{"id":1262,"date":"2021-12-06T19:42:37","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T00:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www3.scholastic.ca\/lpeyx-teaching-support\/?page_id=1262"},"modified":"2022-04-06T16:49:49","modified_gmt":"2022-04-06T20:49:49","slug":"unit-support","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www3.scholastic.ca\/lpeyx-teaching-support\/grade-1\/i-can-make-a-difference-2\/unit-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Unit Support"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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For more about inquiry units, see:<\/h3>\n\t\n Inquiry Units in Grade One<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n<\/div>
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INTRODUCTION TO THE UNIT<\/h2>\n\t\n\t\t\t

The Read Aloud and two Shared Reading texts in this unit focus on identifying personal actions a person can take to help maintain a healthy environment for living things, planning and carrying out a classroom course of action for minimizing waste, and suggesting ways to reduce personal energy consumption. Students will be engaged in inquiry about how their personal actions can make a difference.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

The Read Aloud text, 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World<\/em>, helps students understand how each of us can make a positive environmental difference by taking a few simple actions in our daily lives. This will lead students to discuss what they do now and what they can do in the future to make a difference to the environment.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

One Shared Reading text, How to be an Eco Class<\/em>, provides six tips that a class can undertake to create less garbage. The other Shared Reading item is a realistic story about a class taking action to help keep wildlife in their community safe.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

Opportunities for oral language activities and playful learning are woven throughout the unit as students discuss ways to create a healthy environment, minimize waste, and reduce energy consumption; dramatize actions that make a difference to the environment; draw pictures showing themselves making eco-friendly choices; design pieces of window art; use puppets to retell a story; and write a letter to the principal. Contextual Working with Words lessons accompany each Shared Reading text and can be done with the class or with small groups of students with similar needs. A brief text-type writing study has students write a letter to the principal about what they are doing to make a difference. The mentor text to support this writing project is Art for the Birds<\/em>.<\/p>\n\t\nFor details about the unit, see: I Can Make a Difference Plan-at-a-Glance Chart<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t

Inquiry Question<\/h3>\n\t\t\t

A critical thinking approach is stimulated when we have a key question to focus our thoughts. This inquiry question can lead us to ask new questions, seek possible answers, and problem-solve to look for a solution. It draws us deeper into an issue and helps us to make connections. The inquiry question for this unit is \u201cHow can my actions make a difference?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t

Students explore the inquiry question by considering how we affect the environment in our daily actions. Throughout the unit, students will focus on choices they can make to have a positive effect on the environment. As the unit concludes, students will be able to respond to the inquiry question by providing examples of what they can do to make a difference.
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ELL Note<\/h3>\n\t\t\t

Many English Language Learners (ELLs) may have already been introduced to the concepts of environmental awareness and stewardship. Research the environmental efforts being done in several of the students\u2019 native countries and share these ideas with the class. Find picture books showing children around the world doing things to help the environment. Survey the ELLs\u2019 families and ask them to give two examples of how they reduced waste and energy consumption in their country of origin. <\/p>\n\t\t\t

ELLs can draw pictures showing ways that they have helped to reduce waste or otherwise help the environment with their family in their country of origin. On the opposite side of the picture, with the help of a bilingual volunteer or peer, have students write a sentence in both their first language and English. These pictures can be used as window art as a follow-up to the Shared Reading piece Art for the Birds<\/em>. <\/p>\n\t\t\t

On a pocket chart, display sentence strips containing the tips from 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World<\/em> and add a few tips from the ELLs. Practise reading these sentences with the ELLs in a variety of ways: clapping hands, leaving words out that the students supply, and dramatizing one of the concepts followed by the students choosing the corresponding sentence. <\/p>\n\t\t\t

Bring alive the ideas from the unit each and every day. For example, students can show and talk about one or more litterless items in their lunch, they can remind you or another adult to unplug the TV when not in use, they can write group stories, highlighting eco-tips, they can use both sides of a piece of paper. Praise and discuss students\u2019 efforts at helping the environment after the unit is done. <\/p>\n\t\t\t

The illustrations in all three books can be used to introduce colour words, numbers, classroom object names, and parts of the body. Partner the ELL with a volunteer or reading buddy. Have both listen to the audio, with the partner pointing to the written words, establishing a sound\/symbol correspondence for the ELL. During the next reading(s), the ELL points to the words and once he\/she gains familiarity with the text, the pair can begin exploring the text without the audio.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n<\/div>

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MONITORING PROGRESS<\/h2>\n\t\t\t

You will have numerous opportunities to observe students as they inquire through talk, dramatization, movement, artwork, and play. <\/p>\n\t\t\t