A Change In The Way We Think
Unit Overview
Day 1
Lesson Point of View – Guided
Reading Lesson
1. After participating in a guided
Objective(s) reading lesson, two groups of
students will be able to demonstrate
their understanding of points of
view by completing either the
animal written activity or wolf
debate.
2. Students will demonstrate their
comprehension of points of view by
recording a video describing what
they believe the story “Flotsam” is
about.
3. Students will improve their
understanding of reading concepts
and comprehension by using IXL
and the Star Rating slips.
Standards 2.RL.3.2 Acknowledge differences
in the points of view of characters
and identify dialogue as words
spoken by characters, usually
enclosed in quotation marks.
2.RL.4.1 Use information gained
from the illustrations and words in
a print or digital text to demonstrate
understanding of its characters,
setting, or plot.
Materials Overhead to watch video
(https://youtu.be/Mx41SPM
LBMg), markers,
whiteboard, IPads, Books
2 copies of each: “The
Trues Story of the 3 Little
Pigs!”, “The Three Little
Pigs”, “They All Saw A
Cat” & “Duck! Rabbit!”,
Lined Paper, Post-It Notes,
5 copies of the Star Rating
sheet, one copy of each
direction page, tape, and
writing utensils
Body/activities  Guided Reading
Lesson #1 – look at
Pete the cat from
different angles, then
read “They All Saw
A Cat!’ and answer
questions about
point of view
represented in the
book, and then
Name: Alex Swink
Day 2
Construct and Assess Objects
– Science Lesson 1
1. After designing two boats of
differing materials (straws and
aluminum foil), students will
discover which boat will keep more
coins afloat by completing a
recording sheet and analyzing the
information during the closing
activity.
K-2.E.3 Analyze data from the
investigation of two objects
constructed to solve the same
problem to compare the strengths and
weaknesses of how each performs.
Tin foil, straws, painter’s tape,
plastic wrap, scissors, change
(pennies, nickels, dimes, etc.),
seven bins/buckets, water,
towel, 21 recording sheets,
and overhead for a
picture/beach sounds
(https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=AKV5J5e9GX8).
 Write the science
inquiry question on the
whiteboard: How can I
design a boat made of
straws and tin foil to
hold the most
treasure?
 Explain why the
design of a boat
matters when holding
Day 3
Adding Three Addends – Math
Lesson
1. Students will understand how to add
three addends by completing a puzzle
activity with their table clusters
following the PowerPoint presentation.
2. Students will demonstrate their
understanding of adding three addends
by creating their own addend puzzles
that include the solution and three
addends.
2.CA.1 Add and subtract fluently
within 100
Whiteboard, whiteboard
markers, PowerPoint
presentation, projector, 7
“Addend Puzzles”, 22
individual work “Create Your
Own Addend Puzzle”, 22 copies
of workbook pages 182 and 183
 PowerPoint – teach
students the definition of
“addends” with
examples. Ask students
to help solve a couple
and explain how they
got the answer.
 Also in the PowerPoint
students will learn tricks
about how to solve
 A Change In The Way We Think
describe how an
animal from the  Students will make a
book saw the cat to
further promote
understanding of
point of view.  Work in groups of
 Guided Reading
Lesson #2 – play a
game of thumb’s up
or thumb’s down in
satisfaction of a  After studetns design
certain word or
phrase, then partner
read “The True Story
of the 3 Little Pigs!”,
answer questions
about point of view
represented in the
book, then debate on
whether or not the
wolf was actually a
good or bad guy  Write a sentence on
 Book exploration
station – students
will read and rate
books at their level
of reading
 “Flotsam” Response
activity – students
will watch a video
version of “Flotsam”
and record
themselves
explaining what they
thought the book
was about.
 IPad – students will
work on IXL
Assessments  GR Lesson 1 –  Formative: I will be
Formative: take on
perspective of
certain animal from
the book and
describe interaction
they had with a cat
by taking on the
perspective of he
animal they chose
 GR Lesson 2 –  Formative: I will
Formative: the
students will debate
whether the wolf in
“The True Story of
the 3 Little Pigs!” is
misunderstood or
actually a villain. I
will give the students
a side to take, and
will assess their
comprehension over
points of view by
how they argue their
case/use examples
from the text.
 “Flotsam” –
Formative: assess
Name: Alex Swink
onto materials. multiple addends,
including: doubles,
hypothesis before adding to ten, and that
completing the the order of solving does
experiment. not matter.
three to design a boat
made of straws and a
boat made of tin foil to
hold the most treasure.
their boats they will
draw a picture of their
design in the
designated spot, make
a prediction of how
many coins will fit on
the boat, and then
count how many
actually did stay on the
boat.
why their hypothesis
was right/wrong. Then
answer “Which boat
held more coins? Why
do you think that boat
held more?” Looking
for answers about
design.
 Formative: I will
able to assess the informally assess
students through the students on their ability
completion of their to compute adding three
recording sheets. I will addends while they work
see the designs they on solving the “Addend
made and check to see
Puzzles” in their table
if they understood the
clusters.
process and the
 Formative: more
experiment they
formal, but I will be able
participated in.
to see if students
formatively assess the understood the topic
students by having individually after
them graph their collecting and analyzing
results during the their completed “Create
closure and analyzing Your Own ‘Addend
the data it shows. Puzzle’” worksheet.
 Formative: During the
closure I will ask
students to hold up
fingers of missing
number in a fill in the
blank addend problem. I
will be able to scan the
room at the numbers of
fingers students hold up
to see if they truly
 A Change In The Way We Think Name: Alex Swink
whether the students understand.
are able to
communicate what
the story was about
using the
illustrations.
 IXL and Star Rating
slips – Formative:
aid in improvement
of reading
skills/comprehension

