That is the first class for Unit 3, Level 4 of English in Ecuador.

1. CULTURE AND LANGUAGE MINI-LESSON TEMPLATE
Preparation
Unit 3: We were walking home…
Lesson topic/content area: Weather with present continuous.
BDI strategy used: Magic Book.
Class Profile: 3rd
Year of Baccalaureate.
Total # of students: eighteen.
P =
EP = Eighteen students in Early Production.
S = one student in Speech Emergence.
I =
Ahh! =
Content objectives (CO):
We will review adjectives for describing the weather: sunny, cloudy, foggy,
windy, cold, hot, warm, raining, and snowing.
Language objectives (LO):
Writing: We will write sentences using the target vocabulary.
Reading: We will read an email and the definitions of the target vocabulary.
Speaking: In small groups, we will share what we learn and play a game with
questions and answers.
Listening: In groups, we will listen the email and also we will listen partner
ideas and opinions.
Key Vocabulary:
Early production sunny, cold, hot, raining.
Emergency Speech cloudy, windy, warm, snowing.

2. Materials needs for the following activity:
The magic book hands on and market of different colors.
Poster paper for a big magic book.
Visuals to make comprehensible input (slides and a projector)
Ecuadorian books (English Level 4 or A2.2.).
Activation: A Canvas of Opportunity. Before the Lesson
(Informing Instruction)
Warm up:
 Ask students to describe the current weather where they live using vocabulary they already
know. Then display a world map and point to some different places. Ask What do you think
the weather is like here? Accept all reasonable answers. Tell the class that at the start of
this unit they will practice talking about weather.
Directions:
 Provide the Magic Book to the students.
 Share with the students the academic vocabulary of the lesson. When selecting the target
vocabulary, think of the eight most important words that are necessary for students to
understand the topic.
 Have students number the boxes of the checkered part of their magic book and write one
vocabulary word in each box. To support students in this step and write on the board the
numbers words in order and monitor they write in the same pattern in their Magic Books.
 Next have students individually look at each of the words and splash (write or draw) in the
respective boxes some of their own words and pictures that they associate with the
individual words. Encourage student to write in whatever language they prefer.
Then allow them to the briefly share their ideas with a partner and then encourage them to
continue to record some more ideas on paper.
 After students have finished documenting their individual thoughts, have them share their
words and images with their small group.
Connections: The Broad and Narrow Strokes of learning:
During the Lesson (Formative Assessment)
Directions:
 Periodically stop and allow students to discuss with their partner the academic
vocabulary words they have come across in the text and their overall
understanding of the content.
 At each stopping point, after students have had a chance to discuss their
learning with their partner and when they think they understand the target
words, have students individually crack open their Magic Book and write the
description of the words along.
 Direct students to confirm or disconfirm the initial associations they made for
each word by circling the words and images that came closest to the actual
definition of the words encountered in the text.

3. Affirming: A Gallery of Understanding: After the Lesson
(Summative Assessment of Student Learning)
Directions:
 Have students discuss their new insights about the words and the content within
their small group.
 Next have students write a sentence for each vocabulary.
 Have students share their sentences with the members of their small group.
 Provide cards to the students to ask questions each other to they can assess their
understanding of the new vocabulary. Take turns to ask the student that is next
in the right.
 Ask question to the students to assess their understanding and use questions that
develop their critical thinking: How is the weather changing during the last
years?, What are the reasons of the changing of the weather?, How can we do
now to avoid these changes?.
 After students have completed the lesson’s tasks, direct them to keep their
Magic Book for future use as a study tool.
Homework: Write antonyms in the next side of the magic book and write a sentence
with that.

