I Am Special

Overview

In this final lesson of All About Me at School, students revisit familiar vocabulary and ideas through a short read-aloud and oral review. They create a self-portrait or “I Am Special” page, add their name or labels, explain their work, and celebrate how each person belongs in the classroom community.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Represent an idea about themselves with a drawing.
• Add letters, labels, or a dictated sentence to their work.
• Describe their picture and provide an additional detail.
• Listen and respond respectfully to a partner.
• Share one way each person is special and belongs at school.

Success criteria

• I can draw something about myself.
• I can add or dictate words about my picture.
• I can explain my picture to a partner or teacher.
• I can listen respectfully and notice something special about someone else.

Curriculum links

• Foundational print concepts: understanding how print works, including names, letters, and labels.
• Informative writing: naming a topic and supplying information about it through drawing, dictating, and writing.
• Narrative writing: representing an event or idea and sharing a response.
• Collaborative speaking and listening: participating in conversations and describing familiar people, places, and experiences with added detail.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and readiness routine. Teacher gathers students at the carpet, displays the opening question slide, and reviews expectations: eyes watching, ears listening, hands safe, and bodies in a learning space. Students practice showing “ready” and turn to a partner to complete, “I am special because…,” using a word or gesture if needed.

2. 5–12 min · Read-aloud and oral review. Teacher reads a brief, inclusive picture-book passage or familiar class text about children at school, pausing to ask, “Who do you see?” “What are they doing?” and “How are they alike or different?” Use the read-aloud discussion slides to revisit unit vocabulary such as name, friend, school, learn, help, and special. Students echo key words, answer with a partner, and share one idea with the group.

3. 12–17 min · Model the task. Teacher models a self-portrait on chart paper, thinking aloud: “This is me. My name is Ms. ____. I like books. I can help a friend.” Point to the title and model writing left to right, adding a name, labels, or a dictated sentence. Show the model and step-by-step directions. Students practice orally saying what they might draw and what they could label before moving to desks.

4. 17–32 min · Create an “I Am Special” page. Teacher distributes the I Am Special portrait page, offers mirrors and drawing materials, and circulates to prompt, “Tell me about your picture,” “What is one detail?” and “What letters do you hear in your name?” Students draw themselves or an aspect of their identity, add their name, letters, labels, or a dictated sentence, and color carefully. The teacher scribes dictated language exactly as spoken and invites students to trace or copy selected words.

5. 32–38 min · Partner explanation. Teacher pairs students and displays the partner-sharing prompts: “This is my picture of…,” “I am special because…,” and “One detail is….” Model facing the speaker, waiting, and responding, “I noticed…” or “Thank you for sharing.” Students take turns explaining their page and asking or answering one follow-up question. The teacher listens to several students individually and records brief notes.

6. 38–43 min · Respectful gallery walk. Teacher places work where students can view it, reviews walking and kind-comment expectations, and uses the gallery-walk directions. Students walk quietly with a partner, observe classmates’ pages, and offer one respectful comment such as, “I notice your…” or “We both….” Students who prefer not to walk may display their work at their seat while classmates visit.

7. 43–45 min · Celebration and check. Teacher gathers students, celebrates the class’s different interests, families, abilities, and ideas, and reminds them that everyone belongs. Students complete a brief oral exit response: “I showed I am special by…” or point to the part of their page that shows it. Close with applause or a class chant: “Everyone belongs; everyone can learn!”

Resources

• the complete I Am Special teaching deck
• the I Am Special portrait page
• Short inclusive picture book or familiar class read-aloud
• Chart paper and thick marker
• Mirrors
• Crayons, pencils, markers, and adaptive drawing tools
• Alphabet cards and classroom word bank
• Name-tracing strips
• Optional tablet or audio recorder for oral responses

Assessment

• During the review and modeling, check whether students use familiar vocabulary, attend to print direction, recognize their name or letters, and contribute to a conversation.
• During creation and partner sharing, use a quick checklist: drawing represents an idea, words are added or dictated, student explains the picture, and student provides a detail.
• Collect the portrait pages and note whether each student can connect the drawing to something about themselves. Accept oral explanation, pointing, gestures, or teacher scribing as valid evidence.

Differentiation

• Support students with a mirror, step-by-step visual modeling, name tracing, an alphabet and picture-word bank, sentence starters, and a choice of drawing or talking first.
• Provide adaptive crayons or pencil grips, larger paper, a sloped writing surface, extra processing time, and a quieter work location for students with motor, sensory, attention, or other learning needs.
• Scribe dictated responses, allow students to point or use gestures, and offer optional oral recording for students who are not yet able to write independently or who use an augmentative communication system.
• Pair students thoughtfully for conversation and rehearse responses privately before sharing. Challenge ready writers to complete an “I am…,” “I like…,” or “I can…” sentence and add a second detail.