Unit 2 · Six weeks
Stories Around the Table Planning Guide
Culture, Tradition, & Community
A typical week
Every day has a read-aloud (15–20 minutes) and one Reading or Writing lesson (30–45 minutes). Social Studies comes on Monday and Wednesday (45–60 minutes), Science on Thursday (30–45 minutes), and the Food of the Week closes every Friday (20–30 minutes). Tuesday has no new Science or Social Studies lesson, except in Weeks 2, 5, and 6. It is open time to finish a lesson that runs long.
| Day | Read-Aloud · 15–20 min | Reading · 30–45 min | Writing · 30–45 min | Science · 30–45 min | Social Studies · 45–60 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Read-aloud | Lesson 1 | Lesson 1 | ||
| Tuesday | Read-aloud | Lesson 1 | |||
| Wednesday | Read-aloud | Lesson 2 | Lesson 2 | ||
| Thursday | Read-aloud | Lesson 2 | Lesson 1 | ||
| Friday | Read-aloud | Lesson 3 | Food of the Week (20–30 min) |
Minutes are approximate. The units don’t include phonics or math, so those blocks, specials, and intervention stay in your schedule as they are. Each week’s plan notes any changes to this pattern.
Prep calendar
The things that need lead time, from the unit’s Letter to Teachers.
Only the things that need lead time are here. Everything else is in each lesson’s Teacher Preparation and in the Materials Library.
Before Week 1
- Books for Week 1: The Keeping Quilt (W1 R-L1), Watch the Stars Come Out (W1 R-L2), Coming to America (W1 SS-L2), Pizza! A Slice of History (W1 SS-L3), and The Blessing Cup (read on Friday of Week 1 for W2 R-L1). Pull a basket of independent reading books on immigration, traditions, culture, food, and community (W1 R-L1).
- Post the Read Aloud Values & Lessons chart (W1 R-L1). Add a row after each read-aloud all unit.
- Send the Letter to Families home so food-allergy information is back before the pizza tasting in W1 SS-L3 (Friday).
- Start recruiting 5 adult volunteers (or older students) for the Ellis Island Re-enactment, W2 SS-L2 (Tuesday of Week 2, first thing in the morning). Confirm them at least a week ahead.
- Order an APPROVED stamp and get stickers or certificates for the Final Decision station (W2 SS-L2).
- Set up a cookbook folder for each student and decide where organizers live between lessons (W1 W-L1, Cookbook Plan).
- Food of the Week tastings are optional (every Friday). If you plan them, arrange the food a week ahead each time; a parent volunteer or cafeteria coordination works well. Check your allergy list first.
- Decide how and when the cookbook will be printed and bound (school copier or copy shop). The Cookbook Plan puts assembly in Weeks 7–8.
During Week 1, for Week 2
- Books: Gittel’s Journey (read Monday morning for W2 SS-L1), Bagels from Benny (read Tuesday for W2 W-L1, and again in W2 SS-L4), All the Way to America (W2 R-L2), The Ugly Vegetables (W2 Sci-L1).
- Homework: the Family Interview Homework goes home with W1 W-L1 (Tuesday), and the organizer’s interview pages (Interview Preparation and Questions 1–6) go home with W1 W-L2 (Thursday). The rest of the organizer stays at school. Interview notes are due for W2 W-L1 (Tuesday of Week 2).
- Re-enactment (W2 SS-L2): confirm the volunteers and give each a Volunteer Information Sheet. Print PASS slips on green paper and UNDER REVIEW slips on red paper. Tell the front office the plan.
- Print and assemble the Ellis Island Passports, 3 sheets per student (W2 SS-L1). A helper can staple them the day before.
- Buy seed packets (basil, dill, cilantro, mint, or any mix) for W2 Sci-L1 (Thursday). Print the Plant Investigation Tracker at the start of Week 2.
During Week 2, for Week 3
- Books: Chicken Sunday (read on Friday of Week 2 for W3 R-L1), Dreamers (W3 SS-L1), Thank You, Omu! (W3 R-L2), Everybody Cooks Rice (W3 SS-L3).
- Homework: the Family Recipe Homework goes home with W2 W-L1 (Tuesday). It’s due back by the end of Week 3. Keep it in each student’s cookbook folder until W6 W-L1.
- Planting (W3 Sci-L1, Thursday): two identical pots, potting soil, a watering can, rulers, and a small LED grow light if your room lacks strong sun. Choose the sunny spot and the dark cupboard.
During Week 3, for Week 4
- Books: The Trees of the Dancing Goats (read on Friday of Week 3 for W4 SS-L1 and R-L1), Lailah’s Lunchbox (W4 R-L2), Binny’s Diwali (W4 SS-L1), Bringing in the New Year (W4 SS-L3).
- Print the four holiday collections, one or two copies each (W4 SS-L1).
