Social-Emotional Learning Lesson Plan

Intern name Lindsey Pearlstein

C.T. Name and Ms. Ayala
Grade Level Kindergarten
Subject/Unit Similarities vs. Differences
Notes/Comments: Last class, we read a book called What I Like About Me! by Allia Nolan. I thought this
lesson could be a good follow-up activity to reading the book.

Lesson title Comparing and Contrasting

Brief description
What do the students do in this lesson?
Big Ideas
What central ideas or fundamental
principles are the focus of this lesson?
Objectives
What specific knowledge and/or skills
do you want the students to learn,
practice, or experience as a result of
participation in this lesson?
TEKS/PreK Guidelines addressed
Students will learn about comparing and contrasting. They will begin
with household objects and translate this concept to themselves and
talk about how people are alike and different.
Similarities and differences.
The objective is to learn that all people are individuals and our
differences make us unique, but at the same time, we have many
similarities that make us human. Our similarities can build
relationships, but our differences make us special.
TEK K.11 Culture. The student understands similarities and
differences among people.

Materials needed
List all of the materials needed to teach
this lesson. Be as detailed as possible.
(Include any additional materials
needed for differentiated instruction
accommodations listed below.)
Preparation and set-up
Describe how the materials should be
prepared, set up, and organized. Be as
detailed as possible.
Clipboards, pencils, magnifying glasses, enough pieces of blank paper
for each student in the class, plastic knife and plastic fork for
demonstration, chart paper, (optional) whiteboard at the front of the
classroom.
Objects on the carpet: two different colored rocks, pen, pencil,
marker, crayon, empty water bottle, empty soda can, cotton ball,
tissue, Band-Aid, gauze, popsicle stick.
Each student should be given a clipboard with a piece of paper,
pencil, and a magnifying glass. Plastic knife and plastic fork should
be at the front of the classroom for the demonstration, next to the
teachers seat and the chart paper. The objects listed above should be
laid out on the carpet. Students should be in a circle around the carpet.
Procedure
Describe exactly what the teacher and the students do in the lesson. Be specific.

Teacher brings the students to the carpet and sits them down around it in a circle, each in front of a
clipboard with a piece of paper, pencil, and a magnifying glass. Teacher begins the conversation by
asking a student to raise his or her hand and tell her if they can summarize the book the class read
yesterday.
After the student raises their hand to tell her, she reiterates, repeating what the student said, about how
the book was about what makes us unique, our differences.
Teacher tells students that comparing means looking for similarities and contrasting means looking for
differences. As the teacher says this, he or she writes it on the whiteboard in front of the students. If the
classroom does not have a whiteboard, the teacher can write on chart paper.
Teacher reiterates this message, by demonstrating with a plastic knife and fork from the cafeteria.
Teacher asks, Can anyone tell me what some of the similarities between this fork and knife are? How
are they alike? Afterwards, the teacher asks, What about the differences? How are they different?
Anticipated responses may include: both are plastic, both are used during meals to eat, or, they are
different because one cuts and one picks up food.
Teacher uses the chart paper to create two columns, titled, Alike and Different. He or she records,
Knife and fork are both plastic and Both are used to eat in the alike column. Teacher adds, Knife is
used to cut and Fork is used to pick up food in the different column.
Teacher gives instructions on the activity. Students are supposed to look at the various items on the
carpet and write or draw about how they are alike and different. They will each draw the chart on their
own piece of paper attached to the clipboard to compare. Suggest they note not only how the objects
look and feel, but also how they are used.
Give students ten minutes to compare and contrast the objects. They can look at them using their
magnifying glasses or touch them to feel the differences. Encourage students to talk to other students
while investigating to compare and contrast their answers! They should record on their paper charts.
After ten minutes, send students to their table groups to discuss what they found and compare and
contrast their charts. This should take 5-7 minutes. While the students do this, the teacher should take
the objects and put them in the front of the classroom and off the carpet.
After 5-7 minutes, have one student be the reporter and report their tables findings. The teacher will
record these findings on the chart paper and discuss any similarities or differences that could be
problematic.
After the chart is filled in, bring the students back to sit in their normal spots on the carpet. Have a final
discussion about what similarities and differences are and how that is okay. Have students raise their
hands to talk about the benefits of similarities and differences and how they relate to us as people.

Evaluation
How will you know that students met
the lesson objectives?
Students will prove they have met the lesson objectives through the
reporting phase of the activity by reporting back what their group
talked about. Additionally, the final discussion will bridge the activity
back to talking about human beings and how we are alike and
different. Students will prove they understand this and its benefits
when they raise their hands to discuss with the class.

Differentiation Plans
How will you modify the lesson meet the needs of students working above and below grade level?
How will you make sure these students connect with the lessons Big Ideas in a meaningful, appropriate way?
Objectives: Ss above grade level The objectives for students working above grade level will be that
How will you modify the lessons they will learn that everyone is an individual, like we saw in the book.
objectives to meet the needs of students They will be able to translate the ideas learned with the objects to the
working above grade level? people around us to show that differences are not just alright, but
actually make us all unique and help the world as a whole. They will
expand their knowledge and discuss what it would be like if we were

Procedures: Ss above grade level
How will you modify the lessons
procedures to meet the needs of
students working above grade level?
Evaluation: Ss above grade level
How will you know that above-level
students met their modified objectives?
Objectives: Ss below grade level
How will you modify the lessons
objectives to meet the needs of students
working below grade level?
Procedures: Ss below grade level
How will you modify the lessons
procedures to meet the needs of
students working below grade level?
Evaluation: Ss below grade level
How will you know that below-level
students met their modified objectives?
all the same.
Students who are above grade level will be encouraged to observe
more deeply, looking for less commonly found similarities and
differences. Ask them to try to think of things that no one else will
have. Encourage them to write down words, instead of drawing
pictures.
Students who are above grade level will be encouraged to take more
initiative, by leading the discussion and asking their other classmates
what they think at each of the table discussions. The teacher will
know that they meet the objectives because they will be the ones
reporting out.
The objectives for students working below grade level will be that
they will learn that everyone is an individual, like we saw in the book.
They will be able to translate the ideas learned with the objects to the
people around us to show that differences are perfectly alright.
During the investigation stage, students are encouraged to use the
charts to write down their observations. Students that cannot yet write
or do not feel comfortable writing can draw pictures of their
observations in each column instead.
I would encourage every student to participate during the group
discussions at the tables. This would create a less pressuring space for
students to talk since they are in small groups and can show what they
know this way. They would not have to be the reporters if they did not
want to be because there would only be one reporter at each table.
The teacher will walk around monitoring the conversations to check
for understanding.