Lesson Plan - Nothing Can Hold Me Back

Watch a Video: My Story: Isaiah Bingham

After watching, ask: How has Isaiah’s eyesight affected him? How has he kept it from holding him back?

Preview Words to Know

Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• barrier 
• persevere

Set a Purpose for Reading

Point out the As You Read question, and encourage students to think about the difference between “vision” and “sight.”

1. What does Isaiah mean when he says “I prove a lot of people wrong”? Isaiah means that he does things—like riding a bike and playing football, basketball, and baseball—that other people don’t expect him to be able to do because of his eyesight. 

^{(RI.4.1 INFERENCE)}

2. What is the section “Beating the Odds” mainly about? This section is mainly about how Isaiah’s mom arrived at the decision to let him play tackle football. 

^{(RI.4.2 MAIN IDEA)}

3. What is the meaning behind Isaiah’s nickname? Isaiah’s coach gave him the nickname “Vision” because “even though Isaiah doesn’t have perfect eyesight, he has a clear vision for what he wants out of life.” 

^{(RI.4.1 TEXT EVIDENCE)}

FEATURED SKILL: Explanatory Writing

Use the skill builder “Go for Your Goals” to have students outline how they might pursue their goals just as Isaiah has. Download it as Google Slides or a PDF.

^{(W.4.2 EXPLANATORY WRITING)}