Eco-Friendly Two Weeks
/ ELALesson Plan
Teacher:
Sixth Grade ELA Teacher / Grade:
Sixth Grade
Lesson Title:
Save Our Planet, One Campus at a Time
STRANDS
Informational Text, Inferences, Expository Writing
LESSON OVERVIEW / Summary of the task, challenge, investigation, career-related scenario, problem, or community link.
The unit will be focused on expository writing skills. Students will use informational text and data to compose an outline for an expository essay. To produce a quality expository essay, students must master writing a thesis, a conclusion, and ordering the supporting details throughout the essay. Students will learn about issues concerning water quality through the use of informational texts. Then students will test the pH, dissolved Oxygen, temperature, turbidity, and nitrate levels of the campus creek. These results will be interpreted with the use of a text that defines and explains the healthy ranges for each test. Next, students will compose an outline as if they were going to write an expository essay communicating their results and analysis of the creek’s health. The outline will contain the thesis, three main points, nine supporting details, and a conclusion statement. The outline will be hierarchically organized with clear main points and logical supporting details. The information will move from a general to specific ideas. Throughout the unit, science, math, and social studies will be incorporated within the ELA lessons. Water quality, effects of pollution, and statistics will be explored through informational texts.
MOTIVATOR / Hook for the week unit or supplemental resources used throughout the week. (PBL scenarios, video clips, websites, literature)
“The Story of Bottled Water (2010)”- This eight-minute video explains how the bottled water industry gained their success through fear tactics. It presents facts that will raise awareness of recycling and question if bottled water is even necessary.
“What is a Watershed?” – This simplistic video explains what a watershed is by using several illustrations.
DAY / (I can….)
a)
/Materials & Resources
/Instructional Procedures
/ DifferentiatedInstruction /
Assessment
1 / I can use informational text to gain knowledge about issues related to water quality.I can write an outline containing a thesis, conclusion, and main ideas. /
“Garbage boats sweep Rio's Olympic Bay”- (See Resources Folder)
“Discarded Plastic Forms an Ecosystem at Sea” – (See Resources Folder)“Water Quality Facts of TN”
“For Many of the World’s Poor, Drinking Water Can Kill”- (See Resources Folder) / Essential Question:What are some current events that affect our nation’s waterways?
How can you determine if something is a fact or opinion? / Differentiated Instruction for Remediation:
Modeling of Outline Creation
Jigsaw Method
Leveled Articles
Peer Tutoring
Differentiated Instruction for Enrichment:
Leveled Articles
Summarizing by creating an outline / Formative Assessment: Give feedback on the students’ outlines, focusing on the thesis, conclusion, and the organization of ideas.
Where are some current issue concerning water quality?
Set-
Watch the unit hook. “The Story of Bottled Water (2010)”- This eight-minute video explains how the bottled water industry gained their success through fear tactics. It presents facts that will raise awareness of recycling and question if bottled water is even necessary. Students will be able to relate to this issue since they experience bottled water daily.
Teaching Strategy –
Divide students into groups of four. Students will use the jigsaw method to learn about many issues that affect the water quality of our nation. Each group will read, make notes, and discuss their assigned article. Then the groups will be shuffled so that each new group has a member from each of the original groups. The students will summarize their article’s information and have a discussion of the issues facing water quality by creating a simple outline. Students must first determine how the articles are related in order to compose a thesis statement. The main ideas need to taken from the articles, not prior knowledge.
Remind students of the format of an outline and how to write a thesis. Encourage students to move from general ideas to specific facts. Thesis should include a claim and the reasons that provide proof.
I. Thesis
II. 1st Main Idea
A. Supporting DetailB. Supporting Detail
C. Supporting Detail
III. 2nd Main Idea
A. Supporting Detail
B. Supporting Detail
C. Supporting Detail
VI. 3rd Main Idea
A. Supporting Detail
B. Supporting Detail
C. Supporting Detail
V. Conclusion
Summarizing Strategy –
Students will share their outlines with the class by displaying them using the Apple TV. The teacher and peers will offer feedback using the requirements listed above.
2 / Infer Internet information to gain information about watersheds.
Compose an outline detailing information based on the school’s watershed. / “What is a Watershed?”
EPA.gov- Watershed Planner / Essential Question:
How can you use information found on the Internet to gain an understanding of the creation and definition of a watershed? / Differentiated Instruction for Remediation:
Assigning partners will allow for peer tutoring.
Give the students an example of the outline format.
Differentiated Instruction for Enrichment:
The EPA website can display multiple water sources at once. Challenge the students to look at the “big picture” to address the questions. / Formative Assessment-
Students’ outlines will be assessed for understanding. The format should be correct and the ideas should progress from broad to specific.
What is a Watershed?
Set-
Watch “What is a Watershed?” – This simplistic video explains what a watershed is by using several illustrations.
Teaching Strategy (s) –
Students will use the 5 W’s (who, what, where, when, why) to summarized information about the campus’s watershed by composing an outline.
Who? - Who does the watershed besides your school affect?
What? - What are the sources of pollution in the watershed?
Where? - Where does the water in the watershed originate?
When? - When do you think the water quality of the watershed began to decline?
Why? - Why should the watershed be monitored?
The information will be gained from 2 EPA websites.
