Description

This is the first lesson of the Talk For Reading (T4R) unit: Stay For Dinner. The lesson helps students activate prior knowledge and build background knowledge about special meals/dishes from their culture.

Lesson plan:

1. Hook – Special meals
   • Do you have a special meal at home with your family? What is it?
   • (Alternatively) What is your favourite food that you often have at home? Why do you like it?
   • Why is the meal/dish special?
   • How is it served? (e.g., on a plate with knife and fork on the side, on a leaf eating with the right hand…)
2. Background Knowledge
   • Select the three cultures most relevant to your classroom.
   • Describe their special foods and explain how each dish is traditionally served.
3. Wondering
   • Examine the book cover of Stay For Dinner.
   • Discuss the types of food depicted on the cover
   • Explore what children might wonder about the food, the culture it represents, or the characters associated with it.
   • Record these ideas on butcher’s paper.
4. Wrap-up
   • Complete the wonderings page as a whole class.

For more information about this lesson, view here.