⭐Exploring Elements of Community - Paletero Man - contributed by Susan Bock, Library Media Services

Duration: 1 class period

Objective: Students will identify how elements of culture can be found in our communities. Students will practice inquiry skills. 

Summary: While reading the book Paletero Man, the librarian will lead students to identify elements of culture in the story. Students will practice inquiry skills as a group by investigating the recipe steps to making paletas.

Weather - Fall Leaf sort - contributed by Felecia Washington, Sanford Creek ES

Duration: 1 30 minute lesson

Objective:  Students learn about fall and sort leaves

Summary: Students learn about the fall season.  They learn that leaves can be different colors, shapes, and sizes.  They will collect leaves from outside and sort them by color.

Sort it Out - Physical Attributes - contributed by Stacy Darwin, Abbotts Creek ES

Duration: 1 day for lesson

Objective: Students will observe objects’ different attributes and sort them in different ways.

Summary: The main character in Sort It Out is a packrat. He loves sorting his found objects in different and surprising ways.

Culture/Weather Research Project - contributed by Laura Nowak, Apex Friendship ES

Duration: multiple days

Objective: Students will use technology tools to conduct research and share what they learn.

Summary: Students work in teams to research a country's flag and weather, and then produce a news segment with the information they've gathered.

How Do Illustrations Help Tell a Written Story? - idea linked from Garden City School Library site, contributed by Laura Nowak, Apex Friendship ES

Duration: 3 class periods

Objective: Students will use evidence to investigate questions by analyzing illustrations.

Summary: Through paired read-alouds, students will identify how illustrations help to tell a story. Example texts include titles like This is Not My Hat and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole. Other texts could be substituted to accomplish the same objective. 

Kindergarten Digital Citizenship Lessons from Common Sense Media

⭐Exploring Elements of Community - Paletero Man - contributed by Susan Bock, Library Media Services

Duration: 1 class period

Objective: Students will identify how elements of culture can be found in our communities. Students will practice inquiry skills. 

Summary: While reading the book Paletero Man, the librarian will lead students to identify elements of culture in the story. Students will practice inquiry skills as a group by investigating the recipe steps to making paletas.

⭐What Can You Do With a Rock - contributed by Christine Zaccardi, Farmington Woods ES and Alison DiOrio, Smith ES

Duration: 45 min.

Objective: Investigate the different characteristics of rocks and read a NCCBA book.

Summary: Students will wonder about and investigate rocks. They'll participate in a read aloud of What Can You Do With a Rock and then choose investigation options such as a choice board with more information to explore, a group activity identifying characteristics of rocks, or an independent rock sort. 

We are Grateful - contributed by Stacy Darwin, Abbotts Creek ES

Duration: 1 class (or more if used as the start of an inquiry unit)

Objective: Students will comprehend a text read aloud to identify cultural practices of the Cherokee people.

Summary: Students will listen to a read aloud of the text We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga and reflect of what they are grateful for in their own lives.

Mapping the Library - contributed by Laura Nowak, Abbotts Creek ES

Duration: 2-3 40 minutes lessons

Objective: Students will create a map of the library using symbols and a key/legend.

Summary: Students will identify symbols that could be used to represent various places in the library (circulation desk, computers, etc.). Students will create a map of the library to help younger students understand how to navigate the space.

How Do Illustrations Help Tell a Written Story? - idea linked from Garden City School Library site, contributed by Laura Nowak, Apex Friendship ES

Duration: 3 class periods

Objective: Students will use evidence to investigate questions by analyzing illustrations.

Summary: Through paired read-alouds, students will identify how illustrations help to tell a story. Example texts include titles like This is Not My Hat and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole. Other texts could be substituted to accomplish the same objective. 

Moon Man - contributed by Sharon Hart, Forestville Road ES

Duration: 3-4 class periods

Objective: I can identify the characters, setting, and other elements of a story.

Summary: Students will use the story Moon Man by Tomi Ungerer to complete a character analysis, use creativity tools to produce or identify the settings and finally be able to share the beginning, middle, and end of a story.

