Exploring Historical Stories

Grade Level

1st Grade

Duration

30 Minutes

Unit

Exploring Washington's Past (Lesson 4 of 5)

---

Learning Objectives

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.3: Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.9: Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
• Social Studies Inquiry: Compare two historical accounts to identify similarities and differences.

---

“I Can” Statement

I can compare two stories about the same event.

---

Success Criteria

• I can listen to or read two different stories about Dolley Madison saving George Washington’s portrait.
• I can tell one way the stories are the same.
• I can tell one way the stories are different.

---

Materials

• Two age-appropriate short texts describing Dolley Madison saving George Washington’s portrait (one simpler text, one with more detail).
• Audio recordings of both texts (for dyslexia-friendly support).
• Whiteboard and markers.
• Large Venn Diagram poster or chart paper.
• Individual student Venn diagram worksheets (for extension activity).
• Crayons or colored pencils.
• Paired reading cards with texts printed in dyslexia-friendly fonts.

---

Lesson Procedure

1. Introduction & Activation (5 minutes)

• Greet students and briefly review what they know about Dolley Madison and George Washington from previous lessons.
• Explain: "Today, we will read two different stories about the same important event—Dolley Madison saving George Washington’s portrait."
• Share the “I can” statement and success criteria on the board.
• Use simple terms: “We are detectives looking for what is the same and what is different in the stories.”

---

2. Listening & Reading Activity (10 minutes)

• Divide students into pairs for paired reading to support diverse learners. Each pair receives one text each (two different accounts).
• Provide audio recordings for students who prefer to listen or need reading support.
• Teacher models reading the first story aloud, highlighting important details.
• Students take turns reading or listening to their assigned text with partners.
• Circulate and assist pairs, asking guiding questions: “What happened in this story?” and “Who did what?”

---

3. Whole Group Discussion (8 minutes)

• Gather students on the carpet or around a large Venn diagram on a whiteboard/chart paper.
• Ask pairs to share one thing they noticed from their story. Write down the ideas on one side of the Venn diagram.
• Prompt: “What parts of the stories are the same?” → Add these in the overlapping section.
• Prompt: “What parts are different?” → Add these in the non-overlapping parts of the diagram.
• Use guiding questions such as:
  • “Did Dolley Madison do the same thing in both stories?”
  • “Were there different details about when or how it happened?”
• Encourage students to use sentence frames:
  • “Both stories said ______.”
  • “One story said ______, but the other story said ______.”

---

4. Extension Activity (5 minutes)

• For advanced learners or early finishers, hand out individual Venn diagram worksheets.
• Students draw or write (with teacher assistance) similarities and differences between the two stories.
• Encourage use of crayons or colored pencils to visually organize information.

---

5. Closing & Assessment (2 minutes)

• Review the “I can” statement and success criteria.
• Ask students to share one similarity and one difference they learned today.
• Example prompt: “Tell me one way the stories were the same.”
• Provide positive feedback and note any students who might need more support or extension in future lessons.

---

Differentiation Strategies

• Paired reading to support students who struggle with reading fluency or comprehension.
• Audio recordings of texts for students with dyslexia or other reading difficulties.
• Use picture cues and simplified vocabulary in one of the texts.
• Visual aids (Venn diagram charts) to scaffold understanding of comparison.
• Sentence frames to support oral language development.

---

Extension Ideas

• Students create their own illustrated story page about Dolley Madison’s act, integrating facts from both accounts.
• Role-play the event in small groups to deepen understanding of perspective and detail.
• Use digital tools (tablets or interactive whiteboard) to drag-and-drop story details into a virtual Venn diagram.

---

Notes for Teachers

• Monitor pairs closely to ensure balanced participation and comprehension.
• Use positive reinforcement to build students’ confidence in comparing texts.
• Incorporate movement breaks if needed, given the young age of the students.
• Encourage parental involvement by sending home audio recordings and copies of the texts for family reading.

---

This lesson plan supports Common Core standards while accommodating diverse learners with accessible materials and engaging strategies that make comparing historical accounts meaningful and fun for first graders.