Mae Jemison Reading Selection Reading Passage
Subject: Mae Jemison | Lexile: 150L
Student Name
Mae and the Stars
Mae lived in a big city. She looked at the stars. She had a big dream. She wanted to go to space.
Mae loved science. She worked hard. She became a doctor. She helped people. But she still wanted to go to space.
Mae went to a space school. Then she went into space. She was on a big rocket. She was the first Black woman in space. She made her dream come true.
Look
Read
Go
Quick Check
1. What did Mae look at in the city?
2. What was Mae's big dream?
3. How did Mae get to space?
Star Bound Lesson Plan Star Bound
Lesson Plan: Mae Jemison & Future Selves
Duration
45 Minutes
Objective
Students will analyze the life of Mae Jemison, identify key vocabulary in English and Spanish, and use Adobe Express to create a digital avatar representing their future career goals.
Materials Needed
Book: Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed
"Mae Jemison" Reading (150 Lexile)
Vocab Vault Graphic Organizer
Future Me Worksheet
Laptops/Tablets with Adobe Express access
ELL Supports
Bilingual sensory word bank (EN/ES)
Visual scaffolds in slides
High-frequency simple text (150L)
Instructional Flow
05 min
Hook & Book Introduction
Read aloud Mae Among the Stars . Focus on the theme: "If you can dream it, you can be it." Use visual cues from the illustrations to check for understanding.
10 min
Reading & Vocab Vault
Distribute the 150 Lexile text . Students read silently or with a partner. Guide them through the Vocab Vault , filling out sensory words (English/Spanish) like stars/estrellas , cold/frío , and dark/oscuro .
10 min
Future Self Writing
Students use the Future Me Worksheet to draft their paragraph. Provide sentence frames: "I want to be a..." and "I will help people by..." Ensure they use at least 2 words from their sensory word bank.
20 min
Adobe Express Animation
Show students how to use the "Animate from Audio" feature in Adobe Express.
1. Choose an avatar.
2. Record the paragraph.
3. Download/Share.
Success Criteria
✓ Identifies 2-3 key details from the Mae Jemison text.
✓ Completes a 3-5 sentence paragraph about a future goal.
✓ Produces a digital avatar video using their own voice.
Teacher Tip
For students with low confidence in recording, allow them to work in a "Quiet Zone" or record in pairs. Emphasize that the avatar doesn't have to look like them; it should look like the career they want!
Star Bound Slides Star Bound
Dreaming Big with Mae Jemison
Step 1: Discover
Step 2: Write
Step 3: Create
Who is Mae Jemison?
"She looked at the stars. She had a big dream."
— From the Story
She was a doctor .
She was an astronaut .
She followed her dreams .
Time to Read!
Let's read the 150L story together.
Vocab Vault
English
Dream
Doctor
Rocket
Space
Español
Sueño
Doctora
Cohete
Espacio
Sensory
How does the story feel, look, or sound ?
Cold / Frío Bright / Brillante Big / Grande
Create Your Avatar
1
Write your paragraph .
2
Use Adobe Express .
3
Pick an avatar and record !
Ready to record?
Your avatar will speak your dreams!
Vocab Vault Organizer Vocab Vault
Building words for my future
Name
Date
Key Vocabulary
Words from the story in English and Spanish.
Dream Sueño
Stars Estrellas
Science Ciencia
Doctor Doctora
Space Espacio
Rocket Cohete
Sensory Word Bank
Words to describe what you see and feel.
Sense English Español Sight Bright, Big, Dark Brillante, Grande, Oscuro Sound Quiet, Loud Silencioso, Ruidoso Touch Cold, Hard Frío, Duro Feel Brave, Proud, Happy Valiente, Orgullosa, Feliz
Brainstorm: My Career Sensory Words
What will I see?
How will I feel?
Future Me Scaffolds Worksheet My Future Story
Scaffolded Writing Support
Name:
Date:
Use these Sentence Stems to help you write your story. Choose the words from your Vocab Vault to fill in the blanks!
Sentence Stems
When I grow up, I want to be a because I love .
In my career, I will see and hear .
I will feel when I am working.
Like Mae Jemison, I will work hard by .
My Final Paragraph
Combine your sentences above into one paragraph here. This is what you will record for your avatar!
Used Vocab Vault
3+ Sentences
Sensory Words
Ready for Adobe Express!
Future Me Worksheet Future Me
My Dream Job
Name:
Date:
1
Write
What is your dream job? Use words from your Vocab Vault . Write 3 sentences.
3 Sentences Use Sensory Words
My Story
2
Create
To Do Checklist
Open Adobe Express
Pick your avatar
Record your voice
Save your video
Your avatar will speak your story! Choose a character that matches your dream job.
Need Help?
"When I grow up, I want to be a..."
Star Bound ELL Series