From Little Lemon: Activities for Developing Motivation and Memory Skills by Betsy B. Lee, Learning Abilities Books, http://www.learningbooks.net This lesson plan may be reproduced for classroom use only. All other rights are reserved. (Lesson plan Copyright 1997 Betsy B. Lee) Return to
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LESSON PLAN:
Introducing Learning Strategies (Motivation)
Parts one and two do not need to be done on the same day.
Motivation improves when children feel that the goals can be accomplished.
Rather than dumbing down the goals, we should teach children to develop learning strategies.
The most important strategy is the decision to use
strategies. This concept of learning how to learn is addressed in the Little Lemon book.
Part one of this lesson plan is the same as part one of Remembering How to Remember.
Part 1
Materials needed: Little Lemon book and the
Deluxe Puppet or the
Trim-lined Puppet. The puppets have been replaced
by pattern books for making your own puppets.
- Read the story preferably with the puppet.
- The song may be read or sung.
- In the story, learning strategies are called learning secrets.
Becoming a strategic learner is the secret to improved learning and remembering.
- Read the questions. Suggested answers are included.
Some of the 14 questions might be omitted depending on the
time factor and the maturity of the children.
- Try to include the following questions:
- What was Little Lemon's hard, sour job?
- How do some people act when they feel that something can't be done?
- Charlene felt that school was like a sour lemon. What was
hardest for her in school?
- Learning Lemon said that Charlene was beginning to use a
good learning secret. What was it?
- Which learning secret helped Charlene remember things?
- What does this mean: When life gives you a lemon, make lemonade?
Part 2
Materials needed: Little Lemon book, puppet, lemons, sugar, water, ice, and items for preparation and serving.
- Review or reread the book if much time has elapsed since part 1.
- Discuss the expression, "When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade." A
suggested way of phrasing the answer is given with the last discussion question.
- In order to help them understand this figurative expression, give them
the concrete experience of making lemonade.
- Encourage one or two of them to taste it before adding sugar.
- Talk about making sour or bad things better. This could deal with learning or other behaviors.
Talk about the idea that learning is a behavior. It's something you
do or don't do. It isn't something the teacher can do for you but
she or he can help.
- Talk about people who help children.
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