Safety N/A  Discuss the proper  Students may move

usage of the materials
presented before the
students.
 Tell students to keep
the coins, straws, tin
foil, and saran wrap
away from their faces,
mouths, and noses.
around during the puzzle
activity, so I will make
sure to tell them to
watch where they are
walking or sitting during
this activity.

Day 4 Day 5

Lesson Writing a Friendly Letter – Writing Lesson Combining Solids and Liquids - Science Lesson
2

Objective(s) 1. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the
components (beginning or greeting, middle, and end –
“love, sincerely, etc.”) of a friendly letter by
composing a letter to the students of Mrs. Arnold’s
second grade class.
1. Students will initially distinguish the difference
between solids and liquids while reading through “Solid
or Liquid?” and coming up with their own examples.
2. After combining solids and liquids, students will be
able to find out what happens when they are combined,
i.e. “mix” (dissolve), “soak up” (absorb), “float”, and
“sink”.

Standards 2.W.3.3 Develop topics for friendly letters, 2.PS.2 Predict the result of combining solids
stories, poems, and other narrative and liquids in pairs. Mix, observe, gather,
purposes that: record, and discuss evidence of whether the
result may have different properties than the
a. Include a beginning original materials.
b. Use temporal words to signal
event order (e.g., first of all).
c. Provide details to describe
actions, thoughts, and feelings
d. Provide an ending.

Materials “A Letter to Amy” by Ezra Jack Keats, letter I
have received, lined paper, writing utensils,
whiteboard and whiteboard markers.
21 copies of the book “Solid or Liquid?
(Science Readers: Content and Literacy)”,
whiteboard, whiteboard markers, cotton balls,
water, oil, food coloring, confetti, eyedroppers
(one per partnership), tissue, sugar cubes, four,
21 “Results Table” sheets, and clear plastic
cups.

Body/activities  First analyze the letter sent in “A Letter  Read through “Solid or Liquid?” to
to Amy” by Ezra Jack Keats identify the difference between the two,
 Students will help me form a letter to then come up with examples of solids
A Change In The Way We Think
Mrs. Cunningham so that I can model
the elements of a friendly letter.
 Students will write a friendly letter to a
peer in another second grade classroom.
They will have examples of things they
can include in their letters from the
examples we came up with on the
whiteboard.
 Students will share what they wrote in
partners and then a couple of students
will share to the whole class.
Assessments  Formative: check student understanding
of how to write a friendly letter by
requiring students to compose a letter to
students in another second grade
classroom.
- I will look over drafts and give
students suggestions on how to
edit their drafts
 Formal Assessment: in the future I
could have students complete a mini-
multiple choice assessment where they
would have to select the answers that
appropriately reflect the elements of a
friendly letter.
Safety N/A
Name: Alex Swink
and liquids
 PowerPoint Presentation on the
differences between solids and liquids,
and possible results of combining the
two, i.e. absorption, dissolving, floating,
and sinking
 Students will then experiment with
mixing solids and liquids with the given
materials with a partner.
 Students will record their findings on a
“Results Table” sheet that includes
predictions, results, and writing down
the materials used.
 Students will share what happened when
they combined solids and liquids to the
class.
 Formative: check student understanding
through the examples they give of solids
and liquids after they read “Solid or
Liquid?”.
 Formative: Assess comprehension
through the completion of the “Results
Table” sheets. I will be able to check
their understanding of the experiment
they participated in.
 Formative: I will formatively assess the
students by having them explain some of
the combinations during the closure.
 Explain to students that they must not
put any of the materials in their mouths.
 Explain to students how to properly use
the materials and tools including
eyedroppers.
 Pour any liquids that students should not
touch.