Unit Plan

Audree Crites Theme: Our Planet Grade Level: 2nd Grade Rationale: In this unit, the students will learn more about Earth and how we can improve it through integrated reading, writing, and social skills lessons. Motivation/Classroom Management: For this unit, I will create a Help Our Earth scavenger hunt. Whenever a student completes an activity correctly, he or she receives a clue. At the end of the unit, if students have the full set of clues for the hunt, the yll be able to participate. The scavenger hunt will take place on the schools playground/nature trail area. Goals: 1. The students will be able to write or draw 3 things they know about recycling. 2. After reading/hearing/seeing various stories and videos related to Earth Day, students will be able to correctly answer comprehension questions about Earth and how to care for it. 3. Given 12 words/pictures related to recycling, students will be able to match them up with their correct definitions. 4. The students will create a story detailing a walk through one of Earths habitats. The story will include a clear beginning, middle, and ending, have a problem and a solution, have a distinct main character, and give descriptive details about the habitat where it takes place. 5. The students will demonstrate the ability to work in groups and to take turns listening to the input of others in addition to offering up their own ideas and opinions Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.5 Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.7 Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 23 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3 Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1a Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences Instructional Strategies: 1. Explicit Instruction- Explicit teaching involves directing student attention toward specific learning in a highly structured environment. It is teaching that is focused on producing specific learning outcomes. 2. Reflective Discussion- Reflective discussions encourage students to think and talk about what they have observed, heard, or read. The teacher initiates the discussion by asking a question that requires students to reflect upon and interpret films, experiences, read or recorded stories, or illustrations. 3. Experiential Learning- The emphasis in experiential learning is on the process of learning and not on the product. Experiential learning can be viewed as a cycle consisting of five phases, all of which are necessary: -experiencing (an activity occurs);

-sharing or publishing (reactions and observations are shared); -analyzing or processing (patterns and dynamics are determined); -inferring or generalizing (principles are derived); and, -applying (plans are made to use learning in new situations) 4. Brainstorming- Brainstorming is a large or small group activity which encourages children to focus on a topic and contribute to the free flow of ideas. 5. Cooperative Learning- Cooperative learning is an instructional strategy that simultaneously addresses academic and social skill learning by students. It is a wellresearched instructional strategy and has been reported to be highly successful in the classroom.

Technology: For this unit, the students will watch videos using an overhead projector. Some students will draw pictures using an illustration application on an Ipad. Students will all use classroom computers to access the Scholastic website for a comprehension quiz. Real-World Transfer: Students will learn to work towards a common goal with their peers. They will learn specific ways to help other people the world around them. Students will set up classroom (and possibly school-wide) recycling/conservation/ planting projects.

Reading Lesson Plan #1

Objectives: After seeing/reading the book The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss, students will be able to fill in a graphic organizer demonstrating their comprehension. Academic Language: Words/terms students must understand to fill in graphic organizer- main character, beginning, middle, conclusion, author, genre Words directly from the text that well discuss after reading- needs, protect, factory, smog, nuisance, glorious, pardon Materials: -Copies of The Lorax for each student -teacher-designed graphic organizers Activities and Procedures: Hook: Ask students to raise their hands and tell why its important to take care of our belongings. Ask them if they think its important to keep our bedrooms, houses, cars, and classroom clean (again, calling on those students who volunteer). Lastly, use the Whip Around, Pass strategy to get students answers to why its important to take care of our Earth. Introduction: Show students a copy of the book The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss. Use student helpers to pass the books out to the class. Ask the class if by looking at the cover, they can guess what the book might be about and/or the genre of the book. Body: After students have shared their ideas, explain to them that were trying a new method of reading today. I (teacher) begin all of the sentences in the book, and you (whole class) choral-read the ending portion of each sentence. This will be fun! Read the text as described above in the introduction. If youre not hearing the whole class, remind students that everyone should be participating, but reassure them that if they dont know all the words, its alright.

After reading each 3-5 pages of the text, pause to quickly do a think-aloud to summarize relevant information. Closing: Mention certain vocabulary from the story that you feel the students might be unfamiliar with. Tell them what they mean, and then as a class, brainstorm sentences using the words. Write these sentences on the board so everyone can see them, underlining the focus words. Discuss any words students may need clarification on from the graphic organizer. Evaluation: The students will complete a graphic organizer. They will have to write the title of the book, the author, tell names of main characters, tell the important plot points from the beginning, middle, and end segments of the story (at least one complete sentence for each segment of the story), and name the genre of the text. Differentiation: For students with Learning Disabilities: When completing the graphic organizer, perhaps allow ALL students in the class to pair up. If students work individually, advise them to re-read portions of the text if necessary, or read those portions for them. Scribe for them, if necessary. This way, they can fully focus on comprehension strategies and remembering the text, without having to worry about their handwriting, spelling, or grammar. For students with ADHD: To further engage these students, and ensure they understand the task, have them verbalize the directions before beginning. When all students have completed the graphic organizer, ask the whole class to stand up at their desks. Say, If you enjoyed this story, jump up and down three times! or Raise your hand if you said the Lorax was the main character. or Clap your hands four times if you think the genre of the book is fiction. or do all of them o r any other type of kinesthetic activity to get students energized and moving. Extension Activities: Have student draw and color a picture of something they will do to help make Earth a better place. Underneath the picture, tell them to write at least three sentences describing what they will do and why it will be beneficial to the planet and its residents.

Reading Lesson Plan #2

Objectives: After theyve been given a randomly chosen word related to Earth Day, students will be able to work in pairs to construct an appropriate visual representation of that word. Academic Language: Recycle, reduce, reuse, conserve, habitat, pollution Activities and Procedures: Hook: Say to the class, Raise your hand if you have a recycling bin at home. Once students have responded, say Good! Recycling helps our planet by reducing amounts of trash and waste. Today well be making a word wall together as a class. It will use words related to recycling. Word walls are fun ways to learn new words or review words you may not quite understand. I want you to have fun, and be creative during this lesson! Introduction: On the board, write the words recycle, earth, trash, reduce, reuse, paper, conserve, habitat, ocean, pollution, aluminum, plastic, and glass. Tell students to look over the words and try to remember what image pops into their heads for each word. Body: Get students into groups of two, and assign each group one of the words above. Write the names of the group members next to their word on the board. Provide dictionaries, and ensure that the students know where to locate them. Designate a spot in the classroom as the art center, and provide glue sticks, scissors, construction paper, crayons, glitter, markers, magazines, newspapers, etc. Show students the space in the classroom where theyre finished products will be displayed. Tell them to do their very best, as everyone who enters the classroom will see their work! Students will work in their groups to a) write their word on construction paper and b) define the word and c) draw/color or cut out and glue a visual representation of that word to fill the remainder of the paper. When everyone is finished, the teacher will staple or velcro the completed pictures up on the word wall. Closing: Call students up to the wall by group, and have them give a brief explanation of their word and what they drew/cut out.

Evaluation: Students will use either their journals or separate paper to write three complete sentences about what they learned during the lesson. This will further reinforce the learning that took place. If time permits, a brief whole-class discussion might also be helpful to further clarify any difficult new concepts. Differentiation For student with a Learning Disability: This activity has built in flexibility for modifications. The student with a learning disability could be paired up with a typical learner, and both could do the aspect of the project with which they feel most comfortable. If possible, give extra time for completion of the project. For student with ADHD: This activity has built in kinesthetic activity. Students get up to retrieve art supplies, dictionaries, and at the end of the lesson to give their finished product to the teacher and present it to the class. Extension Activities: Watch a video clip about how recycling centers really work. Have students fill in a graphic organizer using the Know, Want to Know, Learned strategy of comprehension.