4. Name: _____________________________________
Topic: Weather
Unit: #3 We were walking home…
Read the email and underline the vocabulary for describing weather
Hello Mum and Dad
I hope that you are fine.
As you know, I am in my last days in the United States of America and in a soon time I
will see you again, however I want to write this letter for you to tell you how grateful
and glad I feel because of you. Also, I want to tell you about my experiences in the last
months. I have experienced so many happy days because of the wonderful people that I
have met here and I have learned so much of all them, my partners and the coordinators.
So, during the first months of my arriving, it was snowing every single day. Although
there were many sunny days, they were still cold. Sometimes I believe that the sun was
only a picture in the sky because even if we had it, the days were very cold. So, I should
wear three clothes and one of them was thermic. Also, I used to wear a jacket that our
coordinators gave us like a welcoming present. Many of these days were cloudy and
foggy, so the obscure hours were longer than now. This weather took place during the
first two months until the winter finished.
After that, we had better days, but they were still cold. We saw the first raining days and
we were frightened because of the tornado alarm in Dekalb. We also saw the lightning
when we lived our first spring storm that was very hard in a city next to Dekalb. There
were many raining days, but the last ones were warm and very windy. Some days we
should wear only cool clothes and other days we should wear warm clothes.
Now we are in the summer season, the days are very hot, and I should wear jersey and
shorts to overcome these days. However, we have more day hours, so now the sunset is
at 9:00 pm.
I know after you read this, you will be very worried about the weather changes, but you
shouldn’t be because I am fine. So, I am not sick because I am strong enough to resist
every single change of this crazy weather.
Sincerely, your son.
Anibal

5. Match the adjectives for describing weather with the correct definitions.
Words Definitions
foggy covered or enveloped as if with fog (a mass of cloud
consisting of small drops of water near the surface of the
earth).
cold at a low temperature, especially when compared to the
temperature of the human body, and not hot, or warm.
sunny bright because of light from the sun.
raining drops of water from clouds.
cloudy with clouds (a grey or white mass in the sky, made up of
very small floating drops of water)
windy with a lot of wind (a current of air moving approximately
horizontally, especially one strong enough to be felt)
warm having or producing a comfortably high temperature,
although not hot.
snowing a single fall of snow (he small, soft, white pieces of ice
that sometimes fall from the sky when it is cold, or the
white layer on the ground and other surfaces that it forms)

6. Match the adjectives for describing weather with the correct definitions. (with
accommodations)
Words Definitions
foggy covered or enveloped as if with fog (a mass
of cloud consisting of small drops of water
near the surface of the earth).
cold at a low temperature, especially when
compared to the temperature of the human
body, and not hot, or warm.
Sunny bright because of light from the sun.
raining drops of water from clouds.
cloudy with clouds (a grey or white mass in the sky,
made up of very small floating drops of
water).
windy with a lot of wind (a current of air moving
approximately horizontally, especially one
strong enough to be felt).

7. warm having or producing a comfortably high
temperature, although not hot.
snowing a single fall of snow (he small, soft, white
pieces of ice that sometimes fall from the sky
when it is cold, or the white layer on the
ground and other surfaces that it forms).

8. Games for the affirming process.
How is the weather during the January and
February in Dekalb according to the letter?
a) Snowing and sunny, but cold days.
b) Warm and cool days.
c) Hot and windy.
d) Foggy, but warm days.
How is the weather in Quito, Ecuador
according to this picture?
a) Sunny.
b) Hot.
c) Raining.
d) Snowing.
“at a low temperature, especially when
compared to the temperature of the human
body, and not hot, or warm” is the definition
of:
a) Foggy.
b) Could.
c) Snowing.
d) Windy.
If it is __________, I should wear thermic
cloths and a jacket.
a) Sunny.
b) Warm.
c) Hot.
d) Snowing.
“having or producing a comfortably high
temperature, although not hot” is the
definition of:
a) Snowing.
b) Raining.
c) Warm.
d) Cloudy.
If it is______, I should use and umbrella.
a) Raining.
b) Cold.
c) Sunny.
d) Foggy.
It is important to know how is the weather for
the next days:
a) To wear appropriate clothes.
b) To play a video games.
c) To see a movie.
d) To eat junk food.
How is the weather in Tungurahua Volcano in
this picture?
a) Extremely hot.
b) Raining.
c) Windy.
d) Sunny.

9. Bibliography:
Crossing the Vocabulary Bridge: Differentiated Strategies for Diverse Secondary Classrooms,
Herrera S, Kavimandan S, Holmes M.
Teacher´s Book Level 4 Postcards 2B, Teachers Book First Edition, Abbs B, Barker C, Freedbalrn.