Lesson #1:

Objective: Students will be able to explain character motivations and analyze relationships between characters.

Materials: Text of Polar Bear Son, student worksheets with assigned passages, discussion questions.

Procedure: 1. Begin the lesson by introducing the book and having students read a few pages silently. 2. Ask the students to think about how the main character, Nisa, feels and how that affects her decisions. 3. Show the class the assigned passage from Polar Bear Son. 4. Facilitate a discussion about Nisa’s motivation and introduce the concept of “internal conflict”. 5. Ask questions such as “What do you think Nisa wants most?” and “What feelings drive her decisions?” 6. Hand out the worksheets with different passages and ask the students to work in pairs. 7. Have the students individually write down their ideas and then share their answers with a partner. 8. Conclude the lesson by having the students present their analyses in a group setting.

Lesson #2:

Objective: Students will be able to make inferences and draw conclusions about the book’s events.

Materials: Text of Polar Bear Son, student worksheets with assigned passages, discussion questions.

Procedure: 1. Begin the lesson by introducing the assigned passage from Polar Bear Son. 2. Ask the students to make inferences and draw conclusions about the characters’ interactions and events in the book based on what they know about them. 3. Give students time to read, discuss, and make notes about the passage. 4. Have students complete the individual worksheet, asking them to think about their inferences and conclusions in detail. 5. Ask students to share their ideas with their partners. 6. Facilitate a class discussion on the ideas presented. 7. Ask the students to come up with their own conclusions and give them time to explain their ideas further. 8. Conclude the lesson by having the students summarize their thoughts and insights.