Unit 3: Animals in the World Around Me
Unit Overview: Each unit overview provides a description of the content knowledge students will gain through learning and applying literacy skills while engaging with texts. Additional information in the Resources section.
We begin Kindergarten by having students explore ways to make healthy choices and engaging in texts by asking and answering questions. In pre-K, students asked and answered questions about texts with prompting and support. In Kindergarten, they will continue to do so. Students should be using their texts to find and support answers. In planning, teachers should select the most high leverage words for their students. Students’ language development can be supported using discourse and engagement practices that allow for discussions. Foundational skills are prioritized in Unit 1 as students are participating in activities that support Phonics instruction.
In order to promote learning for all students, practices have been incorporated into the day to day lesson design. For ELs, essential practices such as sentence frames will promote language acquisition. For students with IEPs, using a graphic organizer and repeated readings can be used to scaffold to provide access to the grade level text. As part of the district's equity initiative, we will cultivate students who understand that everyone needs food to survive and that food insecurity is a concern for some people. This unit may include texts from Wit and Wisdom and/or that are aligned with the content and priority standards.
As designed the unit is paced for 40-45 days. Teachers will use additional time in the quarter for reteaching, reviewing or enrichment activities aligned to the unit’s goals. Additional times may be used to develop the performance tasks and allow for district based assessments.
Big Idea:
Animal habitats are perfect animal homes.
Animals adapt to their environment.
Essential Questions:
How do habitats support the animals that live there?
How can people protect animal habitats?
Why is it important to protect animal habitats?
Culminating Task:
Congratulations! You have won an all-expenses paid vacation to the habitat of your choice! All you need to do is tell us which habitat you will visit and why, what you will pack and what you will want to see and do when you get there. Which habitat would you choose and why? Create a visual presentation that includes the habitat you will visit and why you want to visit there, what you will pack so that you are dressed appropriately for the weather, and what animals you will see and what you will do there.
Unit Overview: This document provides a unit overview that includes Big Ideas, Essential Questions, Historically Responsive framework, alignments to SEL, CEW, and core resources.
If you encounter non-functional links to books on Epic, exercise your discretion in selecting alternative texts that align with the grade-level recommendations provided in the list of texts distributed to schools. As you make these substitutions, keep in mind the lesson objectives and lesson standards, and ensure that the chosen texts are suitable and academically challenging. Books Purchased By Grade
Lesson Guidance Documents: These documents provide guidance for lesson planning.
Module 1:
Module 2:
Module 3:
Module 4: