C.+Thematic+Unit

= Thematic Unit for ESL    =



The following is a one lesson example from a unit about Things That Grow. This lesson is for Kindergarten ESL students.

** Thematic Unit: Things that Grow **


 * Thematic Unit:** Things That Grow: Plants, Animals and People Around Us!
 * Lesson Topic:** Butterflies
 * Content Areas:** Science, Math, Language Arts, Reading
 * Grade Level:** Kindergarten
 * Language Proficiency Levels:** LEP-Mostly Beginners, Very few Intermediate


 * Overall Goals of Unit:** Through the thematic unit entitled Things that Grow, students will understand that plants, animals and people in nature around them are all growing, living things. Students will learn specific academic knowledge and vocabulary relating to plant and animal life cycles. They will also begin to explore the stages of human growth and life. Through this content, students will continue to develop language skills including oral language, comprehension, and academic vocabulary. Students will continue to develop pre-reading and reading skills as well as emergent writing skills.


 * TN Kindergarten Standards & Tennessee Standards for ESL**

//Plants and animals reproduce and transmit hereditary information between generations.// GLE 0007.4.1 Observe how plants and animals change as they grow. ü 0007.4.1 Observe a plant to identify how it changes as it grows from a seed to the adult plant and record data using non-standard measurement devices. ü 0007.4.2 Match pictures of seedlings to adult plants and a juvenile to the adult animal.
 * Conceptual Strand 4**

K.R.3 Word Recognition: Recognize high-frequency words and common word families. K.R.10 Identify story elements such as characters, setting and sequence of events. K.R.11 Demonstrate use of various strategies to construct meaning (e.g. context, illustrations, prior knowledge). K.L.1 Follow simple 1 – 4 step directions in sequence to complete a task with and without visual support. K.L.2 Respond to questions in a verbal and nonverbal manner. K.L.3 Understand basic structure of spoken language. K.L.8 Understand content specific vocabulary and discourse features of the content area. (e.g. add, subtract, character). K.L.9 Demonstrate comprehension of spoken language through drawing conclusions, making generalizations, making predictions, etc. K.W.6 Print upper and lower-case letters correctly and legibly and space letters and words appropriately using correct directionality. K.W.9 Use resources to find correct spelling (e.g., dictionaries, word walls). K.S.3 Ask pertinent questions; respond to questions with basic facts.

TLW be able to
 * Lesson Objectives:**
 * 1) Discuss the life cycle of a butterfly.
 * 2) Describe the way different butterflies look using terminology about butterflies, color words, and various descriptive words modeled from whole group read alouds.
 * 3) Strengthen recognition of color sight words.

Berger, G. & Berger, M. (2008). //Butterflies and caterpillars (Scholastic true and false).// New York, NY: Scholastic Reference. Carle, E. (1987). //The Very Hungry Caterpillar.// New York, NY: Philomel Books Elwell, P. (2009). //Adios Oscar! A butterfly fable.// New York, NY: Blue Sky Press Heiligman, D. (1996) //From caterpillar to butterfly//. New York, NY: Harper Collins Marzollo, J. (1997). //I am a caterpillar.// New York, NY: Cartwheel Books Turnbull, S., Guille, R., & Mayer, U. (2007). //Caterpillars and butterflies (Beginner’s nature, level 1).// New York, NY: Usborne Books.
 * Materials:**
 * 1) Art Materials & Blank Butterfly: Collage materials (Crayons, markers, paint, foil, tissue paper, sequins, mosaic pieces, colored cotton puffs, assorted crinkle papers)
 * 2) Literature Resources:
 * 1) Finger Play lyrics and Illustrated Poster Board
 * 2) Matching cards: Color words/butterflies
 * 3) Cut and Paste Sequencing cards
 * 4) Chart paper and markers

Set – Revisit //The Very Hungry Caterpillar.// Ask students what happened in story. Re-read and then go through illustrations asking for input on describing the colors, designs and look of the caterpillar/butterfly in the story. Chart each adjective. Sing Caterpillar Fingerplay.
 * Instructional Procedures**

Mini-Lecture – Read aloud //From Caterpillar to Butterfly// and //I Am a Caterpillar// in whole group setting. Engage students in discussion of content and to retell the sequence of events. TTW model writing by recording responses on chart paper at the end of the discussion.

Group Work, Task 1: Sequence Activity: Life Cycle of a Butterfly. Students will color, cut and paste the cards into the correct order. Students will work in pairs. Then 2 pairs will be grouped together. Pair A will work as a team to describe the life cycle to Pair B. Then Pair B will describe it to Pair A.

Whole Group, Shared Books – Read aloud //Caterpillars and Butterflies (Beginner’s Nature, Level 1)// to let the students describe various butterflies in the illustrations. Discuss as a group. We will revisit the color words on the word wall as students use the colors in their descriptions.

Guided Reading and Group task 2: Color word/Butterfly memory match game. Each group (of 2 students each) will get a pair of color words and butterflies. They will play memory until all color words and butterflies are matched.

Group Work, Task 3: Students will use various art materials to decorate their own butterfly. This may be done individually. Then students will get in groups of 2 or 3 and practice conversations skills by describing each other’s butterflies. They may use the word wall to write colors they used for their butterfly. Students will have the opportunity to share an oral description of their butterfly with the class in a whole group setting if they feel comfortable doing so.

Whole group – Read //Adios Oscar//. Engage students in discussion about Oscar wanting to fly to Mexico. Where would they like to fly?

Group Work, Task 4: Illustrate and try to write a short 2-4 page story about where their butterfly would like to fly and what it would like to see. Peer review the stories in pairs.

Closure: Review and read //Adios Oscar//


 * Assessment Tools/Techniques:**

▪Describing Butterfly Art Work ▪//Adios Oscar// story extension
 * 1) Informal – Mini-lecture: colors
 * 2) Formal – Group Work Task 1 – Sequence
 * 3) Informal – Shared books – Descriptions of illustrations and butterflies
 * 4) Informal & Formal – Group Work Task 2 -- Peer review & teacher check of color word/butterfly match
 * 5) Informal – Group Work Task 3 – Peer group practicing oral presentation, describing own art
 * 6) Formal – Peer review of story.
 * Language Learning Materials**
 * ▪** Color Words/Butterfly Match

Ten little eggs (Hold up hands, fingers straight). All in a mound (Join hands together in a ball, fingers inter-locking). Out come caterpillars, (Wiggle fingers, while still in the ball form). Crawling all around. Next they will sleep And we know why. (Lay head to one side on hands). Soon they'll come Out as butterflies. (Cross hands in front of body, lock thumbs and flap fingers like wings).
 * Fingerplay and Rhyme Time**

Reference: National Wildlife Foundation (2011). Caterpillar finger play. Retrieved from []









Christina Ontiveros Pre-K Teacher, Smithville Elementary contiveros@k12tn.net