This document provides a curriculum planning template for a thematic unit on environmental issues and solutions. It includes three targeted performance assessments at different proficiency levels: 1. At the beginning level, students will talk in small groups about environmental issues and ways to positively impact the environment. 2. At the developing level, students will listen to a video about conservation efforts in Costa Rica and read authentic texts summarizing environmental issues. 3. At the transitioning/refining level, students will choose an environmental issue to present, describing the problem, impacts, potential consequences, and solutions. The template links the performance assessments to communication modes, language standards, target performance elements, culture standards, vocabulary and structures to

1. TABLE IV.1 Curriculum Planning Template Thematic Curriculum Unit—Performance Assessment and Planning Guide
Key Question: What is my life like?/What is your life like? Theme: Geography/Climate Topic: Environmental issues and Solutions
Targeted Proficiency Level: Beginning Developing Transitioning Refining
Communication Mode: Interpersonal Interpersonal Interpersonal
Interpretive Interpretive Interpretive
Presentational Presentational Presentational
In small groups talk about Listen to a videoclip about conservation Choose an environmental issue and
environmental issues and what you efforts in Monteverde, Costa Rica. describe the problem, explain how it
Performance Assessment can do or not do to make a positive impacts either your local area or Costa
impact on the environment. http://monteverdenow.org/about/overview/ Rica (or both), explain what will
happen if we do nothing to remedy the
Read about environmental issues from situation and then offer
authentic texts-summarize the main ideas suggestions/ideas to remedy the
situation.
Students will use VoiceThread as a
presentational tool.
Wisconsin Standards: A1-Conversations B1-Listening-understand familiar C2: Students will write and
Communication A2-Questions vocabulary deliver a short presentation about
A3-Opinions B2-Listening-main idea and some their school or community.
A4-Problem Solving supporting ideas.
A5-Comprehension B4-Reading
B5-Strategies
Target Performance (Key Content: Content: Content:
elements from the Performance Complexity and Sophistication Vocabulary Complexity and Sophistication
Guidelines to consider in rubric Vocabulary Vocabulary
development) Spontaneity
Accuracy: Accuracy: Accuracy:
Time/Tense Time/Tense
Ease Ease
Pronunciation Pronunciation
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2. Communication Strategies: Communication Strategies: Communication Strategies:
Comprehension Comprehensibility
Comprehensibility Impact
Monitoring
Clarification
Impact
Cross-Cultural Applications: Cross-Cultural Applications: Cross-Cultural Applications:
Verbal Awareness Verbal
Links to Culture and the other Culture::
Wisconsin Standards: Practices: D3-Attitudes and Beliefs-Students will identify common beliefs in Costa Rica about the
✓ Connections
environment and compare them to their own beliefs and attitudes.
✓ Comparisons
✓ Communities
Evidence (How these standards
are incorporated in the
instruction)
Structures and Vocabulary: Future tense- regular and irregular forms, Nosotros commands, Subjunctive and phrases to express
opinions
What needs to be taught for
students to be successful in the
Vocabulary related to environmental issues
performance assessment
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