Lesson Plan
Where Do We Belong Lesson Plan
Students will explore personal backgrounds and community by sharing identities in English and Spanish and creating a collaborative collage to foster belonging and empathy.
This lesson nurtures students’ sense of inclusion, celebrates cultural diversity in a dual-language setting, and builds empathy through sharing and creative collaboration.
Audience
2nd Grade Dual Immersion Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Bilingual discussion, partner sharing, and art.
Materials
- Chart Paper and Markers, - Magazines, Photos, and Fabric Scraps, - Glue Sticks and Scissors, - Belonging Collage Template, - Student Reflection Worksheet: ¿Dónde Pertenecemos?, and - Dual-Language Word Wall Cards
Prep
Teacher Preparation
10 minutes
- Print and review the Belonging Collage Template
- Print and review the Student Reflection Worksheet: ¿Dónde Pertenecemos?
- Print and review the Dual-Language Word Wall Cards
- Gather magazines, photos, fabric scraps, glue sticks, scissors, and poster paper
Step 1
Warm-Up/Circle Sharing / Calentamiento: Ronda Compartida
5 minutes
- Gather students in a circle on the carpet.
- Greet the class bilingually: “Buenos días, friends!”
- Introduce the idea of belonging: “Today we talk about where we feel at home. ¿Dónde te sientes en casa?”
- Prompt each student: “Where are you from? / ¿De dónde eres?” and invite a quick response.
Step 2
Identity Map / Mapa de Identidad
8 minutes
- Distribute the Student Reflection Worksheet: ¿Dónde Pertenecemos?.
- Ask students to draw themselves in the center and list things they love around them.
- Encourage bilingual labels (e.g., “mi familia / my family,” “perro / dog”).
- Circulate to support vocabulary in both English and Spanish.
Step 3
Cultural Traditions Dialogue / Diálogo de Tradiciones Culturales
10 minutes
- Invite volunteers to share one family tradition or favorite activity in English and Spanish.
- Record key words and phrases on the board using the Dual-Language Word Wall Cards.
- Model sentences: “In my family, we celebrate… / En mi familia, celebramos…”
- Have students repeat phrases and point to the word wall cards to reinforce vocabulary.
Step 4
Collage Creation / Creación de Collage
7 minutes
- Provide a large poster and art supplies at the front table.
- Use the Belonging Collage Template as a visual guide.
- Students choose images from magazines, add drawings, and write bilingual words that represent their identity.
- Assemble individual pieces into one class collage and ask: “What makes our classroom feel like home? / ¿Qué hace que nuestra aula sea como un hogar?”
Slide Deck
Where Do We Belong? / ¿Dónde Pertenecemos?
A bilingual exploration of identity, community, and belonging for 2nd graders.
Welcome students and introduce the lesson topic. Use a warm tone and point to the title. Encourage both English and Spanish greetings.
Lesson Objectives / Objetivos de la lección
• Explore personal backgrounds / Explorar orígenes personales
• Share identities in English and Spanish / Compartir identidades en inglés y español
• Create a class collage to show belonging / Crear un collage de clase para mostrar pertenencia
Read each objective aloud in both languages. Ask students to repeat key phrases.
Key Vocabulary / Vocabulario clave
• Belong / Pertenecer
• Family / Familia
• Tradition / Tradición
• Home / Hogar
• Community / Comunidad
Display word wall cards as you introduce each term. Have students say each word aloud in both languages.
Warm-Up / Calentamiento
- Sit in a circle.
- Greet: “Buenos días, friends!”
- Introduce: “Where do you feel at home? / ¿Dónde te sientes en casa?”
- Quick share: “Where are you from? / ¿De dónde eres?”
Gather students in a carpet circle. Greet bilingually, then ask: “Where are you from? / ¿De dónde eres?” Encourage quick responses.
Identity Map / Mapa de Identidad
- Use Student Reflection Worksheet: ¿Dónde Pertenecemos?
- Draw yourself in the center.
- List and label things you love in English and Spanish (e.g., mi familia / my family).
- Teacher circulates to support.
Distribute reflection worksheets. Model one example: draw yourself and label around.
Cultural Traditions / Tradiciones Culturales
- Volunteers share one family tradition or favorite activity.
- Use Dual-Language Word Wall Cards to record phrases.
