Making "Text-to-Self" Connections

First graders listened to a biography about Johnny Appleseed as they were introduced to the biography genre and practiced identifying key details and making text-to-self connections. As part of their larger exploration of different types of books, students are developing their listening and comprehension skills while learning how authors share information about real people and their lives.  After discussing Johnny Appleseed’s life and the Quaker values of stewardship and simplicity reflected in his story, first graders wrote two things Johnny Appleseed did during his life and illustrated him.

 

This lesson reflects our belief that children learn deeply when they can connect new ideas to their own experiences. By engaging with a historical figure through both discussion and creative expression, students had the opportunity to build literacy skills while thinking about how values such as stewardship and simplicity can connect to their own lives.