Unit Plan

Unit Theme: Earth Watch Designed by: Bae, Jinil

Language Level: Grade 2, Inter. Time Frame: six 50-minute lessons over three weeks

Unit Goals
The goals within this unit on Earth Watch are to provide opportunities for students to:

Content
 develop an understanding of the daily and seasonal cycles that children experience
around them as well as to develop an appreciation for those that occur in other locations
 compare and classify daily and seasonal changes and their effects on living things
 use a variety of materials and tools to conduct scientific investigations

By the end of the lesson, the students should have the knowledge required to answer the
following questions within the unit:
 How day and night differ? (Lesson 1)
 What is making the day warmer? (Lesson 2)
 Does the moon always look the same? (Lesson 3)
 Why do stars only come out at night? (Lesson 4)

Language
(i) use a variety of vocabulary terms such as:
Nouns: cycle, day/daytime, night/nighttime, shade, sun, moon, thermometer, etc
Adjectives: crescent, full, new, low, high, different, seasonal, etc
Verbs: change, explore, happen, occur, investigate, look, etc
(ii) use a variety of grammatical structures such as:
Descriptive sentences: The sun is giant and powerful.
Comparative sentences: Cup in shade is cooler than cup in sunlight.
Cause & effect: I think stars are special because they shine whole world.
(iii) use a variety of discourse structures such as:
Conjunctions: and, but, so that, then
Additives: also, moreover
Choice: I think… I feel….In my opinion….

1
 Overview of Lessons

Lesson 1: How day and night differ?

Content Objective: investigate changes that occur in a daily cycle
Language Objective: use vocabulary describing different times of the day; use idioms
(ex. brush teeth) to represent activities done during different times of the day
Time Activities and Tasks Interaction Focus Materials
Introduction
5  Discuss what Ss have done since they got up T – Ss S, L Pictures
10  Act out (pantomime) one of the things they Group of 3 S Chart
did and every group will try to guess and tell Class paper
what other group are pantomiming. T put up
a chart paper with the word Day and Night
and record Ss’s answer such as wash up on
chart paper
Activities
5  Inform Ss the word, Daytime and Nighttime T – Ss S, L Chart
and discuss how they know it is paper
10  Hand out the Earth Watch text book and Group of 3 R,S Textbook
discuss differences of pg 2 & 3 (Day & Class
Night) in the book. Chart
5  Compare the two chart papers- Day & Night Ss – T S, L paper

Closure
5  Hand out Day & Night sheet and draw and Class W Worksheet
write a picture of an activity of Day & Night
5  Ss direct to move the arrow around the circle T - Ss S, L
pointing out the correct part of the circle
when T says – What comes after night or
day?

Lesson 2: What is making the day warmer?

Content Objective: explore major properties of the Sun: heat and light
Language Objective: use comparative adjectives (ex. Cup in shade is cooler than……) to answer of
question (ex. Which water feels cooler?) of an observation of heat and light
Time Activities and Tasks Interaction Focus Materials
Introduction
5  Discuss what Ss see in the sky in the daytime T – Ss S, L PPT
and at night
Activities cups
15  Do activities testing the sun: heat and light Pair R, L journals
5  Record their observation in their science journals Individual W Door
10  Create a door hanger showing day on one other hanger
and night on the other Individual L,W template;
10  Present door hanger that they make S, L scissors

Closure Worksheet
5  Hand out a hw worksheet (High and Low) a Class S, L
nd introduce how to do that.
2
 Lesson 3: Does the moon always look the same?
Content Objective: describe why the moon has different phrase and what these are called
Language Objective: demonstrate their understanding of the text by answering the posed question by
telling what they learned about the phases of the moon

Time Activities and Tasks Interaction Focus Materials

Introduction
3  Discuss question: Does the moon always T – Ss S, L Textbook
look the same?
7  Pre-teach vocabularies: phases of the moon
Activities cups
5  Read a reading text together Pair R, L socks
10  See video slideshow including phases of the Individual W journals
moon & do work sheet with group Flash
5  Play game checking CCQ of text with group Group S, L Card
10  Create my favorite moon phase craft Individual L Craft
template;
scissors,
crayons

Closure
5  Present craft that they make Individual S, L
 Introduce homework

Lesson 4: Why do stars only come out at night?

Content Objective: create own folktales as they develop a story map of their folktale
Language Objective: use why questions and statements (ex. Why are stars special?) to make
story map
Time Activities and Tasks Interaction Focus Materials
Introduction
5  Listen the story – The stars in the Sky T – Ss L Storybook
5  Discuss about the story heard Class S, L PPT
5  Inform the students folktale T - Ss R, L
Activities
5  Introduce why questions and statement fo T – Ss L PPT
r writing stories; inform making own stor Sample
ies about why the stars only come out at Story map
10 night; Individual W
5  Make a story map Individual S, L
 Practice telling their story to other Ss
Closure Poem
5  Hand out the Star Light, Star Bright Poe Class L,R sheet
m and read with students Glitter
5  Cut poem and decorate star with crayons Individual R Crayon
and glitter to make it their special start Paper
to wish on

3
 Assessment

Lesson 1: What is day? What is night?

Performance Indicators:
 Content: How well Ss can describe what they’ve done since they got up; define and
classify activities of day and time; and draw representations of activities that they
during the day and night?
 Language: How well Ss use vocabulary describing different times of the day and use
idioms representing activities done during different times of the day?
Assessment Methodology:
 T assess whether contents objectives are met by looking at what they drew and the
labels used in their journals about day and night.
 T evaluates whether language objectives are met by monitoring ability to recognize
words describing different times of the day and how the students are able to describe
idioms representing activities done during different times of the day?

Lesson 2: What does sun do?

Performance Indicators:
 Content: How well S can explore major properties of the Sun: heat and light; describe
what they see in the sky during the day and night?
 Language: How well Ss use comparative adjectives (Cup in shade is cooler than……)?
Assessment Methodology:
 T evaluates whether language objectives are met by observing their writing in science
journal.
 T assesses whether contents objectives are met by looking the students’ understanding
of day and night by looking at what they drew on their door hangers; observing the
students’ participation in the activities about the Sun.

Lesson 3: Does the moon always look the same?

Performance Indicators:
 Content: How well Ss identify different kinds of moon phases and why the moon has
different phases; answer the posed question by telling what they have already

4
 observed or heard about the phases of the moon; apply and personalize their learning
by making moon?
 Language: How well Ss identify different kinds of moon phases (Crescent moon, Full
moon, Gibbous moon, Half moon, New moon); related adjectives (crescent, full,
gibbous, half, new); use do question grammar; answer the for Wh- question (What is
your favorite moon phase?)
Assessment Methodology:
 T evaluates whether language objectives are met by observing how the students
answer the posed question; the discussion about the phases of the moon as the
students view the website
 T assesses student awareness of the phases of the moon by how they complete the
craft activity.

Lesson 4: Why do stars only come out at night?

Performance Indicators:
 Content: How well Ss create own folktales as they develop a story map of their
folktale; identify how folktales are different from myths and legends.
 Language: How well Ss use why questions and statements; listen to a folktale.
Assessment Methodology:
 T evaluates whether language objectives are met by observing how the students
listened and responded to the folktale that was told to them; how Ss use why
questions and statements; how the students create the story map for their own folktale.

5
 Assessment Tool for Unit Plan

How well can the student….. Not Okay Well Very

very Well
well
Content
identify the changes that occur in a daily cycle?

describe major properties of the Sun: heat and light?

identify different kinds of moon phases?

demonstrate through examples why the moon has different

phases?
discern folktales and how they are different from myths and
legends?
Vocabulary
use a variety of nouns such as; daytime, nighttime, crescent
moon, full moon, gibbous moon, half moon, new moon?
use a variety of adjectives such as; crescent, full, gibbous,
half, new?
Grammatical Structures
use a variety of descriptive sentences?

use a variety of comparative sentences?

use a variety of cause-and-effect sentences?

Discourse Structures
use a variety of science terms (rise, set, illuminate…) in
discussion?
use a variety of choice (ex. First, next, then, finally) terms in
discussion?
Process
communicate observations, experiences, and thinking in a
variety of ways?
classify objects and events?

Attitude
work cooperatively with others?

show scientific interest and curiosity?

6
 Assessment Rubric for Unit Plan

Focus Not very well Okay Well Very Well

Content Unable to identify, Able to adequately Able to identify, Able to easily
define, describe the identify, define, define, describe the identify, define,
changes that occur describe the changes that occur describe the
in a daily cycle; changes that occur in a daily cycle; changes that occur
unable to in a daily cycle; able to demonstrate in a daily cycle;
Demonstrate why able to adequately adequately why the able to easily
the moon has demonstrate why moon has different demonstrate
different phases the moon has phases adequately why the
different phases moon has different
phases

Vocabulary Unable to use a Able to adequately Able to use a Able to use a

variety of nouns use a variety of variety of nouns variety of nouns
and adjectives nouns and and adjectives with and adjectives in
adjectives occasional mistakes several contexts

Grammatical Unable to use a Able to adequately Able to use a Able to use a

variety of use a variety of variety of variety of
Structures descriptive, descriptive, descriptive, descriptive,
comparative, or comparative, or comparative, or comparative, or
cause-and-effect cause-and-effect cause-and-effect cause-and-effect
sentences sentences sentences with sentences without
occasional mistakes difficulty

Discourse Unable to use a able to adequately able to use a variety able to easily use a
variety of science use a variety of of science terms, variety of science
Structures terms, choice terms science terms, choice terms in terms, choice terms
in discussion choice terms in discussion with in discussion
discussion occasional mistakes without difficulty

Process Describes the Describes the Describes the Describes the

purpose and purpose and purpose and purpose and
features of their features of their features of their features of their
science events with science events with science events science events
little detail; requires some detail; clearly, with most clearly, with most
prompting requires some detail; requires little complete details
prompting prompting
Attitude Rarely collaborates Sometimes Usually Consistently
on investigations collaborates on collaborates on collaborates on
(awareness of role investigations investigations investigations
within group and (awareness of role (awareness of role (awareness of role
responsibility to within group and within group and within group and
group); rarely responsibility to responsibility to responsibility to
shows scientific group); sometimes group); usually group); consistently
interest and shows scientific shows scientific shows scientific
curiosity interest and interest and interest and
curiosity curiosity curiosity

7
 Background Information

1. The students
A. Age range:
All students are between the ages of 7 to 8 years old.
B. Grade:
Students are 2nd year of elementary school.
C. Country of Origin:
All of them are from Korea.
D. Linguistic/Ethnic Background:
Korean
E. Education/Language Learning:
Most of students have learned English in English kindergarten from 5 or 6 years
old. All of them learned English in an environment of English medium of
instruction. Their level of reading, listening and reading competence is similar to
Canadian students of same age, but speaking competence and ability of using
grammar appropriately is still needed to learn.
F. Interests:
Their interests include playing in the gym, playing with toy and friends, and
watching animation.
G. Interaction with native English speakers:
Students only speak English in classroom. They need rare help of Korean teacher
of translation when they talk.

2. The class
A. Number of Students:
There are eight students in this advanced Canadian immersion program.
B. Time/Frequency of Meetings:
Students meet three times a week. Each class is in 50 minutes in duration.
C. Physical Characteristics of the Classroom and Facilities:
The classroom is furnished with eight chairs, four rectangle tables. They can
easily move their chair and table for pair and group activities. Two rectangle

8
 tables can be easily square table. Also the classroom is equipped with one
computer and 17 inch monitor for using multimedia.
D. Texts & Materials:
They are no assigned textbooks for this unit. Teacher use textbook partially when
it is need. All materials/ handouts are provided by the teacher or students.
E. Purposes of the class:
The class program has designed to immersion program that students study
various topic such as social science and science using English as a medium of
instruction. There is aimed at improving overall four English skills through
various task and theme-based lesson. The purpose of this unit is develop an
understanding of the daily and seasonal cycles that the children experience
around them as well as to develop speaking and writing skills of English through
various activities.

