Essential Question:
Wk 1: What is an environment?
Wk 2: How do we harm the environment?
Wk 3: How do we help the environment?
Wk 4: How do we help the environment?
Wk 5: How can we save our Earth?
Wk 6: How can we share our knowledge about the environment?
DAY 1 - PLAN 1
DAY 2 - PLAN 2
DAY 3 - PLAN 3
DAY 4 - PLAN 4
DAY 5 - SEED 1
DAY 6-7 - PLAN 5
DAY 8-9 - PLAN 6
DAY 10 - SEED 2
DAY 11-12 - PLAN 7
DAY 13 - Seed 3
DAY 14-15 - SEED 4
DAY 16-17 - SEED 5
DAY 18–20 - PLAN 8
DAY 21 - PLAN 9
DAY 22
DAY 23
DAY 24
DAY 25
DAY 26 -SEED 6
DAY 27
DAY 28
DAY 29 - SEED 6
DAY 30
Monitoring Templates
Download Seeds, Plans, and Resources (zip)
Send Feedback to MSDE’s Reading Team
4 Weeks - "Unit at a Glance" Organizer
Download all unit files (zip)
This unit explores ways we interact with our environment. Throughout the unit, focus questions will refine and deepen students' understanding of the impact we have on our environment, whether positive or negative, and the Essential Question guides students to determine ways they can help to maintain or improve existing environmental conditions.
Throughout this unit, students will engage in activities to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills as they relate to our environment and the effect we have upon it. Students will develop speaking and listening skills as they participate in discussions, ask and answer questions, and as they listen to stories, and various forms of media. Students will develop their reading skills as they listen to and read a range of texts. Students will develop their writing skills as they complete routine and extended writing pieces. After multiple opportunities to read and listen to texts about the environment, students will complete a final performance task. At the completion of this unit, students will be able to describe our impact on our environment and suggest ways it can be maintained or improved.
Literature
Earth Is on Big Turtle's Back told by Patricia Lynch Earth Mother by Ellen Jackson The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse an Aesop fable retold by Lorinda Bryan Cauley Two Mice by Lynn Reiser The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry The Wump World by Bill Peet The Lorax by Dr. Seuss Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg
Informational Text
Recycling by Neil Morris Where Does the Garbage Go? By Paul Showers Our Earth: Keeping It Clean by Peggy Hock Our Earth: Saving Water by Peggy Hock Our Earth: Making Less Trash by Peggy Hock Our Earth: Saving Energy by Peggy Hock The Three R's: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle (What Do You Know About? Books) by Nuria Roca
Websites
Possible websites for habitat pictures (to be used with struggling readers)
Online data base for on level readers
www.pebblego.com/content/science/pgo player.php
Possible websites for high level readers
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/desert-profile/
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/grassland-profile/
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/rainforest-profile/
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/tundra-profile/
Websites:
http://www.seussville.com/Educators/lorax_classroom/educatorlorax_discuss.php
http://www.seussville.com/loraxproject/
Pre-Assessment: As part of the unit opener, students will identify and explain how to use their 5 senses to observe an environment/habitat. Formative: "Traffic Light" signals will be utilized by students to show their level of understanding as they work on tasks. Week 1 Day 2 lesson includes details about how to make and implement traffic signals in the classroom. Monitor student writing to determine if students understand that humans have an impact on the environment in which they live. Summative: Students will complete a final performance task to write a report.
Additional Resources
