Unit Title: I Pledge Allegiance

Created by: Lanie Hesse

For Grade(s): 1-2
For ESL level(s): Intermediate
Title: I Pledge Allegiance
Year: 2014
ISBN: 978-0-307-93181-8

CHILDRENS BOOK
Author: Pat Mora & Libby Martinez
Publisher: Random House, Inc.

A. Language Arts TEKS:

1.4.A- Confirm predictions about what will happen next in text by "reading the part that tells".
1.4.C- Establish purpose for reading selected texts and monitor comprehension, making
corrections and adjustments when that understanding breaks down (e.g., identifying clues, using
background knowledge, generating questions, re-reading a portion aloud).
1.9.B- Describe characters in a story and the reasons for their actions and feelings.
2.9.B- Describe main characters in works of fiction, including their traits, motivations, and
feelings.
1.17.B. & 2.17.B- Develop drafts by sequencing ideas through writing sentences.
1.17.C & 2.17.C- Revise drafts by adding or deleting a word, phrase, or sentence.
1.17.E & 2.17.E- Publish and share writing with others.
2.22.A- Write legibly leaving appropriate margins for readability.
1.25.A & 2.25.A- Gather evidence from available sources (natural and personal) as well as from
interviews with local experts.
1.25.C & 2.25.C- Record basic information in simple visual formats (e.g., notes, charts, picture
graphs, diagrams).
B. OBJECTIVES:
1. The students will be able to listen attentively and respond appropriately to the story.
2. The students will be able to make appropriate connections to the story.
3. The students will be able to make predictions based on the pictures and title of the book.
4. The students will be able to research the pledge and analyze the data their group found.
5. The students will be able to create a poster showing their data that they collected
6. The students will be able to work in groups appropriately.
7. The students will be able to use proper grammar and sentence structure while writing their
papers.
8. The students will show an understanding of citizenship through their papers.
C. MATERIALS:
-Chart Stand
-Map of North America
-Poster of The Pledge of Allegiance
-Computers or computer lab that has access to the internet
-Butch paper (enough sheets for 6 groups)
-Markers, Crayons, Map Pencils

-References students use for research:

www.kidrex.org
www.kidzsearch.com
D. UNIT SUMMARY
Stage
Into
Through
Beyond

Strategies

Making Connections
Predicting
Providing Background Knowledge
N/A
Making More Connections Throughout
Checking Comprehension
Understanding The Pledge
Their Own Views Through Writing
N/A

Activities
Pre-Questioning
Book Walk
Lecture
Dramatic Reading
Questions throughout
Comprehension Questions
Research Activity
Citizenship Paper
Summarization

E. PROCEDURES:
1. Pre-questions:
Have students gather around with a partner on the rug. Before introducing the book ask these
question to access any background knowledge they have about The Pledge of Allegiance
and being a citizen of the United States
-We recite the pledge every morning, what does The Pledge of Allegiance mean to you?
-Has anybody ever wondered why the pledge is so important to our country? Why?
-What does being a citizen mean to you? Explain what citizen means for students to better
understand the question.
Ask questions one at a time and allow partners to discuss with each other about each
question in between. Allow some students to discuss what they discussed in their group
with the rest of the class (make sure you pick different students each time).
2. Book Prediction:
-Introduce the book by first showing the cover of the book and reading the title, the authors, and
the illustrator.
-Tell the students we are going to go on a book walk before we read the story Go page by page
and let students look at the pictures and point out key words that they may need to look out for
while reading.
-Let students point out specific things going on in the pictures.
-Allow students to make predictions on what they think the book is about and what is going to
happen.
3. Building Background Knowledge (A Little Lecture):
-Explain that the Great-Aunt in the story is from Mexico, a country that borders with the United
States (show a map of North America to show exactly where Mexico is in relation to the United
States).
-Explain that anybody from another country, who wants to come and live in the United States,
has to become a citizen before they can stay, which is what is happening in this book.

