Standards Correlations

R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.7, W.2, SL.1, L.4, L.6

 

Learning Objective

Students will identify problem-and-solution relationships in a text.

Key Skills

problem and solution, text features, vocabulary, central idea and details, key details, cause and effect, critical thinking, informational writing

Complexity Factors

Purpose: The article explains how and why Bianca, a teen with type 1 diabetes, created a supportive online community for people with invisible illnesses.

 

Structure: The article is written from the first-person point of view and includes problem-and-solution structures.

 

Language: The language is conversational.

 

Knowledge Demands: Familiarity with the concept of a chronic illness will be helpful. Students should also know what a pageant is.

Levels

Lexile: 500L-600L 

Guided Reading Level: R 

DRA Level: 40

SEL Connection

This article and lesson promote social awareness.

Lesson Plan: Do I Look Sick to You?

Essential Questions

  • How can we help others by sharing our experiences?
  • How might having a supportive community help people with invisible illnesses?

Literature Connection

  • Novel: Sweetblood by Pete Hautman
  • Novel: It All Begins With Jelly Beans by Nova Weetman

1. Preparing to Read 

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

Guide students to locate the article in their magazines or at Action Online. Then preview the text features by asking the following questions:

  • Read the article’s title and subtitle. What do you think Bianca means when she calls diabetes an “invisible illness”? Sample answer: Bianca probably means that you can’t easily tell she has diabetes by looking at her. Her condition has no obvious physical signs. 
  • Look at the three photos on p. 26 and read their captions. What do they tell you about Bianca? Based on the photos and captions on p. 26, you can tell that Bianca got diabetes at age 2, that she enjoys doing community service, and that she has two devices that help her stay healthy.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box. Read the terms (chronic, absorb, monitor, advocate, platform) aloud and discuss their definitions.
  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow. 

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:

  • Set a purpose for reading: Tell students that after reading, they’ll analyze problem-and-solution relationships in the story. Point out the activity at the end of the story. 
  • Encourage students to pause at the end of each section so they can monitor their comprehension. Prompt them to take note of sentences they think provide important ideas in each section, as well as any words or sentences they don’t understand.

2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

Read the article. (Higher- and lower-Lexile versions are available on the Story page at Action Online. Click Presentation View to access an audio read-aloud.) Then discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • How has living with diabetes affected Bianca’s daily life? (key details) Bianca has to manage her blood sugar by using a glucose monitor and insulin pump every day. She also has to be careful about what she eats and how much exercise she gets. In addition, she started being homeschooled because both students and teachers at her school were unkind about her illness.
  • Why did Bianca decide to start Diabuddies Connect? (problem and solution) Bianca felt lonely because many people didn’t understand her illness. After her diabetes camp was canceled, she wanted to create a space where kids like her could connect and support each other.
  • What effect did Bianca’s experiences at school have on her decision to advocate for others with invisible illnesses? (cause and effect) Bianca’s classmates and teachers didn’t always understand her condition, which made her feel lonely. These experiences motivated her to raise awareness about invisible illnesses and help others who might feel the same way.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

  • Bianca created an online community for kids with diabetes. Why do you think creating a supportive space like this is important? Why might it be especially important for someone with an invisible illness like diabetes? Sample answer: Creating a supportive space is important because it helps people feel understood and less alone. For someone with an invisible illness like diabetes, it might be especially important because others don’t always see or understand their struggles. Having a community of people who "get it" can provide emotional support and encouragement.
  • How might Bianca’s story inspire you to raise awareness about issues that are important to you or to support others who are dealing with challenges? Answers will vary. Some students might feel inspired to speak up about causes they care about, because sharing personal stories can make a difference. Others might feel motivated to support friends who are going through tough times, because even small acts of kindness can help someone feel less alone.

3. Skill Building and Writing

  • Assign students to work in small groups to complete the Spotlight Skill Workout:Problem and Solution activity.
  • Go further: Use our Central Idea and Details Skill Builder, available in higher and lower level versions. (Click here to view all your Skill Builders.)
  • Writing prompt: Imagine you are creating a support group for people facing a challenge in your life, similar to how Bianca created Diabuddies Connect. What kind of support would you offer and why? How might your group make a difference for others?

Learn-Anywhere Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom

Project the task below on your whiteboard or share it with students in your LMS.

Summarize the Story

After reading the article, use our 5 W’s Chart to sum it up. Answer each question with a complete sentence. 

(If you need help getting started, answer the first question with the sentence “The group Diabuddies Connect was started.” That should make it easier to answer the questions that follow.)

Language-Acquisition Springboard

Make parts of speech fun with a quick review.

After reading, direct students’ attention to the vocabulary box. Point out the words monitor and advocate, which are used as nouns in the story but are also verbs.

Have students review the definition of each word’s noun form in the vocabulary box. Then have them work in small groups to find  definitions for the verb form of each word. (Wordcentral.com and the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary offer fairly clear kid-friendly definitions.) Then have them write their own sentences using each word as a noun and as a verb. For example:

  • advocate (noun): Emily is a strong advocate for animal rights.
  • advocate (verb): I admire the way you advocate for everyone to get the help they need. 
  • monitor (noun): We use a baby monitor to check on my little sister while she’s asleep in her room. 
  • monitor (verb): We’ll monitor the weather to decide if we should cancel our picnic.

Finally, have students discuss how the noun and verb forms of each word relate to each other. (In each case, the noun performs the action of the verb; an advocate advocates, and a monitor monitors.) 

Looking for more ELL support? Download our full lesson plan and scroll to p. 5 to find questions that will help your ELLs respond to the text at the level that’s right for them.

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