Unit 1

The purpose of this unit is to introduce students to sound and light and then build upon and apply their understanding of sound and light to weather events and seasons. Throughout this unit, students will apply their learning to a scenario in which they are camping. They must use what they know about sound to name sounds they would hear while camping and identify how humans hear noises. Then, they will apply their learning about light to determine items they could bring camping that would create light. After learning about weather events, students will have to determine what they would bring camping with them to help keep them safe and comfortable in the event that the weather changed while camping. Finally, students will write a narrative book that tells the story of their camping trip that includes information about what season they want to camp in and what they hope to do while camping.

Students will need to draw on their knowledge of the five senses throughout this unit to activate understanding around hearing, seeing, and feeling. As this unit is focused on narrative writing and the structure of narratives, students will need to draw on what they know about how a story is told. Pre-teaching about narrative structure may need to occur. Students will also need to know how to identify words in a text that signal sensory connections and words that describe feelings.

Integrated throughout the unit are strategies that will support learning for all students. For ELs, strategies such as (1-2 strategies) will promote language acquisition. For students with Individualized Education Plan (IEP), providing positive and constructive feedback can guide students' learning and behavior and increases student motivation, engagement and independence. Another strategy that is embedded throughout the unit to support students with disabilities is intensive instruction. By providing small group intensive instruction, teachers clearly define learning goals; and use systematic, explicit, and well-paced instruction that matches students' level of support required to access the curriculum.

As designed, the unit is paced for 40 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.