Exploring Who We Are Teacher's Manual (Grades K-1)

In this unit, students explore the idea of growing up by reading and discussing three texts: Geraldine's Blanket by Holly Keller, Owen by Kevin Henkes, and Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats. Students are supported to engage in text discussions to develop their comprehension of the texts and the topic of growing. Students are supported to use vocabulary to describe the strong feelings that can accompany growing up. 

• Three literary texts
• 4-6 weeks instruction
• Explanation writing

Materials include Teacher's Manual only.

What is this unit about?

This unit is designed to help children think and talk about the ways they are growing and developing. As a result of their discussions about the lesson texts, students will think about things that they can do that babies and younger children are not yet able to do.

In the course of this unit, students will engage in discussions about three texts. These three lesson texts intend to extend children’s thinking about tasks that are part of growing up. Discussing the tasks these characters face will help children identify, talk about, and learn vocabulary to describe the strong feelings that can accompany growing up.

In Geraldine’s Blanket and Owen, both characters are still very attached to their blankets and are being encouraged to give them up by adults who think they are too old for such behavior. Many young children maintain an attachment to favorite objects from their infancy, such as pacifiers, certain stuffed animals, or a special shirt, and find it hard to let them go. Both of these texts tackle this developmental issue and demonstrate ways that young children can keep their special object in an age-appropriate way.

Peter’s Chair helps young children confront the reality that there are some things they just have to let go as they grow. Cribs, high chairs, cradles, and small chairs, like Peter’s, are no longer needed by older children (and they no longer fit in some of them, as Peter discovers). This text presents a more nuanced task of development, recognizing the sad feelings of letting go, along with the proud feelings of growing up.

What content will students learn?

Students will expand their knowledge base about:

• how to construct a coherent understanding of the story.
• how to sequence events (beginning, middle, and end).
• how events and characters relate to one another with respect to the story problem and how it is resolved.
• how to recognize the issues young children face when having to make changes as they grow up and the feelings that come along with those changes.