Grade level: Kindergarten

This is a pullout class of 8 ELLs who have no literacy in their L1s. Four are at Level 2 Emerging and
four at Level 3 Developing.
Time of year: September/October: The children have spent the first month getting to know
their teachers, each other, and the procedures of the classroom. Previous weeks have focused
on personal topics like family, getting dressed, and food.
This weeks theme: Bugs and Butterflies.
This unit introduces words outside the personal sphere, and brings nature and science into the
classroom, blending learning in math, reading and language as well. Likely through the summer
the children saw bugs and butterflies in the park, the yard or the garden and will have their own
experiences to bring to the conversation.

Rationale & Purpose

The unit draws on the following TESOL theories of learning and teaching:

Integrated Learning: Overlapping development in Language, Reading, Writing, Math, Science,

Art and Social-Emotional learning.

Second Language Acquisition (SLA): Encouraging spoken and written language that is
student generated in natural conversation about things that interest them.

Zone of Proximal Development Theory: Targeting learning just above but within reach of
each student's current capability and differentiating activities for learners at different
levels

Performance-Based Learning and the use of WIDA Performance Definitions

Constructivist: Student focused learning where student is engaged, speaking and

actively participating, and has a sense of co-ownership of the learning process.

Project-based learning: Communicative language is part of the process of problemsolving and collaboration among the students in creating a project together

Total Body using props to act out a story, students both express understanding and
absorb the meaning

Expert Sources
In developing this unit, we have referenced work by Dr. Stephen Krashen, Dr. Carol Tomlinson, and Dr.
Lorraine Valdez-Pierce.
We take Krashens approach to Second Language Acquisition (SLA), creating opportunities for the
students to have naturally occurring conversation and communication around project based activities
they are interested in.
Tomlinsons work on differentiating learning in the classroom is very useful. In simplest terms, she says:
a. Readiness leads to growth, because students are sufficiently challenged that they will
learn, but not so challenged that they become confused.
b. Interest leads to Motivation, when students are engaged with the material because they
are able to make a personal connection, and motivated learners usually perform better.
c. Learning Profiles it lead to efficiency when students can choose from a variety of
activities and materials, and can grasp the information in the easiest way for their brains
to process it.

Dr. Lorraine Valdez Pierce, Associate Professor of Education, at George Mason University reframes
assessment as not just for the purpose of counting, auditing, and tallying but to be used as a diagnostic
and teaching tool. We followed her guidance on using teacher-developed assessments that contain
familiar material, provide context, and can be implemented in a contextual manner, through
observation or interaction between the teacher and student. Summative assessments also include
checklists and anecdotal records, as well as student journals and student-generated work. The teachers
observations both document a childs learning and can be used to give them feedback about how close
they are to the goal. Dr. Pierce describes, even with a young learner, a respectful relationship that
empowers the student as the one responsible for learning, and the teachers role more as coach and
guide.

Citations:
Krashen, S. (1982) Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Oxford:
Pergamon.
Tomlinson, C. William Clay Parrish Jr. Professor of Education
Curry School of Education - University of Virginia. Video on differentiated learning
retrieved from: http://differentiationcentral.com/
Valdez Pierce, L. (n.d.). Assessment of English Language Learners. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.readingrockets.org/webcasts/1003/?trans=yes Reading Rockets,
funded by US Dept of Education, Office of special programs

Read, write, say and understand 10 new basic words that relate to food, shelter and
movement:
eat, home, run, fly, swim, crawl, sleep, jump, hide, egg, fear, fun, bug

Listen to the story of the Very Hungry Caterpillar and be

able to answer questions about what happens in
the story.

Hear the story and be able to act it out using

props and appropriate motions.

Level 2s Emerging: Match words on 3x5 cards

with pictures from the story.
Level 3s Developing: Arrange words and pictures
on a board to tell a story.

Participate in a group project that illustrates the

stages of metamorphosis of a butterfly.

Select a favorite bug from a collection of plastic bugs and play act a conversation between
bugs. (use as assessment for vocabulary, syntax, counting.)

Make a collage of a bug and write a sentence about it selecting from word lists.
Scaffold starting with fill-in sentence frames.
o Level 3s - will write their own sentences.
o Level 2s will use cut up words to make a sentence.

Understand "change" and tell the class about some way they have changed.
Be able to talk about different ways people react to bugs - fear, happiness

Participate in hands-on set up of the Terrarium with butterfly eggs

Count days and mark on a calendar (should take 14 days this will be a continuing science
project)
Know the Math: how many legs does a spider have? How many butterfly eggs on the leaf?
Create a large butterfly using a blank butterfly shape students create their own patterns and
colors and then butterflies are added to the big metamorphosis poster or hung from the ceiling
in the classroom.

Students will demonstrate these competencies:

Able to read, understand, write and use ten new vocabulary words
Able to do the math: count eggs, legs, etc.
L3s - Explain how a butterfly egg metamorphoses into a butterfly
L2s Explain one part of the process
Tactile and small motor skills using a sensory bucket, crayons to design &
color a butterfly, torn paper and glue to make a collage and pencil to write a
story/sentence to go with it.
L2s - Say a self-generated sentence about their bugs
L3s Say and write a self-generated sentence or story about their bugs
Assessment
Formative assessment is used at the outset to see how fluent students are with the more
academic language of natural science, outside their immediate sphere of home and
family. (need more on assessment once we decide what we are doing.) Summative
assessments include observation, checklists, and anecdotal notes as well as student journals
and student work.