Reading Lesson Plan #3

Objectives: Students will be able to independently read an article and identify the key details of that article. Academic Language: recycle, recyclable, reduce, reuse, conserve, aluminum, pollution Activities and Procedures: Hook: Hold up an aluminum can. Ask students to first identify what it is, then tell what they think it could be recycled and then remade into. Do the same with a piece of rubber from a car tire, extra school worksheets (paper), and a plastic water bottle. Introduction: Tell students, Were going to take some time now to read an article about recycling, since its almost Earth Day. I want you to take your time, because once were all finished, well be getting into pairs to talk about the article. Pay attention to the vocabulary notes/definitions on the sides of the articles pages. Body: Pass out the article. Advise students to highlight or underline anything they feel is important, and then have students begin reading. Once the majority are finished, either assign pairs or let them choose a partner to discuss the article. Students can talk about what theyve read (summarize), their opinion on the piece, or ask one another questions to clarify understanding. Tell students that if both members of a group are unsure of the answer to a question, they are welcome to approach another group for an answer. Once groups have had about ten minutes together, advise students to return to their regular seats. Closing: Ask the whole class if there are any further questions regarding the article. If so, address these questions. Evaluation: Students will go to www.scholastic.com to take a brief comprehension quiz over the article. Differentiation For student with a Learning Disability:

Instead of reading the article by herself, the student could listen to the article on tape while following along with the text. Along these same lines, the Scholastic quiz and its answers could be read to the student by a teacher or aide sitting next to her computer. For student with ADHD: Instead of just looking at the objects mentioned in the hook of this lesson, all students could get up and touch/hold them. This student could also be given the choice to read an interactive version of this article on the Scholastic website (certain words have links to fun, animated learning clips). Both of these suggestions provide for further engagement, and by getting up to manipulate the objects, students get some built in kinesthetic activity. Extension Activities: Create a classroom display about recycling. Have students bring in recyclable objects from home (that they do not need back!). Then, have students write a story about the exciting journey this object is taking to become something new. Pair up the objects and their stories and place around the room in the style of an art gallery, making sure to list the artists name next their work.

Writing Lesson Plan #1

Objectives: Students will produce a cohesive, coherent letter written in the proper format. Academic Language: Nourish, protect, sharing, playing, connected, partnership Materials: The book The Earth and I, by Frank Asch, overhead projector, examples of letters at an appropriate reading level, letter template worksheet, crayons or colored pencils Optional: envelopes, mailbox Activities and Procedures: Hook: Ask students, Have you ever written a letter to another person? Has another person ever written a letter to you? Its nice to write letters to our friends or family that we dont get to see very often. Have any of you ever written a letter to a planet? Introduction: Hold up the book The Earth and I, by Frank Asch. Tell students youll be reading it to them, so they should listen closely. Tell them theyll get to write a letter to Earth when the book ends. Body: Read the book to students. Take the time to briefly discuss parts of the book, or to answer any questions. Ask volunteers to tell the class one reason they appreciate our planet. Using an overhead projector, show a few examples of good letter writing to students. Point out placement of the date, the greeting, separation of paragraphs, grammar, closing, signature, etc. Pass out Dear Planet Earth letter template to students. Closing: Tell students to take a few moments (either individually or in pairs of two) to think about/discuss reasons they want to take care of our planet. Evaluation:

Students will fill in the letter template, telling the Earth how they plan to take care of it and why they appreciate it so much. Students may then make a picture on the back of the worksheet showing one of their favorite parts of our Earth. Differentiation For student with a Learning Disability: The teacher or an aide could transcribe the letter for the student, if necessary. Alternatively, the student could draw various pictures showing what he or she loves about our planet. This student could then explain the pictures either to the teacher or whole class. For student with ADHD: To add some movement to the lesson, students with ADHD might act as delivery people to bring the letters to a designated classroom location when completed. These students could also help the teacher place the letters in envelopes (unsealed) for future placement on a classroom billboard. Extension Activities: Learn about Earths neighbor planets, and have student write letters to those planets explaining why they would or would not want to take a vacation there.

Writing Lesson Plan #2

Objectives: Students will deepen their understanding of vocabulary related to Earth Day. They will provide examples of their understanding by constructing relevant complete sentences about the topic. Academic Language: Reduce, reuse, recycle Materials: Previously constructed interactive word wall, worksheet I can reduce by.., dry erase board or chalkboard, computer (YouTube), projector Activities and Procedures: Hook: Tell students that there are many things they can do to make our Earth a better place for everyone and everything on it. Explain to them that theyll be making a special list of wh at they might do to help keep our planet beautiful and healthy. Introduction: Direct students attention to the previously constructed word wall displaying Earth Day terms. Tell them that all of their hard work paid off, because they can use the wall to help them with the upcoming lesson! Body: Have students watch the short video about recycling located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtoeZ9Nkeqk. Ask if there are any questions or comments about the video. Encourage students to walk over to the word wall and closely examine the visuals/definitions. Pass out worksheet. Closing: Ask students if there are any words they think should be added to the word wall, and if so, note these words for an extension activity. Discuss what the additional words mean, and time permitting, ask for volunteers to use the words in a sentence. Evaluation: Students will complete the worksheet I can reduce by.I can reuse by.I can recycle by They should give at least two ways they can do each thing. Time permitting, students can get