3. Recent Works
A. Recent topics:
In the past, the teaching of English focused mainly on the best ways to get students to
learn specific facts and theories. Today, teaching English is doing English with
various themes. Our students studied science unit such as Let’s Move and It’s Alive in
this class. They will learn daily and seasonal changes of Earth.
B. Activities:
Students do usually various activities under theme. For example, students read the text
book, write observation note and have group discussion about topic. Also they make
crafts or watch multimedia material related topic.
C. Language Items:
The language items introduced and practiced have included the present and past
perfect tenses, sentence patterns (simple, progressive, irregular, past, conditional)
tense, relative clause. They have also encountered vocabulary from each unit.
D. Communication skills:
This class develops the communication skills which make discussion and present
successful. Skill as reporting, comparing and contrasting and keeping the conversation
flowing are demonstrated in the class.

9
 Rationale

Materials and Tasks

In the past, the teaching of English focused mainly on the best ways to get students to
learn English knowledge and skills. Today, teaching English is related to content such as
science and sociology. As a teacher of young children, I try to create an environment where
our students can learn English and science having interest and fun in the Earth Watch unit.
For example, students are asked to do make a star poem or moon book and have a
presentation time to students. I believe that interpreting and communicating their learning is
an important to students’ understanding as the explorations themselves. Tomlinson (1998)
claims that the main objective of material development is providing of meaningful experience
of language in use and of opportunities to reflect on this experience.
Materials and tasks in this unit are designed to develop and utilize their solid base of
scientific knowledge, thinking skills, and language. For example, in identifying the phase of
moon activity using video slide show, students can learn scientific knowledge about moonrise
and develop thinking skills by doing worksheet with pair work. Also they can develop
English with reading and speaking during activity.

Four Skills
The Earth Watch unit is immersion English lesson following CBI. It integrates the
learning of some specific subject-matter content with in the learning of a second language
(Brown, 2001). It allows for the complete integration of language skills. The Earth Watch unit
includes a pre-reading discussion of the topic to activate schema; listening and seeing to a
teacher’s monologue about the topic of a passage to read; reading strategy, scanning; writing
a response or reflection of a reading passage. For example, in the lesson 3, students have
discussion time at the introduction stage, and they read the text using scanning strategy on the
first reading activity, and make a book, the phases of the moon at the closure stage.

Interactive Activities and Tasks

Teachers and peers serving as tutors or group members can provide a number of
pedagogical as well as social supports (Jonassen, Haowland, Moore, and Marra, 2002). In this
unit, students have many group or pair work such as jigsaw reading activity. Activities in this
unit encourages students to learn and practice language in particularly interactive social

10
situations where language is used naturally and meaningfully that allows for the integration of
listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills.

Vocabulary
One principle of CBI is that people learn a second language more successfully when
they use the language as a means of acquiring information (Richards, 2001). In The Earth
Watch unit, there are many words that describe the passage of time and the students will learn
how these words relate to the daily and seasonal changes in the natural world. Students learn
vocabularies naturally within activities. For example, in the lesson 1, students discuss how
they know and what they do in day and night time. They learn vocabularies in context rather
than isolating words or focusing on dictionary definitions.

Grammar
Our students are still very young (7 and 8 years). According to Brown (2001),
children are focused on what this new language can actually be used for here and now. Our
unit is made under CBI. Students might read and take notes, listen and write a summary, or
respond orally to things they have read or written in lesson. During these activities, students
might learn grammar. For example, in the lesson 3, students might practice do question
through discussion and game activities. In this unit, students learn grammar as a component of
other language skill not as separate dimension of grammar.

