Harry+and+Willy+and+Carrothead

Linnet Moser March 22, 2010

__Harry and Willy and Carrothead__ by Judith Caseley (3rd grade)

1B Student demonstrates awareness of their personal traits.

I read the book to the children. We discussed the challenges Harry faced because he was born physically disabled. We also discussed his strengths and what type of character traits he demonstrated in the story. As we were discussing, I was listing the strengths, challenges and character traits on the board in a graphic organizer.


 * Challenges Harry Faces || Strengths Harry Demonstrates || Harry’s Character Traits ||

Then we worked with a partner and wrote a list of strengths for their partner. (I did this as a teach/model with one of the students in the group. We wrote each other’s strengths on the board. After the teach/model, then students worked with their partner.) They switched papers and read what their partner had written about them. The last step was to write a list of strengths, skills and abilities that they had themselves.

The children were really engaged in the story and building the graphic organizer as we were reading. Identifying the strengths of their partner was easier for the children than identifying their own strengths. (They tended to write a list of things they can do interspersed with personal character traits/strengths.)

The lesson took about 35 minutes.

Reflection: I would split this lesson up over two 30-minute sessions. I would read the book, discuss it and fill out the graphic organizer during the first session. I would also recommend filling in the challenges and strength portion of the organizer first. Then have the children review a partial list of character strengths (honesty, persistent, caring, funny, etc) and add to the list. Then I would have them read each strength from the list and work with a partner to identify which character trait they feel coincides. Then they could share with the group.

During the second session I would have the children review the list of strengths and then write about their partner’s strengths, and finally have a chance to write about their own.

Although we didn’t have time, it would make a great display to have the child draw a self-portrait and then list some of their strengths underneath. (If you did this around conferences, parents could put post a sticky-note on their child’s paper listing other strengths they think their child has. It would be a great way to get parents involved and the kids would probably love to see what their parents wrote.)