into small groups to share what they came up with, or a class Whip Around, Pass could be utilized. Lastly, the teacher can make a chart on the board displaying all student responses. Differentiation For student with a Learning Disability: The student could draw what they would do to help Earth instead of writing about it. In this way, they can still otherwise fully participate in the lesson. For student with ADHD: By allowing the students to walk over to and examine the interactive word wall, this lesson has built in kinesthetic activity. Also, between the video, writing, drawing, and discussion, there are multiple pathways to student engagement in this lesson. Extension Activities: Any additional words that students thought up related to Earth Day can be added to the interactive classroom word wall. Students could also make a collage of things related to recycling/Earth Day, and then write a brief explanation of their collage.

Writing Lesson Plan #3

Objectives: Students will relate a text to themselves by writing a fictional story about a walk through the jungle. Academic Language: Jungle, leopard, toucan, roaring, vine, humid, habitat Activities and Procedures: Hook: Ask students if they like to explore outside. Ask them where they like to do their outdoor exploring (parks, backyard, sidewalk, ponds, etc.). Introduction: Play the video/song Walking in the Jungle for students. Its located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoSq-yZcJ-4. Ask volunteers for examples of plants or animals we might encounter in a jungle, sounds we might hear, things we might feel, etc. Write these responses on the board, and leave them up for students to refer to during their writing activity. Pass out copies of the book A Jungle Journey, by Nya Parkes. Body: Play A Jungle Journey on tape as students follow along in their texts. Briefly review the parts of a story with students, such as the setting, the main characters, the problem, and the solution. Name these components from A Jungle Journey. Tell students theyll be writing their own short story about a walk through the jungle. Closing: Tell students to use one anothers ideas written on the board, and anything else they know about jungles to write the most interesting story they can. Evaluation: Stories can be evaluated using a teacher-designed rubric. Students can get into groups to share their stories with each other. Differentiation For student with a Learning Disability:

This student could record his story instead of writing it down. Alternatively, the student could act out the story for the class. For student with ADHD: During the book on tape, the teacher could urge students to Roar along with the tiger! or Stand up now, and walk around the room like elephants walk! This would incorporate movement into the lesson for restless students. Extension Activities: Write about journeys through different habitats on planet Earth.

Social Skills Lesson Plan #1

Objectives: Guide students toward thinking about the power of collective actions (teamwork). Academic Language: Together, group, everybody, team, individual, accomplish Materials: The book What If Everyone Did That, Ipad(s) Activities and Procedures: Hook: Tell students about something youve done with a group, and explain how having other people help you made it a better experience. For example, Over the weekend, my family and I weeded our flowerbeds. Im glad they helped me, because I got to be with my fa vorite people and we got the work done much faster than I would have working alone. Introduction: Using the Whip Around, Pass strategy, ask the class to give examples of things that are better when done as a group. Body: Read the book What If Everyone Did That, by Ellen Javernick (this book is a fun way to explain cause and effect and teamwork to students). Ask students why it would be bad if everyone littered. Ask why it would be good if everyone picked up trash from the ground. Ask why it would be bad if everyone drove by themselves to work each day, and why it would be good if people gave each other rides or rode bikes to work together. Do this with a few different environmental topics from the book. Closing: Have students break into small groups (3-4 student per group) to discuss ways Earth would be different if everyone worked together to improve it. Evaluation:

Each group should produce three written ways (complete sentences) they could work together to help the Earth. Each group can then read their best reason aloud to the class. Differentiation For student with a Learning Disability: Since this is a group activity, the student with a learning disability could still fully participate. Another member of his or her group could do the writing, but the student could still come up with ideas and help to explain to the class why their shared idea was a favorite. For student with ADHD: This student could use an Ipad application to produce a picture or chart about the benefits of group work. It would incorporate a more visual learning style into the lesson, which would be beneficial to many students with ADHD. Extension Activities: Plan a lesson on ways to manage conflict within a group.

