As part of the Foundation’s 75th anniversary celebrations, we have developed NEW lesson plans around two wonderful readings:
- “Eeyore Has a Birthday and Gets Two Presents” by A. A. Milne (primary and early elementary grades)
- “On Friendship” by Kahlil Gibran (middle grades and above)
Each lesson plan includes the full text.
Both readings explore the themes of friendship and community, which aligns with the Great Books mission of nurturing friendships and building community through sharing and discussing texts, artworks, and ideas of all kinds. And both lesson plans contain the full suite of interpretive activities found in all Junior Great Books units, including:
- Prereading/Text Opener
- First Reading with Sharing Questions
- Second Reading activities appropriate to grade level
- Shared Inquiry discussion questions and instructions
- Extension activities, such as writing or drawing
As an added bonus, we’ve included Making Connections activities in both lesson plans, so you can:
- Connect to Junior Great Books texts you may be working with
- Explore additional readings and artworks related to the main text
For “Eeyore Has a Birthday and Gets Two Presents,” we have developed questions and activities around Shel Silverstein’s poem “Put Something In.” For “On Friendship,” you will find Making Connections activities around the “Friendship Quilt” made for Ella Maria Deacon and on display at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Whether you are an experienced practitioner of the Shared Inquiry method or are curious about Junior Great Books and inquiry-based learning, we think you will heartily enjoy these new lesson plans. Download either or both today and enjoy them with students, colleagues, and friends! If you’d like to learn more about Great Books programs or our professional development opportunities, please contact your K–12 partnership manager today.
Please fill out this form to download sample lesson plans.