1. Unit Plan Project: Where in the World
Linnea Johnson
EDUC 602: Instructional Systems
Development (TESOL Section)
Fall 2014
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Unit Plan: Where in the World?
Program description:
Baltimore City Public Schools’ Northeast Middle School is home to the International Student
Education Center which has a newcomer program is that devoted to help international students
acclimate to the language and culture of the United States. When new students arrive, they are
tested for English language proficiency. Students whose scores indicate a limited English
proficiency are deemed eligible for ESOL services. The students are entitled to one school year
of sheltered English instruction within the content areas for one year and for the subsequent
years either pull-out or push-in instruction to supplement their transition to mainstream
classrooms. The school serves grades 6-8. Unfortunately, the number of ESOL students served
by this program was not available.
Course description:
The ESOL Social Studies is part of Northeast Middle School’s newcomer program that focuses
on sheltered language instruction to newcomers in their first school year of ESOL services. It
combines English language teaching with the mainstream social studies content. The class takes
place in the ESOL Social Studies classroomin the ESOL wing of the school. The classroomhas
the same classroomequipment – white board, computer and projector as mainstream
classrooms. This class meets daily for 45 minutes. This unit would take place at the beginning of
the school year. The course lasts the entire 2104-2015 school year.
Learner profile:
For the purpose of this project, my class will consist of fourteen sixth graders in a public school
newcomer program. Eight of the students are native Spanish speakers. Two students are native
Arabic speakers. Two students are native French speakers. One student is a native Thai speaker.
One student is a native Haitian Creole speaker. One of the Arabic speaking students and one of
the French speaking students have had limited or interrupted schooling in the prior two years
due to conflict in their countries and resettlement. All of the students are in their first year
enrolled in the Baltimore City Public School system and are a part of the newcomer program.
While individual proficiencies vary, they all fall in the WIDA categories of ‘Entering’ or
‘Beginning’ English Language Learners. They are students in my ESOL Social Studies class.
Unit content:
This unit introduces social studies content: the seven continents – North America, South
America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Antarctica, Australia and the five oceans – Atlantic, Pacific, Indian,
and Arctic, Southern.
This unit reviews the following language items:
simple present tense of “to be”
prepositions: on, in, next to and from
question words: what, where
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This unit introduces the following language items
Question words – which, how many
Comparatives – largest, larger, smallest, smaller, most, least, more, less
Content vocabulary: continent, country, city, population, north, south, east, west
Unit objectives:
By the end of the unit, the students will write complete sentences correctly stating the
city, state, country and continent where they live currently.
By the end of the unit, the students will write complete sentences correctly stating their
native country and continent.
By the end of the unit, the students will name the seven continents orally.
By the end of the unit, the students will point to the seven continents and five oceans
on a map.
By the end of the unit, the students will answer oral and written questions regarding the
seven continents using the comparative adjectives regarding their land mass size and
population.
By the end of the unit, the students will name the five oceans orally.
By the end of the unit, the students will be able to orally describe the seven continents’
and five oceans’ relation to each other on the map using directional adjectives “north”’
”south”’, “east” and “west” and prepositions “from”, “next to” and “of”.
Unit Materials:
World Map – large poster or bulletin board
World Map cut-outs
Cloze dialog worksheet
paper, markers, pens or pencils
Source(s)
https://www.mheonline.com/assets/pdf/download/discovering_world_geography_full_survey
_2014_toc.pdf
http://www.northeastmiddle.org/index.jsp
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RH/6-8/#CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.4
Standards addressed:
WIDA ELP Standard 5: The Language of Social Studies, Formative Framework
Identify locations of land and water masses on maps based on oral statements and
check
with a partner
Sort locations on maps by land or water masses based on oral statements and check
with a partner
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4
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Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with
other information in print and digital texts.
Principles implemented:
Frequency The lessons teach directional adjectives and other
frequently occurring words in the academic context of
social studies. The lessons also teach prepositions and
comparatives which are frequently occurring words in
English in everyday life and academically.
Keep Moving Forward The lessons progress and build upon each other. We start
by defining what a continent is and end with the
directional relationships of continents and oceans and
comparing their characteristics.
Motivation The lessons use the students’ native countries and their
own travels as examples to personalize the content.
Output The students have to produce the language to participate
in the dialog, question and answer sessions and partner
discussions that are a part of the lessons.
Deliberate Learning Although these are social studies content lessons, English
language spelling and pronunciation teaching and/ or
practice are included in each lesson.
Learning Style
The lessons have elements that appeal to the visual,
auditory and kinesthetic learnerthrough the use of maps,
dialogs, manipulative props and physical movement.
Lesson 1 – full 45 minute lesson
Lesson Title: Where in the World – Where are you from and where are you now?
Target Content
Language items (vocabulary, grammar, pragmatics, etc.)
Simple present tense
Question words – what, where,
Prepositions – in, from, on
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Other content (applicable for content-based instruction)
continent, country, state, city
Objective(s)
A student, given he or she completes lesson 1, should be able to write at least 1-2
complete sentences correctly stating the city, state, country and continent where he or
she lives currently.
A student, given he or she completes lesson 1, should be able to correctly answer
questions identifying the city, state, country and continent where he or she lives
currently and his or her native country and continent.
A student, given he or she completes lesson 1, should be able to write least 1-2
complete sentences correctly stating their native country and continent.
A student, given he or she completes lesson 1 should be able to read aloud the seven
continents orally when their names pointed out on a map.
