New Year, New You! Lesson Plan

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Academic Standards

 

Reading Objective:

Children will discuss steps to making a New Year’s resolution and develop their own.

 

SEL Focus:

self-awareness, self-management

 

Social Studies Focus:

traditions 

 

ELA Skills:

key details, vocabulary, writing, capitalization

 

Page 4 Skill:

read a graph

 

Vocabulary:

resolution, stamina

 

CCSS:

SL.2.3, RI.2.1, RI.2.4, RI.2.10, L.2.1, L.2.2

 

Guided Reading Level: 

K

 

Lexile Level:

530L

Download TEKS Standards
Download Common Core Standards

Provide students with some background on New Year’s traditions.

Build background knowledge (10 min.)

Watch our video “Happy New Year!” After children have finished watching the video, discuss the following question:

  • What New Year’s tradition looks most fun to you?

Preview vocabulary (3 min.)

Next, play the online vocabulary slideshow. This issue’s featured words are resolution and stamina.

Set a purpose for reading (5 min.)

  • Pass out the issue and discuss the cover. Have children ever made a resolution before?
  • Next, read the As You Read prompt on page 2: “Think about a resolution you could make.” Encourage children to think about this prompt as they read.

Read together (20 min.)

Pass out the Read and Think printable. Use it to check comprehension as you read the issue together, pausing to ask the questions. 

Assessment: Reading Quiz

Pass out the Reading Quiz to review key concepts from the issue and assess students’ proficiency on key nonfiction reading skills.

  • In the “Happy New Year” game, children practice capitalization skills. With each round, they get to see beautiful fireworks go off in different cities around the world!

You can use our printable worksheets to focus on important ELA skills. Here’s how.

ELA Focus: Vocabulary (15 min.)

  • Use the Word Work printable to deepen students’ understanding of the words resolution and stamina.

Editor’s Pick: Make a Resolution (15 min.)

  • The Write Your Own Resolution skill sheet guides children through the process of making their own New Year’s resolution!

ELA Focus: Writing (15 min.)

  • With the Try, Try Again skill sheet, children write a letter to themselves to stay on track with their resolution.

 Here are two past issues you can use to extend your lesson on New Year's traditions:

  • “An Icy Tradition,” January 2021. This issue has children evaluate the polar bear plunge, an unusual New Year’s Day tradition.
  • “Happy New Year!” January 2018. This issue introduces children to various New Year’s traditions.

You can find a higher-Lexile-level and a lower-Lexile-level version of the article online here:

  • Higher-Lexile level: 600L
  • Lower-Lexile level: 510L