Nicole Moorman

ELD307:Lesson Plan 1
Stellaluna Interactive Read Aloud
Grade level: 1st grade
Rationale: The overall purpose that I want to portray to the students by
reading Stellaluna to them would be to understand the difference
between a bat and a bird. This lesson is important because the two
types of birds are very similar, and the students might not have clarity
as to what makes each bird different. The overall goal by the end of the
lesson will be that students will be able to tell me the characteristics of
a bat and the characteristics of a bird.
Objective:
SWBAT: understand that difference between bats and birds.
SWBAT: know the different characteristics that a bat has and
that birds have.
Materials:
Stellaluna story book
Standards:
CCSS.RL.1.1: Ask and answer questions about key details
in a text.
Throughout the story, I will ask the students various questions
about the text and illustrations to keep them engaged. For
example, the first question I might ask them is what kind of
animal Stellaluna is. I could ask them if they know about the
different lifestyle that bats live, such as sleeping upside down, or
being able to see at nighttime.

CCSS.RL.1.9: Compare and contrast the adventures and

experiences of characters in stories.
I would compare and contrast the different lifestyles of the birds
and the bats. There are significant differences between the way
the two animals live and I will explain that to my students
through the experiences that Stellaluna and the three birds
encounter in the story.

Procedures:
1. Anticipatory Set: Teacher will begin by asking her students what
they already know about birds. Can anyone tell me what they
already know about birds? She will start a list on the white

2.

3.
4.
5.

board of all the knowledge that the students have about birds.
After she has a good list on the board, she will then hold up the
Stellaluna story book. Today boys and girls, we will be reading
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon. Is this a picture of a bird? (points to
picture of bat on the front cover). What is going to be important
to emphasize to the students is that there are different types of
birds. This boys and girls is an animal called a bat. Can
everyone say bat with me? (have students repeat the word bat).
They live a life that is very similar to a bird, but there are some
key differences that I want you boys and girls to try and point out
as I read the story.
I will ask them questions to keep them engaged throughout the
entire story, and also emphasize my goal. An example of some
questions that I will ask the students are, How is Stellaluna
sleeping? Do birds sleep like this? I will point out how the Mama
bird scowls Stellaluna for teaching her babies a different way to
live. I will emphasize the page in the book where the bat comes
up to Stellaluna and points out the way the birds have been
telling her to live is right for a bird, but wrong for a bat. Another
page in the book has Stellaluna with fellow bats and the bats are
questioning the activities that Stelluna has been partaking in
since living with the birds. I will ask the students many questions
from this page like, When do bats sleep? Bats dont eat bugs?
What do bats eat then?
After the story, I will draw a line next to the chart I started with
what the students know about birds. I will then ask the students
to tell me what they learned about bats.
I will keep the chart on the white board for the students, but I will
give them an assignment to complete on their own for
independent application.
The students will have to complete a Venn diagram. The goal will
be for students to write what is different about birds and bats on
the outside circles and for what is the same inside the inner
circle.

Assessment: I will assess my students by mainly using teacher

observation. I will be asking them engaging questions, and I will judge
based off of their responses to my questions if they are meeting the
objectives that I have for my lesson. I will also assess my students by
the knowledge they give me to write on the white board. They will also
have to turn in their Venn diagrams, so I can evaluate how well they
grasped the concept and if they completed my goal.
Differentiation:

I will differentiate my read aloud by the volume and speed of how

I read the text.
I will also allow enough time for students to answer the questions
that I ask.
I will let students turn and talk to one another if they truly do not
know the answer to a question that I might ask.
I will also allow for quiet discussion amongst one another during
independent application.

Future Connections:
By reading this story, I can connect this with a lesson about birds
in science.
After reading this story, my students will be able to know the
different characteristics of a bat and of a bird.
They will be able to apply what they learned about birds and bats
into real-life situations.
They will also get a better understanding that every individual is
different, but that is acceptable and we need to accept everyone
for the way that they are.