1st grade Digital Citizenship Lessons from Common Sense Media

⭐Be a Paleontologist - contributed by Tracey Watson, Sanford Creek ES; Garth Tolley, Wake Forest iSTEM ES; Heather Reid, Weatherstone ES; Rachel Anderson, N. Forest Pines Drive ES

Duration: 3-4 class periods

Objective: Students will be able to research a specific dinosaur in pairs and based on the information they find will be able to share three to five facts about what their dinosaur size, diet, age, appearance, location may have been. Students will create a video where they pretend they are paleontologists that have discovered dinosaur bones.   End project can be done with Flip, Google Slide, or Chatterpix that shares this information.

Summary: 1st lesson: Research together a specific dinosaur

2nd Lesson: students pick dinosaur and research in pairs

3rd lesson: Model our class findings in  a digital format

4th Lesson: Students create their own  digital presentation

We are Grateful - contributed by Stacy Darwin, Abbotts Creek ES

Duration: 1 class (or more if used as the start of an inquiry unit)

Objective: Students will comprehend a text read aloud to identify cultural practices of the Cherokee people.

Summary: Students will listen to a read aloud of the text We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga and reflect of what they are grateful for in their own lives.

Fossils - contributed by Stephanie Powell, Turner Creek ES

Grade Level(s): 2nd

Duration: 45 min (1-2 sessions)

Objective: Students will use research strategies to find information.

Summary: After reading Fossils Tell Stories (or a fossil book of choice), students will investigate to learn more about fossils using EWISE with print and digital resources.

How Do Illustrations Help Tell a Written Story? - idea linked from Garden City School Library site, contributed by Laura Nowak, Apex Friendship ES

Duration: 3 class periods

Objective: Students will use evidence to investigate questions by analyzing illustrations.

Summary: Through paired read-alouds, students will identify how illustrations help to tell a story. Example texts include titles like This is Not My Hat and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole. Other texts could be substituted to accomplish the same objective. 

Meet the Author/Meet the Illustrator - contributed by Stephanie Powell, Turner Creek ES

Duration: 2-3 class periods

Objective: To build appreciation for authors and illustrators and their craft.

Summary: Students will explore authors/illustrators and their writing/illustrating style. (Can be connected to eWISE to model the research process).

Changing States of Matter - contributed by Laura Nowak, Apex Friendship ES

Duration: 2-3 45 minute classes

Objective: Students will be able to describe specific examples of how matter changes.

Summary: After reviewing states of matter and how matter changes (from solid to liquid, liquid to solid, etc.), students will create a booklet depicting changing states of matter.

Weather Safety Plan, Inquiry Unit - contributed by Laura Nowak, Apex Friendship ES

Duration: multiple days

Objective: Students will use technology tools to conduct research and share what they learn.

Summary: Students will develop questions about and research a form of severe weather. They'll develop a safety for the severe weather event based on the information they gather. 

2nd grade Weather - contributed by Melandie Matthews, Vandora Springs ES

Duration: 3 lessons

Objective: Explain patterns of weather and factors that affect weather.

Summary: Students will investigate weather and weather patterns in NC and record findings. They will become a meteorologist and create a 7 day forecast for our area using Flip. 

2nd grade Digital Citizenship Lessons from Common Sense Media

EL Performance Task Resources - Grade 2 Module 2

This folder of resources was created by WCPSS DLCs to enhance the performance tasks in EL curriculum. View the Mod 2 Gr 2 Options slide first for ideas that you can use to collaborate with teachers. Support materials for the options are contained in the folder. 

⭐Life Cycle of a Plant Unit: Stop Motion, 3rd grade - contributed by Laura Nowak, Apex Friendship ES

Duration: 6 lessons

Objective: Students will summarize the distinct stages of the life cycle of seed plants. 

Summary: Students will work collaboratively to create stop motion videos that show the life cycle of a plant. They will plan, seek feedback from peers, design and build the materials needed for their video, and film. 

Frogs - contributed by Felecia Washington, Sanford Creek ES

Duration: 3 lessons

Summary: Students research frogs and create a digital presentation showing the body, fun facts, habitat, diet, and lifecycle of a frog. This lesson is done in collaboration with the Frogs EL module. Students will use their frog notebook notes to complete their Google slide. 