1. Go to the EPA’s website
2. Change the “Map Layers” to street view.
3. Students will zoom in until they have located the school.
4. In the “Tools” dropdown menu, choose “My Watershed Locator”
5. An outline of the campus watershed will be drawn on the map.
6. Go to “Surf Your Watershed”
7. Students will enter the school’s zip code
8. Click on the watershed. This will take the students to “My Waters Mapper”
9. Students will zoom into their watershed and use the tools on the right to view the “Water Impairments”
10. Students will notate the impairments and infer the causes.
Summarizing Strategy
Students will compose an outline describing the information gained from the EPA sites. Remind students that the ideas within the outline should progress from general to specific.
3 / I can communicate my prediction of a watershed’s health based on evidence found on the Internet. / Voki.com
EPA- How Do We Measure the Quality of Our Waters? / Essential Question:
How can you effectively communicate a prediction? / Differentiated Instruction for Remediation:
Assigning partners will allow for peer tutoring.
Differentiated Instruction for Enrichment:
Vokis allow for creativity and extension of ideas / Formative Assessment-
Students will be assessed through the evaluation of the Voki. The Voki must have a clear prediction and at least one source of evidence.
Predict the Health of Our Watershed- Voki
Set
Take a poll with the class. Do you think the school’s creek is healthy? Allow time for a general class discussion.
Teaching Strategy
1. Ask the students: What would be a reliable source to find more information about the watershed and creek?
2. Allow time for students to do a brief Internet search. Students will not be successful if they Google “creek health” or “water quality.” They can search “water quality and the zip code.”
3. Brainstorm a list on the board of Internet sites.
4. During brainstorming, lead students to the EPA website.
5. Students will read about the specific water tests that are used to judge the health.
6. Using all the water quality information, students will write a clear statement predicting the creek’s health. At least one source of evidence must be provided.
7. Voki.com- students will create a Voki to communicate their prediction.
Summarizing Strategy:
Allow time for the students to share their Vokis with the class. Keep a tally of the students that predict the creek is healthy vs. not healthy. Briefly discuss the most effectives predictions. Were they clear? Easy to understand? Silly?
4 / Essential Question:
Project Day 1 – refer to Unit Plan
Watershed
5 / Essential Question:
Project Day 2 – refer to Unit Plan
Watershed
6 / I can create an action plan to resolve an environmental issue.
I can use a flowchart for planning purposes. / Padlet
Results from Project Day 1 & 2 / Essential Question:
How can you use data to develop an action plan to resolve an environmental issue at school?
How can a flowchart assist with planning? / Differentiated Instruction for Remediation:
Thinking Maps are helpful for organization of thoughts.
Creating a plan of action is open-ended and allows for differentiation.
Differentiated Instruction for Enrichment:
Creating a plan of action is open-ended and allows for more complex thinking. / Formative Assessment:
Observing students’ responses during Think, Pair, Share will serve as an evaluation of understanding.
What Now?
Set
Using Padlet.com, students will create a Thinking Map to summarize the results of the watershed evaluations from project day one and two. Students will make an analysis and offer evidence. Once the students have completed this task, hold a class discussion. Is the campus watershed healthy?
Teaching Strategy
· Think, Pair, Share: What can or should be done?
Students will develop an action plan. Share it with a partner. Share it with the entire class. The teacher will annotate the students’ ideas for further reference.
· Once the list has been formulated, converse with the class to determine which ideas are plausible.
· Lead the students to the idea of a recycling plan for the entire school.
· Think, Pair, Share: Create a plan to get the entire school involved.
Students will develop an action plan, WITH DETAILS. Share it with a partner. Share it with the entire class. The teacher will annotate the students’ ideas for further reference.
What types of containers will collect the wastes? Who will take the wastes to be recycled? Will it interrupt learning?
· With the class, develop an action plan that reflects everyones ideas.
Summarizing Strategy
Exit Ticket: How can you convince everyone to accept your plan?
7 / I can identify persuasive devices used in advertising. / M&M Check Out video (See Resources Folder)
Persuasive Devices ppt (See Resources Folder) / Essential Question:
What techniques are helpful in persuasion? / Differentiated Instruction for Remediation:
Peer tutoring
Visual Aids
Differentiated Instruction for Enrichment:
Recalling real-world advertisements for each of the different persuasive techniques can be challenging. / Formative Assessment:
Classroom observation through questioning will serve as an evaluation of understanding.
EDP- Persuasion
Set
What are your favorite advertisements? What are they selling or persuading you to buy?
Play the M&M Check Out Video
Teaching Strategy
What techniques were used to convince you to purchase M&Ms?
Using the Persuasive Devices PowerPoint, teach the concepts of bandwagon, loaded terms, testimonial, name-calling, and plain folks.
Summarizing Strategy
Divide the class into groups of 3-4. Challenge each group to give an example of each device from their personal experiences.
If time allows, share the examples with the entire class.
8
Project Day 3 – refer to Unit Plan
Topic – “STEM Fair”- Eco-Friendly
9
Project Day 4 – refer to Unit Plan
Topic – “STEM Fair”- Eco-Friendly
10
Project Day 5 – refer to Unit Plan
Topic – “STEM Fair”- Eco-Friendly
STANDARDS / Identify what you want to teach. Reference State, Common Core, ACT
College Readiness Standards and/or State Competencies.
RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.6.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
RI.6.3 Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
RI.6.9 Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).
W.6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
· W.6.2.b Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
· W.6.2.c Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts
· W.6.2.d Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
· W.6.2.e Establish and maintain a formal style.
· W.6.2.f Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the information or explanation presented.
RI.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.7.2 Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
R.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
W.7.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.
SL.7.4 Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.
SL.7.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.