Lesson Overview:
L. Frank Baum’s timeless theme in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is that “There’s no place like home.” In this lesson children will work with that theme in a short picture book and in a popular song from 1971. I try to use music at least once a year with every grade level, and Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver is a wonderful choice for this unit, which focuses on a sense of belonging and home. There are millions of choices, so match a picture book with a song, and you’re all set for this lesson.
Lesson Plan:
Suggested Grades:
1-5
Objective:
To understand that themes of a “Sense of Belonging” or “There’s No Place Like Home” can be represented in both literature and song. (AASL 4.1.3, “Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres.”)
Suggested Time:
45-50 minutes
Success Criteria:
Each child will be able to retell the story of Mole’s search for the perfect home. Each child will also be able to sing along to Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver. (Substitute your own picture book or song if you select other sources.)
Lesson Outline:
1. Introduction:
Remind the children that in this unit they’ve seen a little pirate search for a suitable home, imagined a fantasy home of their dreams, and watched as a little girl built a new home for herself in a new country. Today we’ll focus on feelings of home, both what it feels like to have a home and what it feels like to miss your home. We will do this through sharing a short story and by learning to sing an old, country song!
2. Main:
Share No Place Like Home by Jonathan Emmett and Vanessa Cabban. The text is short, so after you read it, ask questions to check for understanding such as:
- Why did Mole set out to find a new home? (Answer: He was tired of his old one and he wanted something different.)
- What was Mole looking for at first? (Answer: A home that was big, bright, and beautiful.)
- What did Mole end up with in the end? (Answer: A home that was safe, snug, and dry.)
- Why do you think that Mole was happy with his old home at the end of the story?
- What can we learn about homes from thinking about Mole and his search for a new home? (Possible Answer: Sometimes what we have is already good, we just need to learn to appreciate or recognize it.)
Emphasize that most people have strong, positive feelings about their homes. If they must leave their home, people usually miss their home very much.
About 45 years ago, three people wrote a beautiful song about home in the mountains of West Virginia, USA. Show the children the map or globe so that they can place West Virginia. Explain to the children that the song is called Take Me Home, Country Roads and it was made famous by a singer/songwriter named John Denver. We will read the words of the song, listen to the song, then learn to sing it.
Pass out lyrics to Take Me Home, Country Roads (attached). Help the children read through the lyrics. Check to make sure that they understand the words and verses. Essentially, this is a song about a man who misses home. He also misses a special person at home very much. He is traveling but asks many time for the roads to take him back home.
If you are comfortable singing, sing the song for the children. If you are not comfortable singing to them, play one of John’s Denver’s recordings of the song. I prefer the audio track over a video so that the kids can keep their eyes on the lyrics and follow along. Let the kids sing the song once or twice, then, if there is time, show them John Denver performing the song in front of a live audience.
3. Conclusion:
Emphasize that there are many stories and many songs written about the idea of home. Ask the children to see what they can find in the library today that connects to the idea of home.
Resources:
- No Place Like Home by Jonathan Emmett and Vanessa Cabban.
- Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown and Garth Williams (optional).
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (optional).
- YouTube recording of Dorothy clicking her heels together and saying, “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooM-RGUTe2E (optional)
- A recording of Country Roads, Take Me Home by John Denver (1971)
- A video of John Denver singing Country Roads, Take Me Home (optional) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSmh6FO3T74
- Copies of the lyrics to Country Roads, Take Me Home (attached).
- Map or globe to show the location of West Virginia, USA.
Notes:
If you have time, let the kids share their own songs about home. Some of them may wish to share their songs with the class.
I have listed a few other stories and resources for teaching this lesson. If you are working with older elementary children you may wish to use L. Frank Baum’s work, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and not a picture book.
Recommended books for this lesson:
- No Place Like Home by Jonathan Emmett and Vanessa Cabban.
- Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown and Garth Williams (optional).
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (optional).
- The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse (Various authors, optional).
Key Terms:
Belonging, Homes, West Virginia, Moles