Lesson Materials:
World Map – large poster or bulletin board
Cloze dialog worksheet
Colored pens or pencils
Source(s)
https://www.mheonline.com/assets/pdf/download/discovering_world_geography_full_survey
_2014_toc.pdf (research for 6th grade content sequence)
http://www.superteacherworksheets.com (printable map)
Procedures
Warm- up
(3minutes)
The teacher references the previous day’s lesson about the city, state and
country where the school is located when he/she asks the students, “Who
remembers what city our school is in?” The students answer, “Baltimore”.
Teacher asks: “What state is Baltimore in?” The students answer,
“Maryland”. Teacher asks, “What country is Maryland in?” The students
answer, “America” or “United States”.
Teacher explains that the United States of America is part of a continent
called North America. The teacher could use analogies to aid
understanding (ex: children: family)
Presentation (17
minutes)
The teacher points to image of North America in the large world map and
reads and points to the printed words, North America. The teacher asks the
students to repeat the words. While pointing to N.A. on the map, teacher
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asks the students if they know of any other countries in North America.
The students respond with what they know. The teacher helps as needed,
paying particular attention to mention the native countries of students in
the class. The teacher moves on to South America and again points out the
words, asks the students to repeat orally. The teacher asks if they know of
any countries in South America, The students respond with what they
know. The teacher helps as needed, paying particular attention to mention
the native countries of students in the class. The teacher repeats the same
questions through the rest of the continents. Teacher demonstrates how
to spell and pronounce each continent. The students orally repeat the
pronunciation after the teacher and write down the spelling in their
notebooks.
The teacher asks all the students to stand up and find USA on the big world
map poster and stand together in front of it. Then ask each student find
their native countries on world map and move to stand in front of it on the
map and point to their native country. The teacher helps students as
needed.
While kids are standing at the map and grouped next to each other based
on their country of origin and its continent, the teacher leads a class
discussion about the countries where the students are standing. The
teacher asks the students one by one what country they are from and what
continent they think it’s a part of. When the children from islands ask
about their continent, teacher explains that each country is a part of a
continent even if it’s not touching other countries (ex. Haiti).
Guided practice
(8 minutes)
The students return to their seats and complete cloze written worksheet.
(see attached “ Continents Worksheet” document)
The teacher circulates and helps the students as needed. When all are
finished, they review and correct the worksheet as a class.
Independent
Practice (10
minutes)
Students write their answers in the dialog section of the cloze worksheet.
Students complete paired dialog with rotating partners using inside outside
circle rotation
What country are you from? I am from _______
What continent is that country on? ______ is on the continent of
_________
All students rotate until all have taken a turn as Student A and Student B.
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Evaluation (4
minutes)
Teacher leads question and answer oral review using the questions below:
Is the United States on the continent of Europe? Students answer no
Is Congo on the continent of Africa? Students answer yes.
Using a student as an example. Is Maribel from the continent of Asia or
South America?
Which continents start with a vowel?
Which continents start with a consonant?
Closure (3
minutes)
Exit ticket – write the city, state country and continent that they live in
now on a post it and turn it in to the teacher
Lesson 2 – description only
Lesson Title: Where in the World? Comparing the Continents – Which is bigger? Which has
the most people?
Description: The teacher follows up the previous lesson’s city – state- country – continent
theme and places it in the context of size to teach comparatives. The students explore the
featured pages of Where in The World book to answer questions about population and size.
The teacher gives the students continent cut outs to compare size of continents.
Target Language Items (vocabulary, grammar, pragmatics, etc.) comparative adjectives- largest,
larger, smallest, smaller, most, least, more, less
Target Content (applicable for content-based instruction) population, size
Objective(s)
A student, given he or she completes lesson 1 and 2 should be able to name all seven
continents orally.
A student, given he or she completes lesson 1 and 2 should be able to compare 3
pictures and sort them from smallest to largest.
A student, given he or she completes lesson 1 and 2 should be able to orally answer
questions comparing the seven continents using the comparative adjectives regarding
their land mass size and population.
Materials
World Map continent cut outs (Continents 3 part cards document)
World Map – large poster or bulletin board
Where in the World (DK Publishing, 2013) (see 2 attached pictures of the pages from the book)
Source(s)
Where in the World (DK Publishing, 2013)
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http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/contnent.htm
Lesson 3 – description only
Lesson Title: Putting it all together with the Oceans
Description: Show the music video to review the continents and introduce the oceans.
Introduce the preposition “next to” to demonstrate location of oceans in relation to the
continents. Introduce the compass rose and north, south, east, west. Practice giving and
receiving directions through “The Amazing Race” Travel scenario activity where students have
to travel along a world map on the floor. Please see the attached travel scenario activity
document. The activity will be timed. The team who reaches their destination and correctly
complete their handout first will get a prize.
Target Language Items (vocabulary, grammar, pragmatics, etc.) pragmatics: giving and
following oral directions using north, south, east, west; checking for understanding
Target Content (applicable for content-based instruction) north, south, east, west, compass
Objective(s)
A student, given he or she completes lesson 1, 2 and 3 should be able to name the five
oceans orally.
A student, given he or she completes lesson 1, 2 and 3 should be able to point to the seven
continents and five oceans on a map.
A student, given he or she completes lesson 1, 2 and 3 should be able to orally describe the
seven continents’ and five oceans’ relation to each other on the map using directional
adjectives “north”’ ”south”’, “east” and “west” and prepositions “from”, “next to” and “of”.
Materials
4 World Map posters on the floor
Travel scenario handouts (Please see the attached travel scenario activity document.)
Video - The Continents and Oceans (LMFAO Remix) http://youtu.be/lQ2V-VgCJgI (projector,
laptop, internet connection)
Source(s)
Where in the World (DK Publishing, 2013)
http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/contnent.htm
References
Where in the World DK Publishing. (2013). Where on Earth. DK Publishing, Inc.
http://www.northeastmiddle.org/index.jsp
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RH/6-8/#CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.4