- The Heritage and Holidays video (W4 SS-L2) is on the free PBS LearningMedia site, which may ask you to sign in. Set up a login ahead of time.
During Week 4, for Week 5
- Books: Paul Bunyan (W5 R-L1), John Henry (read Monday morning for W5 SS-L1 and R-L2), John Henry: An American Legend by Ezra Jack Keats (optional, W5 R-L2 extension; borrow from the library), Pepe the Lamplighter (optional, W5 SS-L2), Little Taco Truck (W5 SS-L3), Pecos Bill (read on Friday of Week 5 for W6 R-L1).
- Print two copies of each labor packet (W5 SS-L1). Print and laminate the four innovator information pages (W5 SS-L2).
- Innovation Stations (W5 SS-L2): an old pair of jeans with visible stitching and rivets, an iPad or computer, and cup-and-string telephones (paper cups and about 10 feet of string). Clipboards for W5 R-L3.
During Week 5, for Week 6
- Books: Anansi the Spider (W6 R-L2), What’s Cooking at 10 Garden Street? (optional, W6 SS-L2), Hot Diggity Dog (W6 SS-L3).
- Borrow real cookbooks from the library, colleagues, or families for W6 W-L1 (Monday). Ask a few days ahead.
- Homework: send the Artifacts Homework Sheet home with W5 W-L2 (Friday). Artifacts are due for W6 W-L2 (Tuesday). Print any photos families email.
- Print the Contractions Cards on colored paper (W6 R-L3).
- Be the Bee (W6 Sci-L1): cotton balls, pencils, tape, and sidewalk or art chalk in two colors to crush into dust.
- Hot dog celebration (W6 SS-L3, Friday): ask the cafeteria or a parent volunteer.
Books
The read-alouds and mentor texts the lessons use. Buy them or borrow them from your school or public library.
| Book | When | How it’s used |
|---|---|---|
| Coming to America: The Story of Immigration | Weeks 1, 2 | |
| Pizza! A Slice of History | Week 1 | |
| The Keeping Quilt | Weeks 1–6 | |
| Watch the Stars Come Out | Week 1 | |
| All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel | Week 2 | |
| Bagels from Benny | Week 2 | |
| Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story | Week 2 | |
| The Blessing Cup | Weeks 2, 4 | |
| The Ugly Vegetables | Week 2 | |
| Chicken Sunday | Weeks 3, 4, 6 | |
| Dreamers | Week 3 | |
| Everybody Cooks Rice | Week 3 | |
| Thank You, Omu! | Weeks 3, 4, 5 | |
| Bringing in the New Year | Weeks 4, 6 | |
| Binny's Diwali Thrity Umrigar | Week 4 | W4 Read-Aloud, between W4 SS-L1 and W4 SS-L2 — grounds Diwali in a child's lived story |
| Lailah's Lunchbox | Weeks 4, 5 | |
| The Trees of the Dancing Goats | Weeks 4, 5, 6 | |
| John Henry | Week 5 | |
| John Henry: An American Legend Ezra Jack Keats | Week 5 | Optional — W5 R-L2 extension (Two John Henrys), another day. Borrow from the library. |
| Little Taco Truck | Week 5 | |
| Paul Bunyan | Weeks 5, 6 | |
| Pepe the Lamplighter | Week 5 | |
| Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti | Week 6 | |
| Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog | Week 6 | |
| Pecos Bill | Week 6 | |
| What's Cooking at 10 Garden Street? | Week 6 |
Supplies
Most are ordinary classroom items. Each one shows the weeks that use it.
- Optional pizza tasting: two contrasting pizza styles — a parent volunteer or cafeteria coordination works well Week 1 · SS Food of the Week
- Anchor chart paper Weeks 1, 5 · multiple sheets — for Stories Feed Our Thinking, the four culture-corner posters, and the Push/Pull T-chart
- Independent reading books — especially titles about culture, immigration, American history, food, and community Week 1 · classroom library access
- Markers Week 1 · regular and colored
- Sticky notes Weeks 1, 3 · 4–5 per student for the W1 SS-L1 culture corners
- Tape Week 6 · for posting Contractions Cards around the room — W6 R-L3
- Writing folder or table caddy for each student to store their My Family, My Stories Organizer across all 12 writing lessons Week 1
- 5 adult volunteers for the Ellis Island Re-enactment stations — Medical, Registry, Interview, Waiting Area, Final Decision. Confirm at least a week in advance and review their roles 15 minutes before students arrive. Week 2 · or older students
- Optional bagel tasting: plain and everything bagels with cream cheese and butter — parent volunteer or cafeteria coordination works well Week 2 · SS Food of the Week
- 4 staplers — one each for Medical, Registry, Interview, and Final Decision stations Week 2
- An APPROVED stamp — for the Final Decision station Week 2
- A bin or folder labeled to store the What Would You Carry sheets through Week 6 Week 2
- Crayons, colored pencils, or markers Week 2 · for student illustrations on the What Would You Carry sheet
- Green paper and red paper Week 2 · for PASS slips
- Seed packets for the plant investigation — basil, dill, cilantro, mint, or any combination Week 2 · W2 Sci-L1; planting begins Week 3
- Two identical class pots Week 3 · One Light Plant on a sunny windowsill, one Dark Plant in a dark cupboard or closet.
