Environmental Changes

ENL Proficiency Level | ENL Program | Standards | Technology

Appropriate for all English Proficiency Levels   |   Stand-Alone, Integrated ENL/ELA   |  9K-ESS2-1, K-2W2, 3-5W2   |   Book Creator, Pixton

Content

I can describe environmental changes that take place in each season.

Procedure

Lesson Duration: 3–4 sessions (45-60 minutes each)

Lesson Outline:

Session 1: Introduction to Seasonal Changes

• • • Opening Activity (10 minutes):

      • Show a video or slideshow with images depicting the four seasons (winter, spring, summer, fall).

      • Discuss observations with students. Ask guiding questions:

        • "What do you see in these pictures that tells you it’s winter/summer/etc.?"

        • "How do plants, animals, or the weather change in each season?"

    • Reading Activity (15 minutes):

      • Read aloud one of the seasonal books (Seed Stash for fall, Cranberry Crop for winter, Leaves for spring, and Born to Fly for summer).

      • During the read-aloud, point out specific environmental changes discussed in the book.

    • Group Discussion (10 minutes):

      • Ask students to describe what they learned about the season from the book.

      • Record vocabulary words related to the season (e.g., "hibernation" for winter, "blossom" for spring) on the whiteboard.

    • Vocabulary Activity (10 minutes):

      • Hand out a worksheet with images for students to match with seasonal vocabulary words.

Session 2: Storyboarding with Pixton

• • • Introduction to Storyboarding (10 minutes):

      • Explain that students will use Pixton to create a storyboard for their book, showing each season and the environmental changes.

      • Demonstrate how to create a basic storyboard using Pixton, focusing on characters, backgrounds, and speech bubbles to represent the season.

    • Storyboard Creation (25 minutes):

      • Divide students into small groups, with each group focusing on one season.

      • Encourage them to use the vocabulary they learned to describe changes in their storyboard.

    • Peer Review (10 minutes):

      • Groups share their Pixton storyboards with the class.

      • Other groups provide feedback and suggest additional details they could add to represent the season more fully.

Session 3: Creating the Book in Book Creator

• • • Introduction to Book Creator (10 minutes):

      • Demonstrate how to add text, images, and audio to Book Creator.

      • Show how to organize the book with each page representing a different season.

    • Individual/Group Book Creation (30 minutes):

      • Students use their Pixton storyboards as a reference to create pages for each season in Book Creator.

      • Encourage them to write simple sentences about what they see happening in each season (e.g., “In winter, animals hibernate. Trees have no leaves.”).

    • Adding Visuals and Descriptions (10 minutes):

      • Students add visuals, including images from Pixton, drawings, or images from Book Creator’s library.

      • Optional: Record audio descriptions to accompany the text for each season.

Session 4: Sharing and Reflection

• • • Book Sharing (15 minutes):

      • Each student or group presents their Book Creator book to the class.

      • They read or play the audio of their seasonal descriptions.

    • Class Reflection (10 minutes):

      • Discuss what students learned about each season. Encourage them to share which season they like most and why.

    • Assessment and Feedback (15 minutes):

      • Provide feedback based on the accurate use of vocabulary, the detail in descriptions, and creativity in Book Creator.

      • Self-assessment: Ask students to share one new thing they learned about seasonal changes.