The teacher read It’s OK To Be Different, by Todd Parr with the class, and the children were asked to make personal connections with the story. Afterward, they talked about themselves and their classmates’ similarities and differences. They then created self-portraits. We’re Different, We’re The Same, from Sesame Street and My Nose, Your Nose, by Melanie Walsh were also used as extension books.

The students were given one hour of free choice time, where they were free to choose any activity and change whenever they wanted. Five students sat on the classroom couch to read. Three students chose to share a book together (the early version of a “book club”) and two students chose to read independently. At the end of the clip one of the independent readers engages with one of the group of three to point out something in her book.

These two pictures show a student and his father presenting the father's career in the oyster business. The other students listened and then asked questions. The student was highly motivated and extremely proud to prepare and present because he chose the topic of their presentation, and it was personally important for him. The student's confidence was strengthened through the interest and encouraging support of his peers.