Social Skills Lesson Plan #2

Objective: Students will see how sharing common interests can lead to collaboration and bonding. Academic Language: Interests, similar, bond, collaborate, helpful, litter, public or shared space Materials: Laminated paper Earth cutouts for each student (student names written in Sharpie), adhesive magnets, dry erase board Activities and Procedures: Hook: Ask students what types of things they like to do with their friends. Hear various examples, and then say, Usually, friends share common interests. This means that they tend to like doing the same types of things together. When we have the same likes/dislikes and hobbies/interests, we can easily bond with others. Introduction: Go to board and ask for students to volunteer activities that can be done in and around the school building to make our Earth better. Write down all suggestions that dont overlap. Examples- picking up litter on the playground, starting a class paper recycling project, petitioning the cafeteria to stop using foam trays, planting new trees on school grounds, etc. Body: As a class, vote on the four activities that are most practical for doing during school hours or that would help Earth the most. Erase board, and write the four winning activities across the board, column style. Pass out laminated paper Earths to students. Advise them to place their Earth under the activity that sounds the most fun or rewarding to them. If results are unbalanced, encourage students to try something new, or to join up with a group that they may not know as well to get to know classmates better.

Closing: Say, Okay, now that were divided into four groups, lets sit together with our groups and talk about how we can carry out these Earth-improving projects. Give each person a chance to speak up, and lets consider all ideas. Were just brainstorming right now! Evaluation: Pass out the Earth Improvement Project worksheet to all students. Remaining in their groups, they will fill them in together to outline the tentative steps their group will take to see their project come to life. Differentiation For student with a Learning Disability: This student may have an aide or the teacher transcribe the worksheet for him. Otherwise, this student could fully participate in the lesson. For student with ADHD: This is a very interactive, energetic lesson, so a student with ADHD would be engaged throughout the lesson. Extension Activities: To extend this lesson, Id help the students to actually carry out their project ideas, if feasible. This would give all students a chance to work as part of a team and to get to know their classmates better.

Social Skills Lesson Plan #3

Objective: Teach students that its good to work together for the benefit of others and for our Earth. Academic Language:
Accessible, historic, video, countryside, saved, producer, excited, steam, aboard, change

Materials: The book Make a Difference Express, by Jody Williams, computer, overhead projector, students writing journals Activities and Procedures: Hook: Have students volunteer to tell you ways theyve helped out other people, such as siblings, parents, neighbors, or friends. Ask them if anyone has ever helped out another living creature, like a pet, a squirrel, a bird, etc. Introduction: Ask students why it might be better to have a whole group of people helping at once. Brainstorm ideas as a class, and come up with some examples related to Earth Day. Body: Show student two short video clips about teamwork and collaboration, located at www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fxtwWkNNsY and www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHQD-FQ8opm. Read students the book Make a Difference Express, by Jody Williams. After reading, reinforce for students that they too can make a difference, just like the boy from the book did when he recycled bottles and used his earnings to buy train tickets for other children who couldnt afford them. Closing: Put students into small groups (2-3 students) and have them talk about ways they could work together to help out others and our planet the way JT from the book did.

Evaluation: Students will use their writing journals to tell 1) a way theyve helped make a difference for someone important to them. 2) at least one idea for a classroom project that would make a difference and make our world a better place and 3) state why working together can be better than working alone.

Differentiation For student with a Learning Disability: Instead of writing in a journal, this student could draw a picture showing these concepts, or cut pictures from magazines to show people making a difference together. For student with ADHD: The multi-media activities built into this lesson, along with the group discussion and writing activity provide many opportunities for engagement with the material. Extension Activities: Read and discuss the book Alexs Lemonade Stand, by Jordan Abramson. Watch the YouTube clip about Alex and how he made a difference with the help of his friends and family.

Additional Lesson Materials