The goal of this lesson is to make students conscious of deforestation and consider the root causes. The first activity will be a game where students compete using their knowledge of deforestation key terms. For the second activity, students will be read "The Lorax" and given an activity that makes students apply context to gather information.
Be sure to utilize the pre-unit homework to address difficult vocabulary before beginning this unit!
1. SWBAT Utilize vocabulary about deforestation
2. SWBAT Practice fluency skills when speaking
3. SWBAT use context clues from images, the sentence, and the whole story to predict vocabulary
4. SWBAT Produce sentences highlighting key vocabulary, both when speaking and writing
Full lesson plan on Google Docs:
Time : 10 minutes
Learning Objectives Targeted: 1
Basic Summary: Write-Up vocabulary terms on the white board or chalk board one at a time (These vocabulary terms will be used later for the fly swatter game). Call on students to define them using their own words and understanding.
Time: 25 minutes total
Targeted Learning Objectives: 1, 2, and 4
Basic Summary: Students will be split into teams of 3 students each. You will write the vocabulary terms about deforestation (Students should recognize this from the handout provided last class) on the board. You will read the definition out loud and each team will send one representative to slap the word that matches the definition with the fly swatter. The first person that slaps the word must use the word in a sentence. If they get it right, they get one point. If they get it wrong, the opportunity then goes to the next person that hit the word. See the whole lesson plan below.
Time: 35 minutes
Learning Objectives Targeted: 3
Basic Summary: After an introduction to Dr. Sues and some context of the story, Students will be read a segment of "The Lorax", but there will be several words from the story missing. As the students are being read to, the teacher will clap to notify the students where the blank word is in the sentence. The students will have to fill in the blanks using a word bank provided for them. Next the activity will segue into a reflection, where students will be encouraged to talk about the story and the activity. The activity will end with going over the correct answers for the fill-in-the-blank activity.
Time: 15 minutes
Learning Objectives Targeted: 1, 2, and 4
Basic Summary: Have students pair up and work together to make a poem or song using the vocabulary from the earlier lessons. Students will be given an example and be encouraged to have fun with it.
Time: 5 minutes
Learning Objectives Targeted: 1, 2, and 4
Basic Summary: Students will share their poems in small groups and discuss what their poems are about and why they wrote them.
Appendix A: Fly Swatter Vocab List w/ definitions
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VkGHuzB5lOaTcgMgjHuUuR4bmYNE2Kes1xuBnB_v27E/edit?usp=sharing
Appendix B - The Lorax (pg. 27-30, 56-67)
Appendix C - Pictures/Blanked out story book
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LNNil2lfTSHDBw-lWVKnpDt59z1-x1HLQxYKDDrZvPo/edit?usp=sharing
Appendix D - Worksheet
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kpc0o4yMBK2W6GN08Y11q4gu4G763OVoLc3HhmG1480/edit?usp=sharing