cooperating Teacher: Ms. Tindall Time Allotted: 30 minutes Description of Topic: Students will recognize the central message of the story. The central message of Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan and Rosalyn M. Jordan is that you can make all of your dreams come true through hard work and determination. Students will share their dreams and learn about how they can achieve them. Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1a Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).

Objectives Students will recognize the central message of the story. (What was it that made Michael Jordan become a great basketball player?)

Assessments The teacher will ask the students What is the central message of the story ? What was it that made Jordan become an incredible basketball player and achieve his dream? Was it the salt Michael Jordans mom put in his shoes? After the students state their dreams the teacher will ask the students how are you going to make your dreams come true?

Students will identify their dreams and describe how they will make them come true.

Rationale: It is important for students to be able to determine the central message of a text. The message of determination and believing in your dreams is an essential life lesson. Students need to recognize that it does not matter if you are short, skinny, green, or orange everyone can be anything they want to be. Students will state their dreams and how they are going to accomplish them; for no dream is too big to accomplish. Prior Knowledge: Students will have most likely heard others discuss their dreams. Most students will have heard the expression practice makes perfect. Students will know who Michael Jordan is and will know that he is one of the greatest basketball players to ever live.

Hook (5 minutes): Has anyone ever heard someone talk about their dreams? These dreams are not the dreams we see in our head when we sleep at night. These dreams are the wishes in our hearts. Maybe it is something you want to be when you grow up or something you want to get better in like reading or sports. Im going to read you a story today about a young boy whose dream is to play basketball. As I read I want you to think in your head who this story is about. I also want you to pay attention to the central message of the story. Can someone remind me what a central message is? Procedure :( 20 minutes) 1. The teacher will read Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan and Rosalyn M. Jordan. 2. The teacher will stop on page 2, Has anyone ever told you that you cant do something? Maybe because you are too tall or too small or too slow or.. Well I hope you know thats not true because you can do anything just the way you are lets read and find out... 3. The teacher will stop on page 6 and ask Do you think putting salt in his shoes will really make him taller? 4. The teacher will stop on page 10What does chasing a dream mean? Am I running after a dream I saw when I was sleeping. Michael had a dream about ice cream when he was sleeping. Do you think chasing a dream means he is running after a bowl of ice cream? I dont think so. Chasing a dream means working hard to make your wish come true. 5. The teacher will stop on page 11 and ask Raise your hand if you eat your vegetables!! Wow that is great. I am IMPRESSED. Keep eating your vegetables and you will grow up to be big and strong! 6. The teacher stops on page 19 and asks What does determination mean? Determination is when you work really hard at something and you never give up. Like when you get a math problem wrong, but you keep trying over and over again or when you practice basketball every day to get better and better. 7. The teacher will stop on page 20, What do you think is going to happen! 8. Last page, Who do you think Michael grew up to be? 9. The teacher will then ask the students what they believe the central message of the story is. Was it the salt that made him grow taller? If not, how did he become the greatest basketball player of all time? 10. The teacher will reinforce with the students that they can achieve their dreams by working hard and never giving up. 11. The students will then engage in a class Dream Ball activity. The students will go around in the circle stating My Dream is. And will hand the ball to the next person. The teacher will model it by first saying My dream is to be a teacher. Or maybe My dream is to be a better reader or my dream is to be a baseball player. 12. When the students have finished the Dream Ball activity they will return to their seats. 13. The teacher will hand out Sneaker worksheets where the students will write down My dream is. And then draw a picture of their dream.

Closure: (5 minutes) At the end of the lesson the teacher will ask the students to remind her about how they are going to make their dreams come true. The teacher will then come around with salt (glitter) and sprinkle it on each of their sneakers. The teacher will also bring around the class Dream Ball and each of the students will sign their names on the ball. The teacher will express to the students that signing their name on the Dream Ball means that they promise to never give up on their dreams. Materials: Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan and Rosalyn M. Jordan, glitter, basketball sneaker printouts, Dream Ball, sharpie marker, crayons, glue Classroom Management/ Transitions: Before the teacher begins the read aloud he/she will remind the students of the carpet rules. The students will begin on their assigned carpet spots for the read aloud. The students will remain on the carpet for the Dream Ball activity. They will return to their desks for the basketball sneaker activity. The teacher will dismiss the students back to their seats by stating anyone wearing orange can return back to their seats... and then anyone wearing blue return to their seats and so on. They will sit in their previously assigned mixed level groups. The teacher will utilize the whole brain learning strategies for managing the classroom including Hands and eyes, hands and eyes and Bring it back bring it back bring it back now. The teacher will hand out the basketball sneaker printouts to the students. The students will use the crayons they have in their desks. The teacher will hand out glue and scissors to students who do not have their own. Then he/she will walk around with the class Dream Ball while the students are working on their drawings/sentences. The teacher will also come around to the students to sprinkle glitter on the basketball sneaker printouts. Students who have finished early can quietly read a book at their desk. Questions: 1. Has anyone ever been told that they cant do something? 2. Do you think putting salt in his shoes will really make him taller? 3. What does chasing a dream mean? 4. Does anyone know what the word determination means? 5. What do you think is going to happen? 6. Who do you think Michael grew up to be? 7. Did the salt really make Michael taller? If not, how did he become the greatest basketball player of all time? 8. Now boys and girls tell me, how are we all going to achieve our dreams? 9. What is the central message of the story?

Individualization: The lower-leveled and ESL students will be given more guidance when writing their sentences. The prompt My Dream is will be written on the board along with examples. Early finishers can read silently at their desks.