Lesson Plan - My Superpower!

Watch the Video
Watch the video “Immigrants and the American Dream” before reading the article to build background knowledge. Discuss: What are some of the challenges immigrants to the United States may face? Do you think it is easy to learn a new language? Why or why not?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• traditions
• fluent
• translate

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about some possible benefits of speaking more than one language.

1. How does being bilingual help Reisli Maldonado Quintero?
Reisli Maldonado Quintero says that being bilingual helps her get to know kids from many backgrounds and allows her to help her family figure out life in a new country.
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2. Why did Reisli’s family move to the U.S. from Venezuela?
Reisli’s family moved to the U.S. from Venezuela because some parts of Venezuela are dangerous.  Reisli’s parents often feared for their family’s safety.
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3. Share three facts about Venezuela that you learned from the sidebar “What’s Up, World? Venezuela.”
Sample response: I learned that Venezuela is home to the highest waterfall in the world, that Mérida is in the Andes Mountains, and that about 31 million people live in Venezuela.
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FEATURED SKILL: Vocabulary
Distribute the skill builder “Borrowed Words” and explore some of the words the English language has borrowed directly from Spanish. After students answer the questions, have them write original sentences for any three of the words.
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