Southwest Children's Literature

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My Nana's Remedies/Los remedios de mi nana

In the classroom/library:

Introduction
GRADE LEVEL: 1st
SUBJECTS: Language Arts, Fine Arts
OVERVIEW: Students will learn about cultural traditions by hearing a story from a picture book and discussing personal connections with the story related to healing and/or sicknesses. This lesson may introduce students to a variety of traditions that may be different from what they are used to. PURPOSE: For children to understand the concept of thoughtfulness and taking care of loved ones while they are sick, and for children to take action by writing and illustrating get well cards.

Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Identify the characters of the book.
2. Describe some remedies that are used in the book and in their own homes.
3. Create a get well card for a family member or a friend.

Standards
Language Arts

Standard 1: Listening and Speaking
oUse effective vocabulary and logical organization to relate or summarize ideas, events and other information. (LS-F1)
oGive and follow multiple-step directions. (LS-F2)
Strand 1: Reading Processes
Concept 6: Comprehension Strategies Understanding the meaning embedded in text is the fundamental reason for reading.
PO 2. Relate information and events in a reading selection to life experience and life experiences to the text.
Strand 3: Writing Applications
Concept 3: Functional
PO 1. Write a variety of functional text (e.g., classroom rules, letters, experiments, recipes, notes/messages, labels, directions, posters, graphs/tables). (See 1-R3-C2; 1-M2-C1)
Fine Arts
Standard 1: Creating Art
oSelect and use subjects, themes and symbols in works of art. (AV1-F1)
PO 2. use themes in a work of art.

Resources
Children's Book: My Nana's Remedies/Los remedios de mi nana by Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford, illustrated by Edna San Miguel.
Get Well Card Examples
Poster Board

Materials
Construction Paper, Writing Materials (crayons, markers), Foam Stickers, Envelopes

Process
1. Introductory Set

Who takes care of you when you're sick? Is there anything special that they do for you to make you feel better? Read the book and ask questions about the characters. Show actual get well cards to the children.

2. Objectives/Purpose
-Students will describe some remedies that are used in their own homes.
-Students will identify the characters and some remedies used in the story.
-Students will create a get-well card for a family member or a friend.

3. Input
a. Talk about get well cards, who will they be for and how to make them.

4. Modeling
Make a web on poster board about what types of sicknesses people have. Make a poster of what types of pictures you could put on a card to show a person you care or that might make someone feel better. On another poster write some sample messages of what could go on the inside/outside of the cards. Show a sample get-well card that I made, before sending them back to their seats to begin on their own cards.

5. Check for Understanding
Check to see if the children are following directions on how to make the card.

6. Guided Practice
The teacher will monitor the card making to ensure that the students understand the task. She will engage the students in conversations about their cards and invite them to read their get-well messages.

7. Independent Practice
None.

8. Closure
Ask to whom the children going to give their cards. Explain the thoughtfulness of giving cards. Have students read the card to the person next to them, then switch and have the other person read his/her card.

Assessment
The responses of the children from the book discussion demonstrate understanding, then applying the knowledge to create their own cards.

Extensions/Modifications
Students can read or the teacher read other books related to grandmothers teaching their grandchildren important life lessons like: Abuelita's Heart by Amy Córdova. The students can then make connections between the two stories.

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