Writing Lesson: The Sun, the Beach, and Extreme Heat
Lesson Plan
50 minutesGradesKEnglish Language Arts
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Written by Martha Friend, Sustainable Jersey for Schools
About this lesson
Students prepare for a “field trip” to the beach on a hot day through a read aloud, writing, and hands-on activities.
Inquire: Students think about what they should bring to the beach to stay safe in the sun.
Investigate: Students engage in a read aloud of If You Ever Want to Bring a Piano to the Beach, Don’t! by Elise Parsley, and choose what to bring to the beach to be safe from the sun and heat through writing and a hands-on activity.
Inspire: Students write and draw to explain necessary items or physical adaptations for a heat wave.
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Suggestions
- This lesson can be used anytime throughout the year but especially in the fall to connect to summer experiences at the beach and with extreme heat.
- This lesson can be taught in conjunction with a unit on weather and how climate change is bringing more extreme weather to New Jersey.
- This lesson highlights the range of emotions children may experience when they try to do something new. The main character of the text, Magnolia, feels strong emotions ranging from frustration to joy to anger. These feelings are communicated through the illustrations and text punctuation and size. The teacher can acknowledge Magnolia’s big feelings and allow students to make text-to-self connections.
Prerequisites
- This is lesson 3 of 3 in our Kindergarten Stay Cool ELA Unit.
- Students should have completed the first two lessons in the unit to be familiar with animal adaptations to heat from A Cool Summer Tail by Carrie A. Pearson and strategies to stay safe in extreme heat from the American Red Cross text, Prepare with Pedro: Extreme Heat.
- Teacher will need a copy (print or digital) of If You Ever Want to Bring a Piano to the Beach, Don’t! by Elise Parsley.
- Teacher will need to provide materials for the activity in the Investigation section. These materials can vary and could include aluminum foil, fabric, plastic wrap or sandwich bags, paper bags, pipe cleaners, tape, popsicle sticks, and flashlights.
Differentiation
- Students can be partnered heterogeneously to support students with varied abilities during the written and design tasks.
- To enrich students, the teacher could allow students to assist in reading the text aloud, write packing lists without sentence frames, or allow time for students to redesign their hats or umbrellas.
- Depending on students’ home languages, they can create teaching posters to stay safe from extreme heat in different languages.
From the scientist review
This lesson offers guidance on creating contingency plans that will help communities prepare for excessive heat waves. The lesson passed our science credibility review.
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About the teacher writers
Martha Friend
Martha Friend holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a minor in Marine Ecology from Rider University. She has 32 years of experience teaching elementary education, including 17 years as a K–5 STEAM Lab teacher and earlier experience as a fifth-grade teacher.
Sustainable Jersey for Schools
Sustainable Jersey is a network and movement of municipalities, schools and school districts working collectively to bring about a sustainable New Jersey. Acting with state agencies, non-profit organizations, foundations, academia and industry, Sustainable Jersey researches best practices for what communities could and should do to contribute to a sustainable future.
