Island to Island Lesson Plan K-5

The following lesson plan is aligned with the Illinois State Board of Education Social Emotional
Learning Standards, however it can be adapted to all classrooms in all states. SEL standards
are being used as a guiding reference.1
*modify lesson plan to grade level as needed

Objective:
Students will be able to...
Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships
a. Recognize the feelings and perspectives of others
b. Recognize individual and group similarities and differences
c. Use communication and social skills to interact effectively with others
d. Demonstrate an ability to prevent, manage, and resolve interpersonal conflicts in
constructive ways

Launch (20 minutes):

Teacher Action:
● Journal Prompt (10 minutes): ​“ Can you recall a time where you felt left out or
excluded? Was it someone in particular, or was it a group of people? How did you feel?
What do you wish you could have said to the other person about how you felt ”
○ Learning Standard A: Recognize the feelings and perspectives of others
● Classroom Agreements (5 minutes): ​Before students pair up to share their
experiences, go over classroom rules, guidelines, and expectations in order to create a
brace/ safe space.
○ Examples:
■ Use “I” Statements (Don’t generalize your experience as everyone’s lived
experience)
■ Fully Engage
■ Honor Multiple Perspectives
■ Vegas Rule “ What is said here stays here, what is learned here leaves
here”
■ Take Space, Make Space ( Be mindful of how much you are contributing)
■ One Mic, One Star ( Listen to what one another has to say, don’t talk over
each other)
■ Don’t Yuck my Yum ( We all have different preferences, don’t make
someone feel bad, because they do not align with your own)
■ No Assumptions
■ Lean into Discomfort
● Student Think Pair Share (5 minutes)
Student Action:

1
​Illinois
State Board of Education: Social Emotional Learning Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Social-Emotional-Learning-Standards.aspx
 ● Students will write their journal entry independently. ( Depending on the grade level,
students can opt to have illustrations correspond with their journal entry or just have
illustrations)
● When all students are done writing, have them think,pair, share their experiences with
one another.

Explore (15 minutes):

Teacher Action:
● Read Book out loud​- Island to Island (15 minutes):
○ Higher grade levels can have students independently read, or project and
popcorn read.
Student Action:
● Student’s listen attentively to the story being told.

Reinforce Key Ideas (20 minutes):

Teacher Action:
● Summary Question/ Partner share
(5 minutes):
○ Lower grades: “ What was
your favorite part of the story,
and why?”
○ Upper grades: “ What do you
think the lesson of the story
was, and why?”
● Whole Class Activity (15 minutes):
Venn Diagram: Compare and
Contrast
○ Lower grades: ​Venn
Diagram: Compare and
Contrast- How Mau was
feeling v.s. How Kimo was feeling before and after the interaction
■ Learning Standard B: Recognize individual and group similarities and
differences
○ Upper grades:​ Living in the Marshall Islands and Living in Hawai’i (upper grades
■ ( book details, and you can utilize the Republic of Micronesia and U.S.
page on moreaboutmau.weebly.com)

Student Action:
● Students answer question provided
● Students participate in the venn diagram compare and contrast.

Scaffolded practice (15 minutes):

Teacher Action (15 minutes):
 ● Timeline: ​How does Mau’s feelings change over the course of the book, and what
makes them change? ( Small group activity)
○ Upper grade: Small Group; Lower grade: Whole Class
○ Learning Standard A: Recognize the feelings and perspectives of others
Student Action: ​Timeline Activity

Independent Practice (25 minutes):

Teacher Action:
● Writing Prompt: (15 minutes)
Pick a Scene: ​Basketball courts ​or ​Beach

Beach:​“ Pick a character Mau or Kimo, if you were at the beach what would you say to
the other person” Students can create an alternative ending.
OR
Basketball Court:​ “ If you were Mau and his group of friends, what would you say to the
other students who were saying mean things to you?”

● Lower Grade may skip this section or substitute with another activity.
● Role play writing prompt (10 minutes)

Student Action:
● Students will write to the prompt, and then pick a partner to role play with.
○ Learning Standard C: U ​ se communication and social skills to interact effectively
with others
○ Learning Standard D: Demonstrate an ability to prevent, manage, and resolve
interpersonal conflicts in constructive ways.
 Lesson Closing (10 minutes):
Teacher Action:
● In the end, Mau and Kimo bonded over their love for the beach and food.
○ Can you describe a time where you and your friend got into a fight, and how did
you overcome it?

Student Action:
● Think Pair Share
● Whole group Discussion
○ Write down on the board strategies students used to overcome hard situations.
■ Learning Standard D: Demonstrate an ability to prevent, manage, and
resolve interpersonal conflicts in constructive ways.

Rubric: