Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Grade 2 English Language Arts Unit Environmental Awareness and Appreciation

This unit aims to engage students with the topic of environment through the use of literature and the showcase of learning through visual representation mediums such as poetry, drawings, dramatizations, sound, movement, photographs, labeled diagrams, etc. This unit introduces students to the topics of nature, healthy environments, pollution, litter, eco-friendly practices and recycling.

This unit consists of six lessons, all of which satisfy the second Compose and Create outcome (“Use a variety of ways to represent understanding and to communicate ideas, procedures, stories, and feelings in a clear manner with essential details.”) and each of its indicators.

In the first lesson, students are introduced to a nature scene that will continue to be used throughout the unit as a PWIM poster, which provides students with target sight words. Students identify individual components that they see in the picture. Additionally, students are read a story written from the environment’s perspective and are asked to create a visual representation of the story.

The second lesson is comprised of a comparison to the PWIM picture introduced in the previous lesson; this picture displays a scene of pollution and students compare and contrast the two pictures by using Venn diagrams and diamante poems.

Lesson 3 explores the how and why behind environmental damage and pollution through an in-depth discussion about the Dr. Seuss story “The Lorax.” Students synthesize their learning of this story, and the past two lessons, by writing their own environmental perspective piece that showcases empathy, understanding, and respect for the environment.

During the fourth lesson, students are able to engage in a hands-on experience that fosters environmental respect and sustainable practices through the clean up of litter on the school playground. Students will document their actions through the medium of photography and then display their activism for other members of the school community to see, as well as designing and implementing a school-wide action plan that prevents future littering.

The fifth lesson digs deeper into the perspectives on environmental damage; if people know it is wrong, what are their motivations, regardless, to harm the environment? Students will have a chance to get into characters on differing sides of an environmental argument and will draft up ideas for a small scale class debate arguing their opposing sides.

Finally, the last lesson in the unit ties together all of the unit’s subsequent learning through an independent, student representation in a medium of their choice. Students have the freedom to display their learning about the environment, the harm that comes to it, and our role in helping to keep it healthy and clean for years to come through dance, song, visual artwork, photography, sound, etc.

This unit would be best during the end portion of the school year, specifically mid-spring or early summer (to ensure that students can complete their outdoor

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

photography and litter clean up project). This is also a wonderful time of year to observe the components of nature that will be present in their PWIM poster. Students will also more easily be able to complete the various writing and representation projects at this time of year, when they have had many other months to practice their comprehension, spelling, writing, and reading skills.

*Note: in order to make the final project (in Lesson 6) easier, teachers may wish to save all of the assignments that the students complete throughout the unit in personalized portfolios, and hand them back to the students in the final lesson, so that they can reflect on all of the knowledge that they gained along the way. This will give students a visual of all of their learning right in front of them, so they can fully encapsulate all of it in their final project.

The following is an in-depth outline of the outcome and associated indicators from the Government of Saskatchewan curriculum website that are addressed in this unit. (http://www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca/index.jsp?view=indicators&lang=en&subj=english_language_arts&level=2&outcome=2.2)

Outcome: CC2.2

Use a variety of ways to represent understanding and to communicate ideas, procedures, stories, and feelings in a clear manner with essential details.

a. Design a visual representation (e.g., a picture, puppetry, a chart, a model, physical movement, a concrete graph, a pictographic, a demonstration, an advertisement for a toy) to demonstrate understanding.

b. Select and use task-relevant before, during, and after strategies when using other forms of representing to communicate meaning.

c. Understand and apply the appropriate cues and conventions (pragmatic, textual, syntactical, semantic/lexical/morphological, graphophonic, and other) to construct and communicate meaning when using other forms of representing.

d. Follow a model to communicate ideas and information about a topic.

e. Consider and choose appropriate text form (e.g., a play, a model, a diagram) to represent ideas and stories.

f.Combine illustrations and written text (e.g., captions, labels) to express ideas, feelings, and information.

g. Use sound or movement to demonstrate understanding.

h. Construct three-dimensional objects to clarify ideas and understanding.

i. Create dramatizations to express ideas and understanding.

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Environmental Awareness and Appreciation: The Environment Around Us

Lesson #1 – Nature and Our Surrounding Environment

Subject: English Language Arts

Grade: 2

Time: approximately 60 minutes. The PWIM chart that the students make in this lesson will be continually reviewed and tested throughout the unit. *Note: PWIM testing and review may be done at other times of the day, not necessarily during an English Language Arts lesson. For example, students may be pulled out for individual testing during a different subject, as this only takes a few minutes and won’t affect their ability to complete their other work. Ideally, additional class time will be spent on more detailed practice of PWIM words and further applications (ex. sentence and paragraph writing) and the lessons I will outline will fit in with the PWIM theme.

Parts of the Learning Cycle Involved: engagement, exploration, explanation Lesson Purpose: Students will explore key aspects of nature and the environment, which will be used as their sight words. Students will identify key concepts from a piece of literature and apply them in order to create their own representation.

About / In / For the environment- about = students are discussing what healthy environments are and exploring the minute and grandiose details of a natural scene - for = after hearing the story “Dear Children of the Earth,” the students will be designing a personal representation that fosters respect for the natural environment

Outcomes & Indicators: CC2.2 a, c, f

Content Background: What is the Picture Word Inductive Model? Calhoun (1998) developed the Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM), which uses pictures containing familiar objects, actions and scenes to draw out words from children’s listening and speaking vocabularies. This model helps students add words to their sight reading vocabulary, as well as their writing vocabulary, and also discover phonetic and structural principles present in those words.

What is its purpose? The purpose of using PWIM is to develop students’ vocabulary, concepts about words, and sentence and paragraph structures through our content subjects of reading, math, science, or social studies.

How do I do it? Words are ‘shaken out’ or listed by the poster by the students. The words are categorized and read as a class over a series of days. Each class writes and reads sentences using the words. Then, depending on the grade level, the sentences are

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

categorized and formed into paragraphs. The students then write paragraphs. (http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/pwim/)

Steps of the PWIMi. Select a picture.j. Ask students to identify what they see in the picture.k. Label the picture parts identified. (Draw a line from the identified object or area, say

the word, write the word; ask students to spell the word aloud and then to pronounce it.)

l. Read and review the picture word chart aloud.m.Ask students to read the words (using the lines on the chart if necessary) and to

classify the words into a variety of groups. Identify common concepts (e.g., beginning consonants, rhyming words) to emphasize with the whole class.

n. Read and review the picture word chart (say the word, spell it, say it again).o. Add words, if desired, to the picture word chart and to the word banks.p. Lead students into creating a title for the picture word chart. Ask students to think

about the information on the chart and what they want to say about it.q. Ask students to generate a sentence, sentences, or a paragraph about the picture word

chart. Ask students to classify sentences; model putting the sentences into a good paragraph.

r. Read and review the sentences and paragraphs.(http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/199025/chapters/Describing-the-Picture-Word-Inductive-Model.aspx)

A sacred relationship with nature is the heart of traditional teachings and practices. From the understanding of the interconnectedness of all things comes the understanding that the well-being of the Earth is essential for survival.

The worldview of the Aboriginal cultures is distinct from the worldview of the mainstream culture in Canada. This worldview presents human beings as inhabiting a universe made by the Creator and striving to live in respectful relationship with nature, one another and oneself.

Aboriginal worldviews recognize the interconnectedness of all living things and the spirit that exists within each. Spirituality, personal health, community health and the health of the environment are understood to be interrelated. (http://education.alberta.ca/media/307199/words.pdf)

Dear Children of the Earth begins a remarkable letter from Mother Earth asking for help from children everywhere. She writes to express her love for each and every child and asks for their love and appreciation in return. In her own words, and with all of her heart, Mother Earth enfolds children with love and entrusts them with her protection.(http://www.amazon.ca/Dear-Children-Of-The-Earth/dp/1559712252)

Processes Developed: Students will be identifying individual parts in a larger picture and sharing the knowledge that they already possess regarding nature and

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

the environment. Students are engaging in active listening and comprehension skills. Students will be creating their own representation by highlighting and recapping key components in the piece of literature.

Adaptive Dimension: PWIM words may be translated and written on the chart in ELL students’ first languages for easier understanding. Students may choose a representation in any medium of their choosing (with or without words in order to accommodate students with different learning styles).

Cross Curricular Competencies (CCC’s): Students are thinking contextually by applying prior knowledge and experiences regarding nature and the environment. Students are engaging creative thought through creating a visual representation of the story’s main ideas. Students are understanding, valuing, and caring for others through their learning about the Indigenous perspective on nature and are respecting a worldview that differs from their own. Students are expressing their understanding and communicating meaning in a visual medium. Students will demonstrate respect for environmental sustainability through their engagement with “Dear Children of the Earth.”

Interdisciplinary Connections: Students’ representations could take arts forms such as movement, dance, drawings, or songs (Fine Arts). This lesson fosters awareness of the interconnectedness of the different aspects of the natural environment (Science and Treaty Education). This lesson introduces Indigenous perspectives (Social Studies).

Prerequisite Learnings: - students will be familiar with PWIM charts and the process by which they choose, practice, and are tested on their words

Materials / Equipment / Safety: - the book “Dear Children of the Earth” by Schim Schimmel- very large, printed PWIM image of a natural scene - materials with which to create representations (various sizes and colours of

paper, writing/drawing/colouring utensils, craft supplies, etc.)

Advanced Preparation: - create your large PWIM poster (You will need a large, cardboard rectangle

covered in a solid colour of paper – ensure that this sturdy background for your PWIM image is larger than the image itself to ensure room around the edges to write the students’ words during the activity. Then fix your image onto the background) *A sample PWIM picture for this lesson is at the end of this document.

- review the key concepts of “Dear Children of the Earth” in order to assess students on their comprehension of the main ideas in their representations

- make one copy of the assessment rubric for each student

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Lesson Procedure

ENGAGEMENT PWIM poster-introduce the newest PWIM chart that the children will be studying through the next cycle of testing-ask: what do the students notice about the picture? How they would describe it?-ask: what feelings do they have when they see this type of natural scene? Is it a place that they would want to live? Why? What characteristics make an environment suitable for living things to call home?-ask children to specifically choose sight words from this picture that relate to things that they know about nature and the environment-as students take turns identifying their sight word, write their word on the side of the picture in the blank space and include an arrow from the word to the part of the picture that the word is shown in (also ensure to record which student chose each word underneath in brackets)-go over the new set of PWIM words with the children in the aforementioned method EXPLORATION “Dear Children of the Earth” book reading–tell students that you will be reading them a story written by Schim Schimmel that

relates to their new PWIM picture–inform them to keep a mental note of important information and plot points in the

story as you read it aloud to them–ask: Do you feel like you know more about Mother Earth, nature, and our

environment after hearing the letter? What did you learn?–ask: What parts of nature did Mother Earth talk about? What did Mother Earth say

about animals and plants living on this planet in relation to us? (we are all a big family, brothers and sisters)

–tell students that First Nations people are very in touch with nature and also believe that all things made by Mother Earth are interconnected, equals, and should be respected. Ask: how does this compare to the way that we look at nature and the environment?

EXPLANATION Creation of individual representations of the book–have students choose a medium in which to represent their understanding of the

key points from the story (not too elaborate, however, as this is meant to be finished in the remainder of the class period)

–circulate and observe students’ work; prompt them, if needed, to consider the important aspects of what Mother Nature had to say in her letter; possibly ask questions about the pieces of the story that students are recreating and responding to

Extensions /Modifications:-gifted students can be challenged to create more complex and intricate representations-if some students finish early, they could start to write a letter similar to that in the

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

book but from the perspective of a different, smaller, or more specific environment (for example, a student’s home, the school building, or the community) or a response letter to Mother Nature’s message-struggling students can choose more streamlined and simple representations; this activity is easily modifiable in order to be accessible to students of all skill levels (one student may want to write a song, another may just draw a picture)

Assessment: Use the attached rubric to assess the students’ representations that they created in response to the story.

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Environmental Awareness and Appreciation: Introduction to Pollution

Lesson #2 – Pollution and Environmental Damage

Subject: English Language Arts

Grade: 2

Time: approximately 60 minutes.

Parts of the Learning Cycle Involved: exploration, explanation, elaboration Lesson Purpose: Students will be able to compare and contrast using different methods (Venn diagram, diamante poem). Students will represent their own learning by following an example item as a model.

About / In / For the environment- about = students are learning about what pollution is and comparing it to healthy environments - for = students are building respect for the environment through exposure to the damage that is inflicted upon it

Outcomes & Indicators: CC2.2 a, c, d

Content Background:

VENN DIAGRAMSDraw two (or possibly more, depending on how many items you have) overlapping circles. Label your circles, which represent each individual item. The overlapping parts of each circle are the similarities between the items. The non-overlapping parts are the contrasting, or different, characteristics of the items.(http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Venn-Diagram)

THE RULES OF A DIAMANTEThere are just a few rules to writing a diamante:s. Diamantes are seven lines long.t. The first and last lines have just one word. The second and sixth lines have two words.

The third and fifth lines have three words.And the fourth line has four words.u. Lines 1, 4, and 7 have nouns. Lines 2 and 6 have adjectives. Lines 3 and 5 have verbs.Here’s an easy way to visualize all three rules:

NounAdjective, Adjective

Verb, Verb, VerbNoun, Noun, Noun, Noun

Verb, Verb, Verb

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Adjective, AdjectiveNoun

In an antonym diamante, the two nouns are opposites. Once you’ve chosen your two nouns, take a piece of paper and brainstorm as many words as you can that have to do with each of them. For example, make one column for each word and write down everything you can think of. You’ll want adjectives (descriptive words), verbs (action words), and even more nouns. Don’t worry if you have more words than you need. It’s better to have too many words to choose from than not enough. Finally, you’ll want to arrange your diamante, putting the synonyms or antonyms at the top and bottom, the adjectives next, on lines 2 and 6, the verbs after that on lines 3 and 5, and lastly your additional nouns on the middle line. In the top half of the poem – lines 2 and 3 – your adjectives and verbs should be ones from your first brainstorming column – words that have to do with line 1. In the bottom half of the poem – lines 5 and 6 – your adjectives and verbs should be related to the noun on line 7. On line 4, the line in the middle of the poem, the first two nouns should be related to the noun on line 1, and the last two nouns should be related to the noun on line 7.

THINGS TO REMEMBERAs you begin writing your own diamantes, here are the important things to remember:v. Diamantes can be about anythingw. They are 7 lines longx. The word count is simple: 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1y. Your lines should have: noun, adjectives, verbs, nouns, verbs, adjectives, nounz. Try to “center” your poem on the page to give it a diamond shape

Most importantly, have fun!(http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/how-to-write-a-diamante-poem/)

MARINE POLLUTIONLitter on land can end up in the oceans. Marine litter is hard to see because much of it floats under the surface of the water. The only place that we can really see marine litter is on the shorelines.

Water quality gets worse as litter releases poisons and chemicals. People and animals can get sick from drinking and using the dirty water. People and animals can get also sick from eating large fish that have eaten other sea creatures (like jellyfish) that have eaten tiny bits of plastic.

Marine litter can block plants from getting light. No light stops photosynthesis, which is an important part of the earth’s lifecycle. Sea creatures can get tangled up in rope, wire and plastic bottle rings. Plastic usually breaks down into smaller pieces of plastic that many sea creatures mistake for food. Eating the plastic causes health problems.

80% of marine litter is plastic (which takes a very long time to break down). Litter ends up in the oceans when:

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

aa. People go to the beach, have a picnic or BBQ and litter blows into the water.bb. Litter dropped on the ground is washed into storm drains eventually ending up in

the oceans.cc. Winds blow garbage from landfills into the oceans.dd. People throw garbage (like old tires) into the sea (illegal dumping).ee. Accidental container ship spills during storms (hurricanes, typhoons).(http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/oceans/risks_to_oceans.cfm)

Processes Developed: Students will be comparing and contrasting pictures that show two different environments (one healthy -the PWIM poster- and one that is polluted or damaged). Students are creating their own Venn Diagrams and diamante poems by following an example as a guide. Students are exploring the way that pollution affects the environment. Students are listening to and comprehending an oral storytelling.

Adaptive Dimension: Students who struggle with understanding adjectives, verbs, and nouns may work in groups to brainstorm words that describe their items, categorize them into these parts of speech, and plug them into the slots in their poem. Students who work better with technology can create their Venn diagrams or diamante poems using online resources (links in the lesson procedure). ELL students could have small versions of both of the pictures printed out and could circle similarities between the pictures in green and differences in red. These aspects could then be discussed and defined in English (and possibly the student’s native language) and put into the Venn diagrams and diamante poems. Students could also write a version of the Venn diagram/diamante poem in their first language and use a bilingual dictionary or translation app to create another version in English.

Cross Curricular Competencies (CCC’s): Students are applying previous knowledge and experiences from the previous lesson to think contextually. Through the oral story that explains the image of pollution, students are beginning to understand how our actions have effects on living and non-living things in our environment (understand and value interdependence and sustainability). Students are able to create, compute, and communicate using a variety of materials.

Interdisciplinary Connections: Students are learning important categorizing and comparison skills through the use of a Venn diagram to highlight similarities and differences (Math and Science). Students are learning about pollution and its effect on the environment (Science and Health).

Prerequisite Learnings: - students will be familiar with the definitions of noun, verb, and adjective- students will understand what a Venn Diagram is and how to construct one

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Materials / Equipment / Safety: - very large, printed PWIM image of a natural scene (from Lesson #1) and a

comparison image of a polluted scene- materials with which to create Venn diagrams (large pieces of paper and

compasses or circular tracers OR Venn diagram templates OR online Venn diagram maker)

- materials with which to create their diamante poems (lined paper and writing utensils OR diamante poem template with fill-in blanks OR online diamante poem generator)

- very large Venn diagram template to fill in as a class (optional)- example of a diamante poem guide students (optional)

Advanced Preparation: - print out (or project onto the board) a large scene displaying pollution (an

example picture is included at the end of this document)- photocopy the Venn diagram template, blank diamante template, and the sample

diamante poem (if you are using these)- if using the online Venn diagrams and diamante generators: save the links as

favorites on the devices/bring up the websites ahead of time/send the links to students in a document or email/post the links on your classroom blog or Twitter

- make one copy of the assessment rubric for each student

Lesson Procedure

EXPLORATION PWIM poster comparison-review the PWIM chart that the students made in the previous lesson; go over their words and reiterate their thoughts on it being a healthy environment -tell the students that you are now going to tell them a story about a new picture (the polluted scene); bring out the picture and use oral storytelling to describe to them how the scene in the picture became that way – use your own words and the information about marine pollution provided previously

(ex. The water in this picture used to be clean and clear; people would swim and fish in it all the time. So how did all of this trash end up floating here? All it takes is one person to start a chain reaction. One day, a family was walking along the dock and it started to rain. The little boy in the family was carrying a plastic bottle and he did not have time to find a garbage can, because his family was running to find a place to get out of the rain. The little boy decided that he would just throw his bottle into the water. What could it hurt? It was just one bottle. But the chain reaction had started.

Soon, more and more people began to throw their garbage into the water. Out in the middle of the sea, fishermen dumped their trash into the water and the tides eventually swept it up to the shoreline where it continued to build up. People walking on the dock would throw their garbage onto the ground and the rain would sweep it into the sea with the rest of the garbage. The pile of garbage floating in the water only got bigger and bigger. Animals that lived in the ocean began to get sick because of the harmful chemicals that the trash leaked into the water. Some small

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

animals would get tangled in the trash or cut themselves on the sharp edges. As the garbage continued to build up, less people went swimming in the water

and no one came to fish there anymore, because many of the fish had died or swam somewhere else to live. One day, the little boy who threw the plastic bottle into the water was walking along the dock and noticed how big the pile of garbage had gotten. He was sad. He thought that one bottle would not hurt, but it led to other people thinking it was okay to litter. The little boy wished that something could be done to help the ocean, but he was just one person; what could he do?)

-ask: what do students notice about this picture? How would they describe it?-ask: what feelings do they have when they see this type of scene? Is it a place that they would want to live? Why/why not?-ask: what did they learn about pollution and littering? How does litter build up? What bad things does pollution/litter do to the environment? -ask: what is different between the PWIM picture and this picture? Is there anything that is the same? (this bridges into the Venn diagram and diamante poem activities)

EXPLANATION Venn diagrams–tell students that they can now work separately or in pairs to create Venn diagrams

comparing and contrasting the two pictures –you may want to brainstorm some similarities and differences together first in

order to give children a starting point and some ideas to build off of (and put these on the large Venn diagram)

–if students want to create an online Venn diagram, they can use this tool:http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/venn_diagrams/

ELABORATION Diamante poems–tell students that you are going to learn another way to compare two different

things: diamante poems

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

–go through the rules for the different lines of poem with the students and hand out/explain an example

–have students create their own poems; they may wish to work together in order to brainstorm ideas, but each student should have a chance to create their own poem

–the differences they outlined in their Venn diagrams may help them to fill in their poem

–don’t tell students what two nouns to contrast; instead, see what they come up with as words to represent the two pictures (nature vs pollution? Healthy vs unhealthy? Natural vs damaged?)

–students can create an online diamante poem with this tool, which walks them through the steps and explains which types of words go on each line of the poem:

(http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/diamante/)

Extensions /Modifications:-gifted students can be challenged to create more detailed Venn diagrams and diamante poems OR could write/tell their own story about how they think the second scene became so polluted OR think of ways that the pollution could be lessened-struggling students can choose more streamlined and simple representations; this activity is easily modifiable in order to be accessible to students of all skill levels -some learners may want to work together to brainstorm ideas; could pair up students of different ability levels to help each other

Assessment: Use the attached rubric to assess the students’ poems.

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Environmental Awareness and Appreciation: How/Why Environments Become Polluted

Lesson #3 – How and why do environments become polluted?

Subject: English Language Arts

Grade: 2

Time: approximately 60 minutes.

Parts of the Learning Cycle Involved: engagement, exploration, explanation Lesson Purpose: Students will demonstrate their understanding of a different point of view through perspective writing. Students will utilize proper syntactical, morphological, and semantic skills in order to compose complete, grammatically correct sentences.About / In / For the environment- about = students are discussing environments and the damage that is inflicted upon them due to industrial growth and human greed - for = after hearing the story “The Lorax,” students will gain a respect for the environment as a natural entity that we are not entitled to control and destroy as we wish

Outcomes & Indicators: CC2.2 b, c, f

Content Background:The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss is a light-hearted but cautionary tale with a critically

important message. If we do not collectively take responsibility for the stewardship of the environment, then our own world will soon be like the one that the Lorax left behind. Left to the devices of greed-based business interests, the resources of our world are being consumed at an abominable rate. And soon, they will all be gone. So while the Once-ler did eventually see the error of his greedy ways, it was already close to too late for his world.

One underlying message contained within the Lorax is the idea of the interconnectedness of the things that live in an ecosystem. The ecosystem within the story completely falls apart when just one thing is taken away. As more and more of the Truffula trees get cut down, the area becomes less and less capable of supporting the multitude of other species all relying on the trees, and each other. So by removing the trees, things go completely out of balance. Viewed from one perspective, the different species in an ecosystem are like parts of a delicate, but efficiently functioning whole. But what is this thing called "an ecosystem" that other things are parts of? What is its nature as a sort of entity in itself? If one views the ecosystem as an independent entity, this raises all sorts of ethical question about what our social responsibilities are to our own ecosystem, and to the earth as one big interconnected ecosystem.

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

(http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/The_Lorax)

Processes Developed: Students will be practicing their listening and comprehension. Students will be developing their critical thinking skills as environmental activists. Students will be brainstorming key aspects within a piece of literature. Students will show empathy and creativity through writing from the environment’s perspective.

Adaptive Dimension: Students who have trouble with spelling/writing are able to create a visual representation version of the perspective piece instead of using a text medium. They could even be paired up with another student and draw the illustrations to go with their partner’s writing. Another option would be to have them narrate their ideas to someone else and have them write it down for them and they could practice reading parts of it back. Students who have difficulty generating their own ideas may require a mindmap outline that gives them an idea of where to start.

Cross Curricular Competencies (CCC’s): Students are thinking/learning contextually through the realizations that in “The Lorax” everything is connected and part of a whole. Students are exploring a different perspective through their writing from the environment’s point of view. Students are able to understand interdependence and sustainability through the observation of the ways that the Onceler’s actions affect the surrounding environment. Students are expressing understanding and communicating meaning in the literacy of written word in their perspective writing pieces. Students are using moral reasoning to examine the consequences in the story.

Interdisciplinary Connections: Students’ writing pieces may include visual representations, such as drawings (Fine Arts). This lesson fosters awareness of the interconnectedness of the different aspects of the natural environment and especially demonstrates food webs/chains (Science and Treaty Education).

Prerequisite Learnings: -students will have previously partaken in a storytelling in which the literature was written from the environment’s point of view (in Lesson #1 – “Dear Children of the Earth”)-students will understand what point of view is in a literary context-students will know what a mindmap is, what they do, and how to create one in order to organize and display their thoughts

Materials / Equipment / Safety: - the book “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss (the following link is a YouTube video with a

narrated version of the book with text, sound effects, music, and pictures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soRbNlPbHEo)

- paper/writing utensils for students’ mindmaps

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

- paper/writing utensils for students to create their perspective writing with

Advanced Preparation: -get a copy of “The Lorax” to read to the students OR have a large screen/projector with which to show the video version of the book to the class-possibly create a sample mindmap for students who may have trouble getting going by themselves-have the book “Dear Children of the Earth” handy for students to peruse and collect ideas from for their perspective writing if needed

Lesson Procedure

ENGAGEMENT “The Lorax” -remind students of the previous lesson in which they learned what pollution was and compared it (in their diamante poems) to a healthy environment; tell students that they are going to be hearing a story about a land that was polluted -have students seated comfortably for the reading of (or, if you choose to use the video version, viewing of) “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss-tell students to focus on the things that happen as a result of the characters’ actions-if you are reading the story to the students, you can stop and ask/answer questions as they arise; similarly, the video version of the story can be paused at certain points to foster small discussions about certain aspects of the story EXPLORATION Discussion and mindmapping–get students to recap the story through a class discussion. Here are some questions

to guide you (you may also wish to pause the story as some of these events happen and talk about them immediately following):

What does it mean to do something harmful? How can you tell things that are harmful from things that are not?

Why do the Lorax and the Once-ler disagree on cutting down the trees? Are trees the kinds of things that can be harmed? Can anything not be

harmed? The Lorax tells the Once-ler that his idea for Thneeds makes him sound crazy

with greed. What is greed? How can you tell if a person is greedy? Is the Once-ler greedy? Why do you think so?

What happens to the Brown Bar-ba-loots? Why does this happen? Did cutting down the trees harm the Bar-ba-loots?

Why do the Swomee-Swans leave? How about the Humming Fish? What happened to their habitats? Why doesn't the Once-ler care about what is happening around him?

How are the problems for the Bar-ba-loots, Swomee-Swans, and Humming Fish all related to the Once-ler cutting down Truffula Trees? Can the same thing happen in real life?

Do you think that if we take the seed and follow the Once-ler's new advice that the Lorax and his friends will come back?

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

In the beginning of the story, the Once-ler claims that everyone needs Thneeds, but at the end he claims that what everyone really needs is Truffula trees. Why does he change his mind? What is different about the value of trees and the value of Thneeds? What makes trees more valuable?

What could the Once-ler have done differently? Why does the Lorax leave the word "UNLESS" on a pile of rocks? What does

"unless" mean?(http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/The_Lorax)–after your discussion, students can create a mindmap in order to organize their

thoughts for the third part of the lesson (perspective writing)–tell students to focus on the effects that the Onceler’s actions had on the

environment, what types of pollution occurred as a result, what the Once-ler could have/should have done differently, comparison between how the land looked before and after the Thneed-making factory

EXPLANATION Perspective writing piece–remind students of the story “Dear Children of the Earth” from Lesson #1; it was a

letter written by Mother Earth–tell students that it is now their turn to write from the perspective of the

environment in “The Lorax”; they can step into the environment’s shoes and portray how they think it feels as a result of the destruction/pollution

–students must consider the direct effects on the environment due to the Onceler’s actions (fog and dust in the air, many species left the land, lost all of its colour, had all of its trees chopped down) and the associated emotions and thoughts the environment may have a result of this destruction

–prompt students to attempt to incorporate some of their PWIM words into their writing, if possible

–circulate and observe students’ work and answer questions/prompt for deeper thinking

Extensions /Modifications:-gifted students can be challenged to write/illustrate a story happening after the events in “The Lorax” does the child who went to speak with the Once-ler actually care for the Truffula seed and help to replenish the forest? Do the Lorax and other animals come back? -students who struggle with their composition skills can have:

teacher assistance with writing the story a picture dictionary for some of the strange vocabulary from the book (Truffula

trees, Once-ler, Bar-ba-loots, etc.) a shorter amount of sentences needed in their perspective piece a video recording device to narrate their environmental perspective piece to

rather than writing it down

Assessment: Use the checklist on the next page to assess the students’ perspective writing pieces.

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Environmental Awareness and Appreciation: Litter and the Role We Can Play

Lesson #4 – What can we do to help?

Subject: English Language Arts

Grade: 2

Time: approximately 120 minutes, or two class periods (60 minutes each). Students will be learning about litter and what they can do to help; they will then go outside and clean up litter in the school ground and take pictures of their explorations. During the second class, they will compile their photographs and use them to tell their story of positive environmental action and use it to show others that they can do the same.

Parts of the Learning Cycle Involved: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration Lesson Purpose: Students will engage in an environmental action plan to reduce litter in their schoolyard. Students will capture their clean up project through the visual medium of photography, which will be used both to document their actions and raise awareness about litter with other members of the school.

About / In / For the environment- about = students are discovering what litter is and what they can do to prevent it- in = students are going to pick up the litter around their school grounds- for = students are building respect for the environment, taking steps to help it, and encouraging others to do the same

Outcomes & Indicators: CC2.2 a, b, c, f

Content Background:

Cleaning up Litter by Charlotte GuillainThis informative series does an excellent job of keeping its message simple and accessible. Each book begins with the question, “What is the environment?” and answers with the same simple statement, “The environment is the world all around us.” By carrying this question and answer across the series teachers will easily be able to utilize the books in a unit on environmentalism. Each book offers concrete examples of helping the environment: picking up litter, not picking wildflowers, turning off lights, and finishes with a photograph in which readers are asked to explain how someone is helping the environment. This series is a great jumping-off point for a broader discussion of environmentalism or the beginning of a class project. The bright, vibrant photographs will grab readers’ attention as they reinforce the simple sentences and the message of the series. Second grade students will be able to read the books on their own. As they contain a table of contents, index, and picture glossary they can even be used in lessons on parts

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

of a book or for simple research. Highly Recommended.(http://www.follettearlylearning.com/Cleaning-Up-Litter/16920V7/p)

Processes Developed: Students will understand what litter is, why it is harmful, and what they can do to help through the reading of “Cleaning up Litter” by Charlotte Guillain. Students will engage in hands-on experience with cleaning up litter. Students will document their actions through taking photographs. Students will share their environmental activism and display it for other school members to see. Students will brainstorm things that the school can do to prevent littering in the future.

Adaptive Dimension: Students in wheelchairs may be given a tool to help them with picking up the litter (stick to poke it, or a triggered ‘grabber’), or they may want to be their team’s designated photographer. Students can create a diagram or visual representation of their clean up project for the bulletin board display, rather than a written piece, if they have trouble with composing prose on their own.

Cross Curricular Competencies (CCC’s): Students are understanding and valuing environmental interdependence and sustainability by learning their role in the protection of the environment; they learn that littering is a choice that affects the environment and that them deciding to do something about it is a factor that increases sustainable development. Students are using the literacy of photography. Students are using cameras as a form of technology to deepen their understanding of environment, create new insight, express their understanding, and communicate meaning. Students are using moral reasoning by evaluating how the decision to litter affects you, others, and the environment. Students are engaging in communitarian thinking and dialogue by taking turns to both pick up garbage and document it in photographic form.

Interdisciplinary Connections: Students are engaging in photography, which is an art form (Arts Education). Students are being responsible and proactive learners and citizens (Social Studies, Health Education). Students are learning about the environment and the damage that is inflicted upon it (Science).

Prerequisite Learnings: - students will know the basics of using a camera

Materials / Equipment / Safety: - the book “Cleaning up Litter” by Charlotte Guillain (since the book is written in

very simple words and sentences, you could even obtain or photocopy enough copies for pairs of students to read it together)

- enough cameras, garbage collection bags, and recyclable collection bags for every group of two or three students to have one of each to share

- materials with which to create representations (various sizes and colours of paper, lined paper, writing/drawing/colouring utensils, etc.)

- access to a printer that can be hooked up to the cameras

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

- an empty bulletin board, preferably a space NOT in your classroom so that other people can see it (perhaps with a green or brown background and the title “Our Clean Up Project,” or something to that effect, on it)

- stapler or tacks (something to attach items to bulletin board with)- go over safety rules of their clean up project: staying within the school ground

limits, not picking up any garbage that could be harmful

Advanced Preparation: First class

- photocopy enough copies of the “Cleaning up Litter” book for pairs of students to read through it together (optional)

- obtain enough cameras each group of students to have one - obtain enough bags for each group of students to have one recyclable and one

garbage bag each- have a garbage can/dumpster/recycling bin to put all of the litter that students

collect inside- organize some additional parent/adult volunteers to come in and supervise the

students while they are outside (optional)Second class

- print out some/all of the students’ photographs from their clean up activity and the final photo of all the litter they collected as a class

- gather all of the materials the students will need to create the bulletin board displays of their clean up project

- put the title/background on the board

Lesson Procedure

ENGAGEMENT “Cleaning up Litter” book-remind students of their previous learning about environmental damage from the oral storytelling PWIM comparison picture and “The Lorax” -explain that the story they will be reading today is about what they can do to help the environment after all of this damage (at this point, you can split them into pair groups and hand out their copy of the book if you are going to be doing it that way)-afterwards, have a short discussion about what they learned: how can they help the environment and stop littering? -tell students that they are going to get to actually clean up litter around the playground and use the cameras to document their actions EXPLORATION action plan and clean up/photography project–tell students that before you head out to clean up the playground, you have to set

out some rules and an ‘action plan’–get students to brainstorm ways to stay safe while they are cleaning and

photographing, and also get them to share steps that they will take while outside (take turns every few minutes, don’t leave the playground area, etc.)

–ensure that you remind students to separate the garbage they find from the recyclables (go over what things your community is able to recycle: plastic, tin,

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

glass, etc.) –divide students into groups of two or three and give each group a camera and

garbage/recyclables collection bags –head outside and supervise the students for the remainder of the class (be sure to

leave enough time to head back inside, collect all of their litter, and debrief their explorations – approx. 10 minutes) *don’t forget to take a picture of all the litter that your students collected as a whole!

–note: if you have a large playground and may not be able to see all of your students at once if they split up around the schoolyard, you may want to get some adult volunteers to supervise a group of students and bring them in at a certain time for debriefing

END OF FIRST CLASS PERIOD

EXPLANATION Creation of bulletin board display–hand out students’ photographs and ask them to either write a few sentences

about their experience cleaning up the litter or draw a picture of it–allow them to hang their photographs and writing/drawings on the board

wherever they like

ELABORATION School-wide action plan- ask students if they feel good about their actions for the school yard, and if they

would be angry if all of the garbage they picked up ended up back on the playground in a few weeks if other school members continue to litter

- tell them that, in order to keep the school yard clean and prevent more litter from coming back, they will need to come up with a plan to stop litter as a whole school

- get them to work in groups or by themselves to come up with, and actually take steps to enact, a plan to stop littering school-wide (ex. “Don’t Litter” posters actually create and hang, getting more garbage or recycling bins write a letter to the principal asking if these could be purchased for the school, etc.)

- help students to implement their actions plans

Extensions /Modifications:-gifted students may want to create a mathematical representation of the litter that the class collected (create a bar graph of how much each group collected, weigh it and figure out how many pounds the school might collect in a year, etc.)-challenged students can create diagrams for their bulletin board displays, work in pairs for their school-wide action plans, dictate their thinking to you or a partner

Assessment: The product of this lesson is not a formally marked assignment, but the creation of more socially responsible and environmentally friendly students. As long as they participated in the clean up, engaged with the content, created an action plan for the school, and made steps to physically implement it, they have fulfilled the learning objectives for this lesson. You could, however, have students share their stories orally with someone else in order to practice their speaking skills.

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Environmental Awareness and Appreciation: Perspectives on Environmental Damage

Lesson #5 – What are the perspectives on environmental damage?

Subject: English Language Arts

Grade: 2

Time: approximately 60 minutes

Parts of the Learning Cycle Involved: engagement, exploration, explanation Lesson Purpose: Students will discover different points of view on an issue through the acting out of roles. Students will practice syntactical knowledge through the writing of a script for their debate on an environmental issue.

About / In / For the environment- about = students are exploring the reasoning behind why some environmental damage continues to happen, even when we know it is bad- for = students are fighting on the side of the environment and all students will see the merits of protecting our natural surroundings

Outcomes & Indicators: CC2.2 b, i

Content Background: Human Actions that Damage the Environment

Use of pesticides and other chemicals for better agricultural yields Industrialization and urbanization of natural ecosystems as we expand Needs for more food, water, and space as population increases Transportation Manufacturing items Shipping food to other places Removal of trees for paper, lumber, more space Energy consumption (electricity from appliances, technology)

(http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/human-impact-on-environment.html)(http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/How_Do_Humans_Affect_the_Environment)

Processes Developed: Students will understand the different perspectives on environmental damage and the processes through which humans cause damage to the environment, some of which are difficult to change. Students will create drafts of reasons backing up their side of a debate through brainstorming. Students will present their side of the argument to the class in an attempt to get the majority to side with them. Students will practice listening skills while other groups are presenting.

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Adaptive Dimension: Students who struggle with writing can dictate their ideas to other group members who can write them down. Advanced students can be put on the side of those who damage the environment, as it may be more difficult to argue. *An adaptation to the format of the lesson (not to the ability of students) would be to have the debate run as a talking circle instead, which would introduce Indigenous ways of knowing and governance.

Cross Curricular Competencies (CCC’s): Through their debate, students are exploring different views and perspectives, which is building their contextual thinking skills. Students are thinking creatively in their debate by evaluating an experience through the medium of a simulation. Students are developing their critical thinking by critiquing a situation and experiencing a way of coming to a decision. Students are recognizing others’ beliefs that don’t coincide with their own, which falls under the ‘understand, value, and care for others’ competency. Students understand that sustainability is a result of complex economic, social, and environmental factors. Students are evaluating different courses of action, a branch of moral reasoning. Students are ensuring that each member of their team has an opportunity to contribute (communitarian thinking and dialogue). Expression of differing views is also present in this lesson.

Interdisciplinary Connections: Students are learning about presentations of different sides of an argument and methods for finding democratic solutions and coming to agreements by consensus voting (Social Studies). Students are discovering human actions that cause harm to the environment (Science, Health). Students are role playing and enacting a thought-out dramatization by playing characters (Arts Education).

Prerequisite Learnings: - students will know what a debate is and what they look like in action so they can carry out an argument from their side of the debate

Materials / Equipment / Safety: - paper and writing utensils for student groups to brainstorm the points they will

use for their side of the argument in the debate- video camera and a method for showing the recorded footage to the entire class

(optional)

Advanced Preparation: - create an even number of groups (of approximately three or four children each)

that are for and against the topic (ex. in a class of 24, you can make six groups of four students, have 3 groups for and 3 groups against, and do 3 rounds of ‘face offs’)

- choose an environmental issue that causes damage to a natural ecosystem that will be easy for students to understand and argue both sides of (ex. a new hospital needs to be built for a town but a wood/slough, which is home to many

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

organisms, needs to be destroyed in order to make space to build it)- prepare the camera and the playback device for usage – ensure that the process of

recording and then playing back your videos run smoothly and correctly

Lesson Procedure

ENGAGEMENT Discuss human actions that damage the environment -have students brainstorm, as a class, the things humans do that damage the environment (and prompt them or add in any that they may have missed from the list in ‘content background’)-ask students why they think humans damage the environment if they know it is wrong and/or bad for the earth (the goal is for them to realize that some processes humans enact due to a need, such as food or shelter, can cause environmental damage)-tell students they will be exploring two different sides of an argument through a debate (and go over, in detail, the situation you have chosen with the students so that they understand each side) and split them into their groups for brainstorming EXPLORATION Group brainstorming of argumentative points –get students to write down the points that support their side of the argument –you may need to prompt students or give them an idea to get them going–tell students that, in their presentation of their side, each member of the group

must contribute at least once to the development of their argument

EXPLANATION Debates–an option, other than having students perform head-to-head against each other

live, is to video tape each group listing off their points on the argument in a persuasive manner. These videos can then be played back-to-back with a group from the opposition; it allows students to ‘face off,’ but in a less intimidating way

