Time and Place

Overview

This 35-minute inquiry-based lesson engages 2nd grade students in exploring the time and place of the story Glass Slipper, Golden Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella by Paul Fleischman, through careful observation of illustrations. The lesson aligns with the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) framework, focusing on literacy, comprehension, and cultural awareness using the transdisciplinary theme of Where We Are in Place and Time.

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IB Learner Profile Attributes

• Inquirers: Students ask questions about time and place through visuals.
• Thinkers: Students analyze and infer information from illustrations.
• Open-minded: Students appreciate diverse cultures through worldwide Cinderella variations.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Use illustrations to identify and describe the time (historical period) and place (setting) of the story (IB PYP Language - Transdisciplinary Skills: Communication, Research).
• Demonstrate comprehension of story context by connecting visual clues to textual content (RL.2.7).
• Express understanding through verbal and visual responses.

IB Standards Alignment

• Language (English) - Transdisciplinary Skills:
  • Communicating: Using context clues from visuals to understand text.
  • Research: Observing and gathering information from illustrations.
• Social Studies (PYP Theme: Where We Are in Place and Time):
  • Understanding concepts of setting related to culture and history.

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Materials Needed

• Book: Glass Slipper, Golden Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella by Paul Fleischman (one copy or projected for group reading)
• Large chart paper or whiteboard
• Markers/crayons
• Student individual reflection sheets with space for drawing and writing
• Printed images/excerpts of illustrations from the book (optional for small group reference)

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Lesson Procedure

1. Invitation to Wonder (5 minutes)

• Begin with a brief introduction: “Today, we’re going to read a story that shows us different times and places through pictures and words.”
• Show the book cover and ask: “What clues do you see on the cover about where and when this story might take place?”
• List students' predictions on chart paper.

2. Interactive Read-Aloud with Illustration Focus (15 minutes)

• Read Glass Slipper, Golden Sandal aloud with enthusiastic expression.
• Pause strategically at key illustrations to invite students to observe closely.
• Ask guiding questions:
  • “What do you notice about the clothes the characters are wearing? What time do you think this might be?” (Focus on historical clues)
  • “Where do you think this story happens? How do the surroundings or objects in the pictures help us know this?”
• Encourage students to refer only to pictures to support their ideas.
• Confirm and build on student observations by summarizing key clues from illustrations.

3. Collaborative Comprehension Chart (8 minutes)

• On chart paper, split a section into two columns: Time and Place.
• As a class, compile a list of clues from the pictures that tell when and where the stories are set.
• Include aspects like clothing, architecture, nature, tools, colors, and cultural symbols.
• Discuss why it is important to look at pictures and not just words for understanding stories.

4. Individual Reflection and Expression (5 minutes)

• Distribute reflection sheets. Ask students to:
  • Draw a scene that shows their favorite setting or time from the story, using the illustrations as inspiration.
  • Write or dictate 1-2 sentences describing what they drew and how they know when or where it is.
• Offer support and praise encouraging attention to visual details.

5. Sharing and Wrap-up (2 minutes)

• Invite a few students to share their drawings and explanations aloud.
• Reinforce how illustrations help us learn more about story setting – a skill useful in reading many books.
• Close with a recap: “Today, we used pictures to find out when and where the story happened. This helps us be great readers and learners!”

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Assessment for Learning

• Observation during read-aloud discussions to check students’ ability to infer from illustrations.
• Participation in creating the comprehension chart.
• Review of student reflection sheets to assess understanding of time and place through visuals.
• Informal oral explanations during sharing.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For emergent readers or ELL students, offer picture word banks to support description writing.
• Provide extra prompts or sentence starters such as “I know it is a long time ago because…”
• Use paired discussion before writing for language and idea support.

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Reflection for Educators

• Evaluate which illustration clues prompted the most engagement and whether students accurately connected visuals to setting.
• Consider adapting subsequent lessons to incorporate students’ curiosity about cultural variations of Cinderella stories, deepening the Where We Are in Place and Time theme.

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This detailed, inquiry-driven lesson respects cognitive and developmental needs of 2nd graders while embedding IB learner profile attributes and the PYP focus on holistic, transdisciplinary understanding through text and art.