- Herb seeds (basil is the most reliable) Week 3 · Basil usually sprouts in about a week in a warm room; mint is much slower
- Optional rice tasting: a few cooked rice variations — sticky rice, basmati, jasmine, brown — for tasting comparison Week 3 · SS Food of the Week
- Chart paper Weeks 2, 3 · multiple sheets — for Themes chart, Ways Writers Begin chart, neighborhoods brainstorm, holiday charts
- Half-sheets of paper for exit slips Weeks 3–6 · W3 R-L3
- Markers, crayons, colored pencils Week 3
- Optional: name tags or sticky labels for the W3 SS-L2 social hour Week 3 · so students can write their immigrant character's name
- Optional: small LED grow light if your classroom doesn't get strong direct sun Week 3
- Potting soil Week 3 · W3 Sci-L1
- Rulers Week 3 · W3 Sci-L1, used through Week 6
- Watering can Week 3 · W3 Sci-L1
- 4 large pieces of chart paper for the W4 SS-L1 holiday jigsaw Week 4 · one per group
- Optional dumpling tasting: store-bought frozen dumplings in 2–3 varieties — heat in advance and serve in small portions Week 4 · SS Food of the Week
- Magnifying glasses (optional) Week 4 · optional but lovely for the W4 Sci-L1 plant observation
- Board space or chart paper for the show-vs-reflect comparison Week 4 · W4 W-L1
- Board space or chart paper for the without-dialogue / with-dialogue comparison Week 4 · W4 W-L2
- Magnetic strips OR additional chart paper for building sentences in the relay Week 4 · W4 R-L3
- Markers, crayons, and colored pencils so groups can decorate their charts in colors that match each holiday's mood Week 4
- Two baskets or envelopes labeled SUBJECTS and PREDICATES Week 4 · W4 R-L3
- 4 large pieces of chart paper, glue sticks, scissors, markers for the W5 SS-L1 labor jigsaw posters Week 5
- A pair of old jeans with visible stitching and rivets for W5 SS-L2 Station 1 Week 5 · any old denim works
- iPad or computer for Station 2 to play the Irving Berlin songs Week 5
- Paper cups and string for Station 3 cup-and-string telephones Week 5 · 2–3 telephones: two cups joined by about 10 feet of string
- Optional taco tasting: soft and hard taco shells with simple fillings. A taco kit from the grocery store works. Week 5 · SS Food of the Week
- Blank sheets of paper for the W5 SS-L2 Station 4 headline-and-drawing activity Week 5
- Clipboards for the W5 R-L3 fragment hunt Week 5 · one per student or per pair
- Optional: highlighters or colored pencils for the W5 W-L2 polishing pass Week 5
- Pencils for drafting and editing Week 5
- Rulers — one per student or per pair Week 5 · W5 Sci-L1 measurement
- Optional celebration cookout: hot dogs in buns with mustard, ketchup, relish, or whatever toppings you can pull together. A parent volunteer or cafeteria coordination works well. Week 6 · SS Food of the Week — closing the unit
- Real cookbooks — gather several from home or borrow from the library before W6 W-L1. Aim for enough that each table group can examine at least one. Choose books with clear ingredients lists and numbered/bulleted steps. Week 6
- A basket or pile at the front of the room for the contraction cards Week 6 · W6 R-L3
- Drawing supplies — pencils, colored pencils, crayons, markers Week 6 · W6 W-L2 artifacts
- Optional: a photo or object from your own family that you'd add to your story Week 6 · to model in W6 W-L2
- Optional: small chairs arranged in circles of 4–5 for W6 SS-L1 small-group story sharing Week 6
- Be the Bee supplies: cotton balls, pencils, tape, and sidewalk or art chalk in two colors, crushed into dust Week 6 · W6 Sci-L1 Part 3. Per pair: a cotton ball taped to a pencil and two paper flowers (students can draw them).
Standards & assessment
Stories Around the Table is aligned to 47 2nd-grade standards across Common Core ELA, the Next Generation Science Standards, and the C3 Framework for social studies. Every lesson lists the standards it teaches.
Each unit includes a rubric for Reading, Writing, Science, and Social Studies, built around the unit’s standards, so you can document what each student has mastered. Each rubric has a matching student self-assessment, so students reflect on their own work too.