Families and their Pets 1st grade Unit Plan

Language and
Level / Grade

5-7 year olds

(Kindergarten-2nd
grade)

Approximate
Length of Unit
Approximate
Number of Minutes
Weekly

Theme/Topic
Essential
Question

Families and
their Pets

Essential Question: Why do

people have pets?

Goals
What should
learners know and
be able to do by
the end of the
unit?

Summative
Performance
Assessment

These tasks are

real-world &
demonstrate
application of
learning
They are
integrated
throughout the

5 weeks
360 (90 mn/day) 4
days a week

Learners will be able to:

1. Identify family members.
2. Identify farm vocabulary (barn, fence, pond etc.).
3. Identify names of domestic animals (including farm
animals).
4. Identify body parts of a dog and body parts of a
horse.
5. Tell each other which animals they like/dislike and
love (share favorite animal and why).
6. Ask family members and friends about which
animals they dislike or like (and which animal is
their favorite).
7. Present their family by members and each of their
animal interests.
8. Talk about which animals they would like to own
and why.
9. Describe animals using these adjectives:
small/large + rough/smooth/soft + color.
10.
Act out teachers prepositional commands
(ie. Go under the table. Stand on a chair.)
11.
Create (write) sentences using articles and
prepositions about where animals are on the farm
(ie. The swan is on the barn. A chicken is in the
barn.)

Interpretive Mode
-Receive three period lessons on necessary vocabulary
(family members, domestic animals, size, texture) with
small model animals and wooden figures of family
members.
-Listen to books that the teacher reads about families (in
different countries) and animals.
-Listen to songs about families and animals.
-Listen to animal noises and identify the animal.

unit.
The template
encourages
multiple
interpretive tasks
that inform the
content of the
presentational
and interpersonal
tasks.
The tasks
incorporate 21
Century Skills:
Communication,
Collaboration,
Critical Thinking,
Creativity.
st

-Act out prepositional commands that the teacher gives

(ie. Under the table. etc.).
-Look at photos forming a family tree of a popular
family on TV like Modern Family and identify who is
who by relationship.
-Watch Eres Tu Mi Mama? video.
-Listen to teacher read tweets about animals and circle
the picture of the corresponding animal in each tweet.
-Read sentences written by peers about the location of
animals on a farm and place the animals in the
appropriate locations.
Presentational Mode
-Sing songs about
families and animals and
make finger puppets of
family members and
animals.
-Bring in family photo
and describe who is
who.
-Draw a family tree
including pets and
present it.
-Talk about why each
family member does or
does not have animals.
-Write sentences
describing the location
of animals on a farm
including articles,
prepositions and animal
names.
-Create a skit with a
small group of friends
after watching Eres Tu
Mi Mama?.

Cultures
(Sample
Evidence)
Indicate the
relationship
between the

Interpersonal Mode
-Break into pairs, talk about
family, identifying the number
of siblings, aunts,
grandparents etc. that they
have.
-Talk to a friend about the
animals they like/dislike.
-Talk to a friend about animals
their relatives like.
-Talk to skype buddies in the
Dominican Republic about
their families and animals.
-Talk with their own families,
Grandparents, second cousins
etc. and ask them about their
interest in animals.
-Ask and answer questions
about each others family
photos and family trees used
in their presentations.

Product: Guard dogs in areas of the Dominican

Republic.
Practice: Dogs are tied to a chain inside or in front of a
house for protection.
Perspective: Many people in the Dominican Republic
are afraid of big dogs.

(Compare to dogs being used as companions and

discuss why it is not always safe to go up and pet a dog)

product, practice,
and perspective.

Product: Horses being used to carry loads and/or give

tourists rides on the beach in places in Guatemala.
Practice: Farmers/crafters use horses and mules to
carry their produce to the market. Others use horses as
a source of income offering tourists thrilling bareback
rides.
Perspective: Horses are helpful in making money.
(Compare to certain practices in the US of horses being
costly to own and show).
Making
Connections
Math:
-pink tower,
size
presentation
-red rods,
length
presentation

Connections
(Sample Evidence)

Comparisons
(Sample Evidence)

Acquiring Information

Pictures of guard dog signs in Spanish.

Pictures of lost dog signs in Spanish.
Pictures of horses carrying loads.

Sensorial
language:
-Color tablets
-touch tablets
-fabric box
Culture/social
studies:
-The three Ps
-Books
-Skype
conversations
Language
Comparisons
Dominican pen
pals (Skype)
-Compare
families, who
has pets and
why.

Cultural Comparisons
Animals for pleasure (fun) or profit
(necessity)?
Do they/you need your animals to
make money, eat, drink milk, ride? Etc.

Communities
(Sample Evidence)

Connections
to Common
Core

School and
Community
-Bring in a local
farmer to talk
about what he
does.
-Have students
or friends of
the school
bring in 1 pet
to visit
occasionally
and describe it
in the target
language.
-Teacher reads
books about
communities/fa
milies in other
Latin American
countries.

Lifelong Learning

N/A

N/A

Toolbox
FUNCTIONS:
Listing members of the family
Identifying domestic animals
Expressing likes/dislikes about animals/pets
Asking and responding to simple questions about families and pets
Comparing families and pets with classmates and Dominican pen pals
(only verbally)

Can-do Statements
Interpretive
(L+R) I can understand the name of
the members of the family.
(L) I can understand which
animals my friends and family
like.
(L+R) I can understand and
respond to the sentences my
classmates write me about
where to place small animals on
our class model farm.
(L) I can understand a
description of an animal and
draw it (size, color etc.)
Presentational
(S+W) I can identify my family
members
(S) I can talk about which animals I
like/dislike and share which animal is
my favorite.
(W) I can create sentences with
presentations and articles about
where animals are located on the
farm.
Interpersonal
I can ask who familiy members
are in a photo.
I can ask a friend about the
animals they and their family
like.
I can describe the size, shape
and texture of an animal shown
to me.
I can ask and answer simple
questions about my family and
pets.
I can compare what pets friends

Related
Structures /
Patterns
This is my(a)
(family
member).
I like/dont like
(animal name)
because
I/she/he
likes/loves/hate
s (animal
name)
because...
My/her/his
favorite animal
is
I would like to
have (animal
name) as a pet.
Do you like?
What animals
do you like?
Why do you like
(animal name)?
The (animal
name) is
(preposition)
the
(object/location
). Ie. The
horse is in the
field.

Priority
Vocabulary
Mom
Under
Dad
Next
to (beside)
Sister
On
Brother
In
Stepmom
Behind
Stepdad
Stepsister
Secondary
Vocab:
Stepbrother
House
Grandpa
Barn
Grandma
Fence
Cousin
Pond
Aunt
Field
Uncle
Dog
Tai
l
Horse
Paw
Cat
H
oof
Fish
Ma
ne
Hamster
Cow

have/dont have and why.

Rough
Goat
Soft
Chicken
Small
Key Learning Activities/Formative Assessments
How does this
Key Learning Activity/Formative
activity support
Mode of
Assessment
the unit goals or
Communication
(representative samples from beginning
performance
to end of unit)
tasks?
Listen to a recording of a
Identify family
Dominican child talking about his
Interpretive
members and pets
family and pets
Identify animals
Brainstorm domestic animals
(learn which
(farm animals and animals at
animals names the Interpersonal
home)
children already
know)
3 period lessons with model
Learn and review
Interpretive
animals
new animal names
3 period lessons with wooden
Learn and review
Interpretive
family members
new family names
Sing animal songs and rhymes:
Practice animal
Old Mcdonalds, The Farmer and
names and
Presentational/Int
the dell, Los Pollitos Dicen/ Un
sounds.
erpersonal
gato/Don Gato/Donde esta el
Improvise!
Gatito?
Make connections
about relation of
Listen to family song and color a
family members
Interpretive
corresponding family tree
and the formation
of family trees
Practice asking the
Sing songs about likes and
question, What
Presentational/Int
dislikes: Ali, Culi, Colores/De
do you like? and
erpersonal
Colores
saying the phrase
I like
Bring in photo of family and
Identify family
Presentational
present who the members are
members

Make a family tree including pets

(Color in an outline created by
teacher)--Present and then
answer classmates questions

Identify family
members and pets
and gives an
opportunity to
practice
vocabulary
learned

Presentational/Int
erpretive

Talk with each other and

Dominican Skype friends about
animals they and their family like
and dislike.

Practice family and

animal vocabulary

Interpersonal

3 period lessons with the pink

tower, red rods, touch boards,
color box 3 and fabric boxes
Twiccionario Mascotas (teacher
reads the tweets about pets and
students circle the appropriate
animal photo on their hand out)
Listen/watch to the song Pulcino
Pio- El pollito pio
Watch Are you my Mother?
(Eres Tu Mi Mama?)
Create skits with small groups of
friends after watching Are you
my Mother?

Provide the
vocabulary
(adjectives) that
the children may
need to describe
their pets
Exposure to
descriptive
phrases about
pets
Review animal
names and sounds
Modeling
questioning of
family members
and animal review.
Personifying family
members and
animals

Resources
http://zachary-jones.com/zambombazo/videopulcino-pio-el-pollito-pio/
file:///Users/rebeccachristensen/Downloads/twicci
onario_mascotas%20(1).pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwIaRrEArGw
https://rockalingua.com/songs/family-members
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/282249101625214
405/
https://spanishplans.org/2011/10/24/family-treespanish/

Interpretive

Interpretive
Interpretive
Interpretive

Interpersonal/Pres
entational
Technology
Integration

Skype with Dominican

Students
Listen to a recording of
a Dominican child
talking about family
Watch a short video,
Eres Tu Mi Mama?
Listen to family song
and color
Watch and listen to the
video of the animal

Babys First Steps in Spanish by Maria R.

Prettyman

Clementi/Terrill 2013; Modified by Clementi 2014

song