Sequencing
With respect to the sequence of lessons for this unit, it progress form a building prior
knowledge and lead from one lesson to another. Each lesson is built same on the same
foundations: activating prior knowledge and engaging students’ interest; exploring a concept
with open-ended or directed explorations and information; and applying what students have
learned to their word. For example, in the lesson 1, students activate their knowledge in
discussion time with acting out; exploring day and night time concept with group activities;
and applying knowledge, the changes that occur in a daily cycle into drawing and writing a
picture of an activity of Day & Night.
Children are naturally curious about the world around them. In this unit, each lesson
is titled with a question. By the end of lesson, students might have the knowledge required to
answer the question by doing tasks. I put group or pair task that explore and integrate with
science concept and real life. For example, students activity for testing sun with partner. They
11
might explore heat of sun tell to class and teacher what they did and observed in activity.
When teacher provide opportunities for English learners to interact with their English-
speaking peers, receptive and productive language learning opportunities abound (Wong
Fillmore, 1982).

Homework
Students are asked to home connection activity, my moon observation booklet in
lesson 3. At the booklet, students will draw a picture of how the moon looks on the day of
their observation. They use their Moon Phase Picture Book as a guide to determine the moon
phase they observe. Through this homework, students apply their knowledge into their life
and can discover their own answers to scientific inquiries. Also students could review
scientific concept at home such as hotpot activity using computer in the lesson 3. Technology
could offer students effective ways to learn content (Recesso & Orrill, 2008).

Role of the Teacher

In this unit, aim of teacher is to provide opportunities for them to develop the
important skills of scientific skills and language. The role of teacher is that of facilitator and
guide, not an all-knowing font of knowledge in CLT approaches (Brown, 2001). The teacher
does not have to be an expert on the concepts presented and is not expected to have all the
answers to all the students’ science questions. The job of the teacher provides the
opportunities for students to learn how to find answers to their questions. According to
Richards (2001), the roles of teacher in CBI approaches is selecting and adapting authentic
materials and create truly learner-centered classroom. In concurrence with this ideology,
teacher prepare various, and authentic material, and learner-centered and cooperative working
environment. For example, in the lesson 3, students watch video showing different phases of
moon and do worksheet with pair. Teacher assign students in pair and group considering
interest, level, style of learner.

Role of the Students

In concert with the teacher, students will undertake an active and cooperative role
within the class. One goal of CBI is for learners to become autonomous so that they come to
“understand their own learning process and take charge of their own learning from the very
start” (Stryker and Leaver, 1993:286). The activities and tasks are in this unit are designed to
raise the ability to deal with their ever-changing scientific world and English competence

12
through collaboration, critical thinking and communication.
All of us are scientist. A scientists might have to do observations, experiments, or
research to find an answer. Throughout this unit, students then might find the answers to their
questions by doing the exploring activities, listening to or reading books on the topic by doing
research at school with the teacher or with friends autonomously. For example, students make
their moon phase book in the lesson 3 and record a science journal by themselves. Learners
themselves may be sources of content and joint participants in the selections of activities.
Such participation “has been found to be highly motivating and has resulted in a course
changing its direction in order to better meet the needs of students” (Richards, 2001, page
number here).

Feedback and Error Correction

Learners work with meaningful, cognitively demanding language and content within
the context of authentic material and tasks with cooperation or by themselves in CBI (Larsen-
Freeman, 2000). The teacher might give not only feedback such as language outcomes, but
also understanding of content and attitude outcomes. Research evidence shows that rarely is
overt grammatical correction by teachers in the classroom of any consequence in improving
learners’ language (Brown, 2001). Teacher needs to be judicious when correcting students’
errors. As long as students show local errors in communication, teacher provides global
correction when students feel comfortable.

Evaluation
Formative
This class is learner-centered and CBI based. Students are evaluated during whole
time. Teacher usually observes student’s cooperation, doing activity and work based upon
outcome matrix. And the teacher will use anecdotal record in lesson three and four to
document students’ oral language skills and use of communication and application strategy.
Summative
Teacher will have a test to evaluate the students’ overall achievement of this unit after
finishing this unit. Our students are still young and teacher has interview that elicits
information from students about their conceptual understandings, skill development and
acquisition of knowledge. Also they have a fill-in-the-blank test that assesses their
understanding and usage of science terms appropriately.

13