Literacy

Literacy (EL Block) Module 4-Unit 1

This module focuses on the importance of clean freshwater around the world. In Unit 1, students read the text One Well: The Story of Water on Earth to build background knowledge about freshwater around the world and the three issues they will read more about in Unit 2: access to water, demands on water, and water pollution. In Unit 2, students continue their study of the three issues related to water, this time reading different texts about each issue and comparing the point of view of the authors to their own point of view. In the second half of the unit, they add to the research begun in Unit 1 by rereading the module texts for solutions for each issue. Students then use the Painted Essay® structure to write an opinion essay about the importance of water conservation.

Literacy (ALL Block) Module 4- Unit 1

Reading and Speaking Fluency/GUM: Students review parts of speech and their function in particular sentences.

Independent Reading: Students read research texts (on topics related to water) and free choice texts (on any topic of their interest). They log their reading and respond to reading prompts in independent reading journals, and share their learning from reading in a group discussion.

Writing Practice: Students write an informative paragraph comparing the main ideas and supporting details of two texts.

Additional Work With Complex Text: Students work with an excerpt from One Well: The Story of Water on Earth to better understand that water is found in the atmosphere, on the surface, and under the ground. All students participate in a Language Dive on Day 4 focused on the linking phrase but also.

Word Study and Vocabulary: Students work closely with compound words, both from One Well and words they’ve created. They practice using the suffixes -less and -ful and analyze the academic vocabulary word organism and its affixes (using a Vocabulary Tree).