–pair off groups of opposing sides to go up against each other in a simple debate (have each side discuss the merit of their reasoning and perhaps follow up with a few questions for each group)

–you can either have the remainder of the class/the judges vote on which group they think presented a stronger argument OR in order to avoid too much competition, have the remaining students who aren’t involved in that round offer one good thing about each team and one thing they could have improved rather than stating a winner

–continue to cycle through the rounds of debates until each group has presented against an opponent

-conclude with a few questions about what students learned and if their perspectives on human impact on environment changed (another option would be to brainstorm ideas that needed human processes, such as acquisition of more space or food, could be altered in order to reduce environmental damage)

Extensions /Modifications:

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-students that struggle with this content or are anxious about speaking in front of their peers may assist the teacher by playing the role of the mediator (that guides the discussion between the two groups) or the judge (who makes a final decision)

Assessment: The product of this lesson is not a formally marked assignment, but the realization that some needed human actions, such as agriculture, have detrimental effects to the environment. As long as students participated in the brainstorming and presentation of their group’s argument, they have fulfilled the learning objectives for this lesson. This lesson could, however, provide an opportunity to assess students’ formal speaking skills.

Environmental Awareness and Appreciation:

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

Our Understanding of Environment

Lesson #6 – What have I learned and how can I display my knowledge?

Subject: English Language Arts

Grade: 2

Time: approximately 2 or 3 class periods (depending on the projects the students decide upon to showcase their learning, this may vary from class to class)

Parts of the Learning Cycle Involved: elaboration, evaluation Lesson Purpose: Students will design a representation in a medium of their choice that synthesizes all of their subsequent learning in the unit.

About / In / For the environment- about = students are synthesizing all of their subsequent learning and knowledge on environmental issues and awareness- for = students are showcasing their respect, admiration, appreciation and awareness for the environment

Outcomes & Indicators: CC2.2 a, e, g, h, i

Processes Developed: Students will reflect on where they started at the beginning of the unit, recap all of the learning that they encountered throughout the unit, and evaluate where they are at now. Students will represent their learning as a whole in a final project. Students will create and design a unique project.

Adaptive Dimension: This project is very flexible and adaptable to any student need, as they can choose how they want to represent their learning and have input on what they would like to be evaluated on. Students may work in pairs or small groups if they so wish. Teachers can also assist students with portions of their projects if needed.

Cross Curricular Competencies (CCC’s): Students are applying their previous knowledge, ideas, and experiences (thinking contextually). Students are creating objects, models, and designs by adding and combining elements (thinking creatively). Students are showing self-reliance and self regulation (understand, value, and care for oneself). Students are constructing knowledge, exploring and interpreting the world, and expressing understanding using various literacies, including technology.

Interdisciplinary Connections: Students’ projects may take many forms that fit into the Arts Education curriculum. Students are showing their knowledge on the environment (Science, Health). Students are becoming responsible citizens and self-

Kara Fidelack – ESCI 302 – Winter 2014

reliant learners (Social Studies).

Prerequisite Learnings: -all of the previous information covered in the past 5 lessons

Materials / Equipment / Safety: - very broad (could range from a computer to paper maché materials to diorama

supplies to costumes); students should be encouraged to bring additional materials that the classroom/school doesn’t have on hand from home

Advanced Preparation: - you can gather some materials ahead of time that you think students may like- preparation will be more ongoing; once students decide what they would like to

do with their project, it will be easier to gauge what materials and assistance you can provide and prepare for

- set aside a time for students to showcase their work to the public; may involve booking the gym for a mini “Science” fair or simply organizing your classroom or a small part of the school for the showcase (optional – see “Extensions/ Modifications”)

- put an ad in the paper about your showcase, send notes home with parents, supply a notice for the school bulletin/newsletter (optional)

Lesson Procedure

ELABORATION Project creation stage -tell students that they now have a chance to put together all of their previous learning into one big project (could be a radio or television advertisement, a play, a diorama, a sound clip, a song, a dance routine, a poster, a speech, a puppet show, a painting/drawing, a storybook, etc.)-hand back their portfolios with all of their previous assignments and have them take some time to decide what they want to do for their project (at this time, they will also want to choose a partner or a small group to work with perhaps the teacher can help form groups if students have similar ideas that they would like to tackle together)-provide additional materials and assistance as needed-prompt students to work hard on their projects in order to use the time wisely EVALUATION Evaluation negotiation –as all of the students’ projects will be vastly different, it will be important for each

student’s evaluation to be unique and tailored to the project they are designing–have a ‘negotiation’ with the students and allow them to give input as to what

aspects of their project they would like to be marked (ex. with a dance routine, perhaps the appropriateness/thoughtfulness of the choreography, how well it relates to the subject, and the level of artistic expression involved should be pieces of the rubric)

–have students come up with three or four aspects they would like to be marked on;

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you may need to point them in the right direction or compromise if their ideas are difficult to mark or not appropriate/challenging enough

–one common element that will be marked for all of the projects, however, is the extent to which they successfully encapsulated all of their learning and knowledge into the project

Extensions/Modifications:-this is a modification for the teacher, not the students (as the project is very flexible to the students’ individual needs and abilities by design): teachers may want to organize a time for other classes/parents/family and community members to come in and view the students’ work; this may require some advanced preparation - this would be an extension for your students, in a sense, because they would have to prepare their projects for public viewing

Assessment: Use the rubrics that you decided upon with the students to mark the projects.