3rd grade Digital Citizenship Lessons from Common Sense Media

EL Performance Task Resources - Grade 3 Module 2

This folder of resources was created by WCPSS DLCs to enhance the performance tasks in EL curriculum. View the Mod 2 Gr 3 Options slide first for ideas that you can use to collaborate with teachers. Support materials for the options are contained in the folder. 

⭐ Hour of Code: Poem Art, a Code.org lesson - contributed by Lori Cavaco, Cary ES

Duration: 1 hour

Objective: Code an original poem

Summary: Students will animate a poem with code to illustrate the mood of the poem. Students will read and detect the mood of a poem, then find corresponding effects and images to help illustrate the poem's mood. Finally, students will use events (code) to illustrate a shift in mood or animate the introduction of new images in a poem. 

Curriculum Connection - Indigenous People, contributed by Felecia Washington, Sanford Creek ES

Duration: 3 lessons

Objective: Students will explore indigenous Indian cultures to see how they have influenced North Carolina culture 

Summary: Students will create a google slide about an Indigenous Indian tribe to explore its cultural heritage

Animal Adaptations - Except Antarctica (Canvas page can be imported into your own Canvas course. Log in to Canvas first and open Commons, then click on the link to this lesson)- contributed by Susan Bock, Library Media Services

Duration: 1 class period

Objective: Students will investigate one of the North Carolina Children's Book Award nominees for 2023 and relate it to their learning about animal adaptations.

Summary: Students will read (or engage in a read aloud) of the book Except Antarctica. They will then use links to articles in Britannica to learn more about each of the animals in the book. They can explain what sorts of adaptations would help each animal survive in Antarctica, or identify the adaptations the animal has that allow it to survive in its habitat.

Animal Defense, contributed by Felecia Washington, Sanford Creek ES

Duration: 3 lessons

Objective: Use facts from student’s Amazing Animals EL Research to create a digital presentation

Summary: This unit can be  done in collaboration with the  EL teacher during their Animal Defense unit.

If done at a different time- you will need extra time for students to research their animal. Students will create a digital presentation using Google Slides to show their animal, its habitat,and defense mechanisms 

Indigenous People of NC, contributed by Sharon Hart, Forestville Road ES

Duration: 2-3 sessions

Objective: Students will research 2 indigenous tribes studied in NC

Summary: After learning about indigenous tribes in NC, students will work cooperatively to create storyboard that presents their findings. 

4th grade Digital Citizenship Lessons from Common Sense Media

EL Performance Task Resources - Grade 4 Module 2

This folder of resources was created by WCPSS DLCs to enhance the performance tasks in EL curriculum. View the Mod 2 Gr 4 Options slide first for ideas that you can use to collaborate with teachers. Support materials for the options are contained in the folder. 

Curriculum Connection - Indigenous People, contributed by Felecia Washington, Sanford Creek ES

Duration: 3 lessons

Objective: Students will explore indigenous Indian cultures to see how they have influenced American identity 

Summary: Students will create a google slide about an Indigenous Indian tribe to explore its cultural heritage and see how America was influenced by that culture.

5th grade Digital Citizenships Lessons from Common Sense Media

EL Performance Task Resources - Grade 5 Module 2

This folder of resources was created by WCPSS DLCs to enhance the performance tasks in EL curriculum. View the Mod 2 Gr 5 Options slide first for ideas that you can use to collaborate with teachers. Support materials for the options are contained in the folder. 

Weather - Fall Leaf sort - contributed by Felecia Washington, Sanford Creek ES

Duration: 1 30 minute lesson

Objective:  Students learn about fall and sort leaves

Summary: Students learn about the fall season.  They learn that leaves can be different colors, shapes, and sizes.  They will collect leaves from outside and sort them by color.

Sort it Out - Physical Attributes - contributed by Stacy Darwin, Abbotts Creek ES

Duration: 1 day for lesson

Objective: Students will observe objects’ different attributes and sort them in different ways.

Summary: The main character in Sort It Out is a packrat. He loves sorting his found objects in different and surprising ways.