Wonder Unit Introduction with Philosophical Chairs
A slide-based introduction to the novel Wonder for 4th graders, using a Philosophical Chairs take-a-stand activity to surface the book's core themes of kindness and judgment before reading begins. It builds quoting accurately, making text-to-life connections, and drawing inferences, and it closes with a prediction of upcoming unit topics.
“how can I modify these slides for my kids when I introduce our read aloud and practice SWBAT quote accurately and makes relevant connections to a text when drawing inferences. Introduce philosophical chairs and the key themes and concepts of the core novel, Wonder. We Do: Assign one side of the room as "agree" and the other as "disagree." Students listen to the statements as they appear on the slides. Teacher clarifies statements and students decide if they agree or disagree. Students volunteer their rationales. After being introduced to today’s essential questions, theme, and major topics within the unit, students will predict what we will learn about in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to cite evidence from our anticipation guide and other activities”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use this as the opening lesson for the Wonder read-aloud, roughly a 45-minute block, before students open the first chapter.
- Discussion question: Why do you think people sometimes judge others before they really know them? Ask students to point to a line in their own experience or the text to support their rationale.
- Scaffold for struggling readers: give a sentence frame such as "I agree/disagree because ___ and that connects to ___," and pre-select one short quote per statement they can point to.
- Extension for advanced students: have them record a quote they heard from a peer during the chairs activity and explain how it relates to a theme they expect to see in the novel.
- Plan roughly 10 minutes for the chairs debate, 10 for the theme and essential-question discussion, and 5 for the closing prediction, leaving time for the rest of the slides.
What is Diffit?
Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free“how can I modify these slides for my kids when I introduce our read aloud and practice SWBAT quote accurately and makes relevant connections to a text when drawing inferences. Introduce philosophical chairs and the key themes and concepts of the core novel, Wonder. We Do: Assign one side of the room as "agree" and the other as "disagree." Students listen to the statements as they appear on the slides. Teacher clarifies statements and students decide if they agree or disagree. Students volunteer their rationales. After being introduced to today’s essential questions, theme, and major topics within the unit, students will predict what we will learn about in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to cite evidence from our anticipation guide and other activities”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use this as the opening lesson for the Wonder read-aloud, roughly a 45-minute block, before students open the first chapter.
- Discussion question: Why do you think people sometimes judge others before they really know them? Ask students to point to a line in their own experience or the text to support their rationale.
- Scaffold for struggling readers: give a sentence frame such as "I agree/disagree because ___ and that connects to ___," and pre-select one short quote per statement they can point to.
- Extension for advanced students: have them record a quote they heard from a peer during the chairs activity and explain how it relates to a theme they expect to see in the novel.
- Plan roughly 10 minutes for the chairs debate, 10 for the theme and essential-question discussion, and 5 for the closing prediction, leaving time for the rest of the slides.
Wonder Unit Introduction with Philosophical Chairs
A slide-based introduction to the novel Wonder for 4th graders, using a Philosophical Chairs take-a-stand activity to surface the book's core themes of kindness and judgment before reading begins. It builds quoting accurately, making text-to-life connections, and drawing inferences, and it closes with a prediction of upcoming unit topics.
What is Diffit?
Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free