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This is How We Do it by Matt Lamothe, published in 2017. 

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This is How We Do it follows the lives of seven children from seven different countries. It shows how the kids eat, dress, play, learn, and live.

I selected This is How We Do it as my core text because it provides detailed glimpses into the lives of children from various parts of the world. My students can relate to the children's ages and some of their favorite activities, but they'll also notice how these children learn, live, and eat differently from what they may experience at home and at our school. This gives my students the chance to explore cultures and traditions that differ from their own while also allowing some to connect with familiar traditions from their own lives. The text serves as both a window into new perspectives and a mirror for self-reflection, letting students both see themselves and learn about diverse ways of living. As we learn about communities in Social Studies, this text provides excellent examples of diverse communities worldwide, creating discussions that allow us to explore and compare the communities within our own classroom.

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Lexile Level: 620

This level corresponds to a Fountas and Pinnell level O and is best for 3rd-4th grade independent readers. As a second grade teacher, I will be reading this book aloud to my students as an interactive read-aloud. Each page has multiple detailed pictures that I will display on a SmartBoard for students to analyze and observe.

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The purpose of this text is implied and even given but is still complex. Students may need guidance in order to understand its true purpose. Before reading, we discuss the purpose of the book as a class. The text follows 7 children from 7 different countries and gives examples of their day to day lives. This includes school, clothes, food, and hobbies. The purpose is for students to view cultures and places different from their own but also see some similarities and be able to make connections to these children.

The text structure of this book was closer to the slightly complex side. Each page has a clear heading to understand what the page is about. These text features, like headings, captions, and a glossary enhance the reader’s understanding of the book. The pictures are very important to the text. Without the words and pictures together, the book would lose some meaning. Since we are reading about foods or places we have never been, the graphics give context to words that may have little meaning to my students.

Although the sentence structures are pretty basic, there are many examples of words from a different language or words students may not be familiar with. We may talk about this ahead of time and how their pronunciations are more difficult to read than English words to myself, an English speaker. We also read through the glossary as we read the book. For example, I look at what words will be on the next page and we reference back to the glossary before reading that page.

Students need to understand that these are REAL kids from 7 different countries. We will talk about each country and find them on a map. We will also talk about the languages spoken in those countries and while looking at the glossary. Students may also share during this time if they have family or are familiar with any countries or languages.

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This Is How We Do It introduces students to various countries, cultures, and languages, all within a single book. By focusing on the daily lives of children, it makes these ideas relatable to students. One challenge is pronouncing the non-English words accurately and understanding their meanings, but a glossary in the back of the book provides support. While the book highlights the experiences of seven children, it may not reflect the backgrounds of every student, especially those from countries not represented. For example, I had a student from Mexico, which isn’t included in the story.

This interactive read-aloud provides instruction in literacy, social studies, and social-emotional learning. I can connect the lesson to these objectives:

Students will show empathy for diverse experiences by discussing how environments and culture shape daily life.

Students will expand their vocabulary by learning new words in different languages and understanding their meanings.

Students will compare and contrast the daily routines, foods, school systems, and homes presented in the book with their own.

Students will reflect on their own lives and cultural identities, considering what makes their experiences unique or similar to others'.

The core text does not address a child’s life from every continent (includes South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe). This book could also limit a child’s understanding of a certain country or culture. The pictures are drawings so there are not actual photographs depicting the examples of food and other topics portrayed.

A big support students need is the glossary of words. I will display these on the board with the pages we read so we can discuss them before they come up in the text. I may also provide extra pictures, actual photographs, of some examples from the book.

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Supplemental Text: Cultures of the World Video

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Supplemental Text: Cultures of the World Video

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This video talks about what a culture is and explores different cultures around the world.

I chose this video to connect to the core text, This is How We Do it, because the overarching theme of communities is present, while bringing in the term, culture. The video gives a definition for culture and goes on to give examples from different countries. It also touches on how in your community, there may be people similar to you and different from you. When we read This is How We Do it, we can point out these different types of cultures and communities in the book. In watching the video and discussing it, students can start to see that we all belong to different communities and cultures.

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Cultures of the World | A fun overview of the world cultures for kids

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Google Earth is a great tool for learning about different parts of the world. I chose this to add to my text set because my core text focuses on seven different countries, all in different continents. Most students have no idea what these places are like or where they are at in the world. We can use Google Earth to make connections about where these countries are in relation to where we live. We can also zoom in to discuss the terrain, buildings, houses, and even how roads are similar or different from here in Illinois.

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here.

Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try Earth anyway by choosing an option below.

Learn more about Google Earth.

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here. Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try Earth anyway by choosing an option below.

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This supplemental text, Cultures of the World Video, supports my students' cultural and linguistic identities by serving as both a mirror and a window. Through the video’s depiction of traditions using images and narration, students see reflections of their own experiences (mirrors) while also exploring the lives and communities of others who are different from them (windows). Traditions highlighted in the video, such as food, holidays, religion, clothing, skin color, languages, and sports, help illustrate the rich diversity of cultures.

As second graders, my students have a limited understanding of the world. This video, combined with the core text This is How We Do It, broadens their perspective by showcasing how people from different cultures live. The engaging format—featuring pictures, videos, and narration—captures their attention and keeps them engaged throughout. The video begins by discussing the United States before transitioning to other countries, making connections through relatable topics like holidays, foods, and sports. This approach helps my students grasp the concept of culture in a meaningful and accessible way.