- Model: “In my family, we celebrate… / En mi familia, celebramos…”
- Students repeat.
Invite 2–3 volunteers to share. Record words on the board with word wall cards. Model sentence frames.
Collaborative Collage / Collage Colaborativo
- View Belonging Collage Template.
- Select images or draw to represent identity.
- Add bilingual words and phrases.
- Glue pieces onto the class poster.
- Prompt: “What makes our classroom feel like home? / ¿Qué hace que nuestra aula sea como un hogar?”
Bring students to the front table art area. Demonstrate how to choose images, write labels, and glue.
Reflection / Reflexión
• What makes you feel at home? / ¿Qué te hace sentir como en casa?
• How do we all belong together? / ¿Cómo pertenecemos todos juntos?
• One thing you learned about a friend? / ¿Qué aprendiste sobre un compañero?
Lead a brief whole-group reflection. Encourage students to share one thing they learned about a friend.
Worksheet
Student Reflection Worksheet: ¿Dónde Pertenecemos? / Where Do We Belong?
Instrucciones / Instructions
Sigue los pasos en español e inglés para crear tu propio mapa de identidad.
Tu Mapa de Identidad / Your Identity Map
- Dibuja tu retrato en el centro del círculo. / Draw yourself in the center of the circle:
- Etiqueta cinco cosas que te encantan alrededor de tu dibujo. Usa inglés y español. / Label five things you love around your drawing. Use English and Spanish.
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
Reflexión / Reflection
- ¿Dónde te sientes en casa? / Where do you feel at home?
- ¿Por qué? / Why?
¡Listo! Comparte tu mapa con un compañero y aprende algo nuevo sobre tu amigo. / You're done! Share your map with a partner and learn something new about your friend.
Activity
Belonging Collage / Collage de Pertenencia
Materials / Materiales
- Poster paper or large sheet of paper / Cartulina grande o póster
- Magazines, photos, and fabric scraps / Revistas, fotos y retazos de tela
- Glue sticks / Pegamento en barra
- Scissors / Tijeras
- Markers / Marcadores
Instructions / Instrucciones
- Title / Título:
- Write at the top: “Our Classroom Belongs To…” / “Nuestra Aula Pertenece a…”
- Write at the top: “Our Classroom Belongs To…” / “Nuestra Aula Pertenece a…”
- Image Selection / Selección de imágenes:
- Each student chooses images or draws symbols that represent their identity and belonging.
- Each student chooses images or draws symbols that represent their identity and belonging.
- Placement / Colocación:
- Glue images around the border of the poster, leaving space in the center.
- Glue images around the border of the poster, leaving space in the center.
- Labels / Etiquetas:
- Under each image, write a word or phrase in English and Spanish explaining its meaning (e.g., “mi familia / my family”).
- Under each image, write a word or phrase in English and Spanish explaining its meaning (e.g., “mi familia / my family”).
- Center Decoration / Decoración central:
- In the center, draw a large heart or symbol that represents our classroom community and add a bilingual word about belonging (e.g., “Juntos / Together”).
- In the center, draw a large heart or symbol that represents our classroom community and add a bilingual word about belonging (e.g., “Juntos / Together”).
- Reflection Prompt / Pregunta de reflexión:
- When finished, ask: “What makes our classroom feel like home? / ¿Qué hace que nuestra aula sea como un hogar?” and invite one student to share.
- When finished, ask: “What makes our classroom feel like home? / ¿Qué hace que nuestra aula sea como un hogar?” and invite one student to share.
Display the completed collage in the classroom as a visual reminder of our shared identities and sense of belonging.
Activity
Dual-Language Word Wall Cards
Cut and display these cards in your classroom. Students can refer to them during the lesson and beyond.
| English | Español |
|---|---|
| Belong | Pertenecer |
| Family | Familia |
| Tradition | Tradición |
| Home | Hogar |
| Community | Comunidad |
| Identity | Identidad |
| Culture | Cultura |
| Together | Juntos |
| Share | Compartir |
| Celebrate | Celebrar |
Instructions:
- Print on cardstock and laminate if desired.
- Cut along the lines to create individual cards.
- Display in a visible spot for easy student reference.
- Encourage students to point to cards when using the vocabulary in English and Spanish.