Literacy Lesson - Women’s History Month
April 12, 2022
Literacy Practice Lesson Plan for Women’s History Month
March shines a light on women and honors their powerful and impressive history!
Classworks teachers have access to passages highlighting the accomplishments and impact of women in history! Here are three lessons you can use to celebrate in your classrooms (free for our beloved blog audience).
Here's an example of a five-day close reading breakdown:
Follow these easy steps to teach your students about Julia Child, one of the most influential chefs to make French cuisine widely accessible.
Each day, you will work towards answering the question, “What made Julia Child so successful with her cooking career?” By the end of the week, students will be able to answer, “Julia Child was so successful with her cooking career because she loved cooking and eating. She also believed it was okay to make mistakes but always to keep trying.”
Day 1: Introduce the Passage and the Culminating Task
Start by setting the stage of the week ahead. Introduce Julia Child as a famous chef, cookbook author, and even a TV star. Tell the students they will dive deeper into her life and how she went from being a secret agent to a beloved TV star. Explain that they'll be learning about her by reading a biography on her very closely. Each time you read, they'll be looking for something new to learn! Share with them that close readers are like detectives. 🔍 They put on their thinking caps and investigate the text closely to find clues to answer questions. Share the Classworks Close Reading Anchor Chart to let them know how to be a professional close reader!
Now you’re ready to read the passage aloud to your class without interruptions. Students should just be listening. Then, reread it and have students annotate the text to understand it better. Students first look for unfamiliar words and highlight them in blue. Expected answers are the Central Intelligence Agency, forever hooked, recipes, audience, and Culinary Institute. Allow for a short discussion to add context and definitions of identified words. Then, have the students read while annotating the text for items they think are important in yellow; this could be done independently or with pairs. Afterward, allow for a class discussion on the key details they chose and why.
Day 2: Close Reading: Who Was Julia Child?
The second day of the close reading will focus on the beginning of the passage, Julia Child’s early life history. Reread the first two sections of the passage aloud, "Julia the Child" and "Julia the Special Clerk". Ask students to answer and annotate the following questions with a think-pair-share.
Walk around and listen to students' answers to see if they understand how vital writing and food were to Julia. Have a couple of groups share with the class and discuss, so that all students gain understanding.
Day 3: Close Reading: Who Was Julia Child?
The third day will focus on Julia’s life after marriage, a turning point for her career. Read the sections "Julia the Chef" and "Julia the TV Star". Have students answer questions 1-4 and 6 of the text-dependent questions while annotating for text evidence. Have students identify their text evidence for each answer using yellow sticky notes. This part of dissecting should be completed in pairs.
Monitor student discussions and answers by walking around and engaging with students. Afterward, groups share their answers and why. Encourage students to connect her love of French cooking, writing, and her determination never to give up.
Day 4: Close Reading: Julia the Honored
On the fourth day of the close reading, begin the lesson by reflecting on what everyone has learned about Julia Child. Then, reread the final section of the passage. Students will then annotate with yellow sticky notes to find text evidence and answer questions 5 and 7. Again, this day should be completed in pairs, so students learn and engage in discussion with their peers, which helps them build confidence and learn from one another.
Day 5: Culminating Task
On the fifth day of class, students will answer the culminating task set at the beginning of the week. Allow students to use their annotated passage to write a paragraph answering the question “What made Julia Child so successful with her cooking career?” Each day, students have understood what made Julia Child so successful. Her passion and determination allowed her to thrive in the culinary world. Expected students' answers are:
Full mastery: Her passion and will to never give up with text evidence.
Half credit: Students answer with either their love of cooking or their will to never give up with text evidence.
How will you be honoring Women's History Month? Share your creative ideas with us on social media (we’re always looking for ways to gift you with swag and fun treats)!
Now that you can see the many meaningful ways to honor Women's History Month, we encourage you to make Classworks a valuable part of your school curriculum. For more information about our comprehensive program reach out to us at hello@classworks.com or chat with us on the bottom right of your screen!