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The supplemental text Google Earth supports my students' cultural and linguistic identities through its interactive digital platform. My students are able to connect their background knowledge of maps, communities, continents, countries, and culture while exploring the world. With guiding questions and prompts, I can direct students to investigate places similar to Illinois, where we live, as well as those that are vastly different. Together, we discuss similarities and differences, exploring the reasons behind these distinctions. Students can also connect their own traditions to those of other countries, deepening their understanding of cultural diversity. Additionally, they can compare places they’ve visited or where their families are from, identifying both connections and contrasts. Although this resource requires a lot of guiding conversation, I believe it provides a valuable opportunity for students to explore and appreciate cultures and places beyond their own experiences.

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Source: Power Tools: 30 Critical Disciplinary Literacy Strategies for 6-12 Classrooms (Dyches et al., 2023)

Area: Comprehension

A Venn Diagram is a strategy used to compare and contrast two topics. After we have read the core text, This is How We Do it, we will create Venn diagrams. Students will choose one child that we read about in the book to compare themselves to. One side of the diagram will be about them, one side will be about a child from the story, and the middle will be for any overlap or things that are the same between themselves and the kid from the story. Students will be able to explore things that are unique to them while understanding that they have similarities and differences with other children their age.

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Literacy Strategy: Verbal & Visual Word Association

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Literacy Strategy: Verbal & Visual Word Association

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Source: Power Tools: 30 Critical Disciplinary Literacy Strategies for 6-12 Classrooms (Dyches et al., 2023)
Area: Vocabulary

Verbal and visual word association is when students draw or find an image that connects to the vocabulary word. It could be an image unique to them, to the lesson, or more broad. After we watch the video, we will review some vocabulary words for their meaning. The purpose of this for my class will also be to show how how visual representations may be different. The words I wrote down from the video include: culture, community, neighborhood, breakfast, holiday, identity, and society. Even though some of these words aren't new vocabulary words to my second graders I want them to draw a visual representation that means something to them. For example, one student may draw cereal for breakfast while another may draw fried rice with chicken. After we finish, we can share what visuals came to mind as we read and heard these vocabulary words. Even though the words have one basic meaning, they may mean something different to each kid in our classroom.

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Source: Chapter 9 Talking to Learn...and Learning to Talk (Lupo et al., 2022)

Area: Speaking

For this strategy, a teacher will ask a question, give students time to think before sharing with a partner. Students will then have time to share with the class about what their partner group came up with.

I will use this strategy during the video. As we watch the video and learn new concepts, I will pause to ask questions to get my students thinking critically. I may pause to ask, "What do you think culture means?" After my question I will give students a few seconds to think about it quietly. I will then prompt students to share with the person sitting across from them at their desks. Once I've given them a minute to discuss, I will ask for raised hands to share their ideas. I will do this a few points in the video to continue discussion.

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Source: Chapter 3 Writing Within the Disciplines (Lent, 2016)

Area: Writing

An interview integrated with social studies is typically done with an expert in their field. In these case, I am connecting the interviews with our core text, This is How We Do it. Students will come up with interview questions related to the parts of the children's lives shared in the story after we have read the book. For example; What do you typically eat for breakfast? or Who is in your family? After writing the questions, students will interview someone in their life that lives outside their household. This could be a friend, a relative, a neighbor, a teacher, etc. This assignment will be a great way to connect student learning to their own lives and the lives of people around them. Students will also get the opportunity to learn about someone that may have different answers from them or from the kids in the book we read. It will increase their knowledge of different cultures and identities. Students can also answer the interview questions for themselves to see how their lives differ or coincide with their interviewee and the children in our book. Students will write down the interview questions and pick who they would like to interview. After their interview, they will get to share with their peers the answers they received. We can all learn about many different lives.

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Source: Using Disciplinary Literacy Strategies to Enhance Student Learning (Drew & Teague, 2015)

Area: Critical Disciplinary

A concept map is a chart that students may use to expand their ideas. In the middle, they put a main idea. They connect further ideas to the main idea from there. This helps students to think deeper about a concept.

My students will create a concept map as they explore Google Earth. I will assign them a place to 'visit' on the digital platform. The name of the place (continent, country, city) will go in the middle of their concept map. They will explore and focus on the terrain, buildings, roads, and anything else they can see through Google Earth and add those coming off of their main idea. We will hold onto this map and later I will give my students the opportunity to learn about the place they chose a little deeper through books and videos to further their concept map. My class will then get a chance to share their maps with their peers and spot similarities or differences among places.

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Source: Power Tools: 30 Critical Disciplinary Literacy Strategies for 6-12 Classrooms (Dyches et al., 2023)
Area: Choice

The strategy, drawing on the text, helps students create a visual of a concept they just learned about in order to fully show an understanding of the concept.

After my students explore Google Earth and create a concept map, we will use this strategy. Students will use the place that was the main idea of the concept map and draw a picture of a community there. They will need to keep in mind the terrain (mountains, roads, bodies of water) and the types of buildings (big city, rural, suburban). My students will get to work with a partner on this so they can work together to create a picture that represents a new place. The class will get to share their pictures at the end and teach the rest of the class about their place.

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Creamean_ Disciplinary Literacy Portfolio References 