Lesson Plan - A Big Win

Build Engagement
Engage students by inviting them to try to spell the winning word from this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee: éclaircissement. It’s a word derived from French that means “the clearing up of something.” Explain that spellers in the Bee study thousands of hard words like this one.

Preview Word to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Word to Know.

• discouraged

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about how they might apply Faizan’s story to their own lives.

1. How do you think Faizan felt after the 2019 Bee? How did he feel after this year’s Bee?
After the 2019 Bee, Faizan probably felt sad and discouraged because he came in 370th place. After this year’s win, he says he felt amazing and happy.
^{(RI.3.8 Comparison)}

2. What do you think would be another good title for this article? Explain your answer. 
Sample response: Another good title for this article would be “Spelling Success” because it sums up the main idea—that Faizan succeeded in winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee. 
^{(RI.3.2 Main Idea and Key Details)}

3. What does Faizan mean when he says to “be kind to yourself”?
When Faizan says to “be kind to yourself,” he means not to feel bad about yourself when you make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes!
^{(RI.3.1 Text Evidence)}

FEATURED SKILL: Describing Goals
Distribute the skill builder “Go for Your Goal!” and encourage students to use Faizan’s story as inspiration in setting their own goals for this school year.
^{(W.3.2 Informational Writing)}