4. Dramatic Reading:
-When the story gets to the parts where the class recites the pledge have students help you recite
it. Tell students you will hold out your hand to signal there help (show them your signal before
reading). Pledge is recited on pages: 8, 14, and 24. The pledge is recited everyday so students
should already know it, but just in case have a poster nearby in case some students need to look
at it for help.
-Start reading the book and make sure you ask questions throughout.
Questions:
p. 4: Have you ever wanted to succeed in something so bad that you practice all the time so
that you wouldnt make any mistakes? (ask students to name a time)
p. 11: Can anyone name a time that they were really nervous about something? (speaking in
front of the class, taking a test, meeting somebody new, starting a new school; just to name a
few)
p. 16: Which words do you like the most in the pledge? What do they mean to you? Allow a
moment for the students to look at the pledge on the poster. We will discuss this a little more
after the story
p. 26: When you succeeded on the thing you practiced over and over again, how did you
feel? Did you feel like Libby did? (referring back to the first question asked while reading (p.
4))
-If in other questions pop up while reading, feel free to ask. Just dont ask too many questions to
ruin the story.
-Questions for after reading:
Why was becoming a citizen for Lobo so important to her?
Why do you think Libby wanted to help her Lobo practice the pledge?
How did Libby feel when she had to recite the pledge in front of the whole class? Would you
have felt the same way? What if you made a mistake?
5. Research Activity:
-First start off by talking with the class about The Pledge of Allegiance and that it is very
important to our country and important that every citizen knows it (which is why Lobo had to
recite it in the story).
-Im not going to give the students details on why it is important, they are going to discover this
through their research in a group.
-Students will be divided into groups of 4 (24 students=6 groups) and given a computer in each
group and a large piece of butcher paper.
If there is not access to individual computers then the computer lab will work.
-Once students have all of their supplies they may begin researching.
-The topic is why is The Pledge of Allegiance so important to the United States and why do
citizens need to know the pledge?
Search engines for students to use: (there are several articles on here that children can pull
information from.)
www.kidrex.org
www.kidzsearch.com
-Students will be able to put down whatever information they feel is important for this topic on
the butcher paper. They can present the information anyway they would like (i.e. Making a list,
drawing pictures that represents the information (as long as they can explain it), or even make a
web with The Pledge of Allegiance in the middle.
-The whole time the students are working the teacher is walking around working as a facilitator.

6. Presentation of the Research:

-Once all of the groups have an adequate amount of research (depending on the engagement this
assignment could go on for more than one day) then bring the class back together on the floor.
-Each group will get a chance to come up in front of the class and hang their poster up on the
poster holder for all to see and take turns telling everyone what their research led to.
-After each group presents discuss what the similarities and differences of each presentation was.
-Posters can then be hung in the hall for all to see.
7. Writing on Citizenship:
-After students do the research and present to get an idea on the pledge have students go to their
tables and individually write in their journals Why being a citizen of the United States is
important to them?
-Have students make sure they wrote in the journal without mistakes and make corrections when
necessary.
-Allow a few students to share their thoughts.
8. Closing:
-Ask students to tell you one thing they learned before moving on to the next unit.
-Summarize what we learned during this lesson. The Pledge of Allegiance is very important to
our country and becoming a citizen is just as important (name off a few ideas the students came
up with during research)
-Have students stand really tall and place right hand over heart and recite The Pledge of
Allegiance one last time that day to end the unit.

F. ASSESSMENT:
The number on the assessments corresponds to the number on the objectives.
1. Are students responding well to the text? Are they asking questions? Are they answering the
questions Im asking?
2. Do my students know what the pledge is? Do they look confused when Im asking about the
pledge or the meaning of citizenship?
3. Are my students making up appropriate predictions or are they off the wall answers?
4. & 5. I will create a rubric on how well students work together on the project, neatness of the
poster, appropriate information, how well they research, and how well they stay on topic.
6. Are my students listening to each other in their groups? Are they doing more talking (not about
topic) or working to find the information they need?
7. & 8. I will use a rubric for this as well. Is there proof that they went through and edited?
Do they show neatness? Even though this is more of an opinionated paper do they still show a
clear understand of what citizenship means?