Unit Plans for Grades 2/3: Earth, Air and Water Understanding Earth and Space Systems

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Unit Plans for Grades 2/3: Earth, Air and Water

Understanding Earth and Space Systems

Grades 2 and 3

Grade 2

Air and Water in the Environment

Grade 3

Soils in the Environment

What sequence of teaching and learning experiences will enable students to develop and demonstrate the desired knowledge?

Before Learning (Diagnostic)

Subtask 1: Overview of Unit

• Brief description of unit including the Fundamental Concept(s), Big Ideas, and Overall Expectations.

Introduction of the Culminating Performance Task(s) and the accompanying rubric(s)

Note: Depending on the task chosen, teachers may need to ensure that students have the knowledge and skills to create a research-based report with media presentation • Before (diagnostic) assessment:

What do you know about Air, Water, and Soil? Assessment Strategy/Tool(s):

Vocabulary Jeopardy Game Air/Water/Soil Audit (at home)

We Think We Know Chart (large group) Pick at least one (based on student needs).

During Learning (Formative)

Subtask 2: Cycles in Nature

1. Large group lesson: Discuss the nature of cycles in nature.

2. Complete Subtask 2 (grade specific activities)

Subtask 2: Water Cycle

• Stages of water cycle (Scientific Inquiry/Research)

• Sources of water in environment (Scientific Inquiry/Research)

Water Cycle Learning Centres: non-fiction reading, written response, experiment and report

Subtask 2: Soil Cycle

• Importance of recycling organic materials (Scientific Inquiry/Research)

Soil Cycle Learning Centres: non-fiction reading, written response, experiment and report

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In what ways might I differentiate the learning? CONTENT

• Provide organizers to guide note-taking • Demonstrate ideas in addition to talking about them

• Provide texts at varied reading levels as well as audio-taped materials PRODUCT

• Provide a range of scaffolded (simple to complex) formats (e.g. cut and paste, graphic organizer provided, open ended, computer presentation) Checkpoint #1

Science and Technology: Describe a water cycle. Identify and order the stages.

Language/Reading: Identify the purpose of a labelled non-fiction graphic organizer. Explain how each part helps to promote understanding of the material. (Understanding Form and Style)

Assessment Strategy/Tool:

Labelled diagram of the water cycle

Checkpoint #1

Science and Technology: Describe a soil cycle. Identify and order the stages.

Language/Reading: Identify the purpose of a labelled non-fiction graphic organizer. Explain how each part helps to promote understanding of the material. (Understanding Form and Style)

Assessment Strategy/Tool: Labelled diagram of the soil cycle Subtask 3: Procedural Writing and

Investigation

1. Large group lesson: procedural writing to communicate steps of an experiment.

2. Play a vocabulary game to promote investigation of the elements to be studied. 3. Complete Subtask 3 (grade-specific activities).

Subtask 3: Air & Water Characteristics and Uses

• Characteristics and uses of air • Characteristics and uses of water • Three states of water in environment • Changes to air caused by heating and

cooling

(Scientific Inquiry/Research & Experimentation)

Air and Water Characteristics/Uses Learning Centres: non-fiction reading, written response, experiments and report

Subtask 3: Soil Components and Types • Components of a variety of soils and added

substances to soils

• Types and conditions of soils (Scientific Inquiry/Research & Experimentation)

Soil Components/Uses Learning Centres: non-fiction reading, written response, experiments and report

In what ways might I differentiate the learning? PROCESS

• Use like-readiness or mixed-readiness work groups

• Encourage students to work together or independently in collegial or competitive work arrangements • Provide teacher-led mini workshops on varied skills

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Checkpoint #2

Science and Technology: Identify the

characteristics of air and water. Describe their uses.

Language/Writing: List steps or actions necessary to complete the experiment. Explain why air and water are important. (Classifying Ideas, Organizing Ideas, Form)

Assessment Strategy/Tools: Observation/Anecdotal Records Procedural Writing Performance Task Response Journal

Checkpoint #2

Science and Technology: Identify the

components of soil. Describe the uses of each type.

Language/Writing: List steps or actions necessary to complete the experiment. Explain why soil is important. (Classifying Ideas,

Organizing Ideas, Form) Assessment Strategy/Tools: Observation/Anecdotal Records Procedural Writing Performance Task Response Journal

Subtask 4: Research Skills

1. Review research skills, strategies and sources (book pass, website list, visit school library, etc.)

2. Share and defend opinions in order to formulate a point of view in relation to environmental issue.

3. Review persuasive letter writing format. 4. Complete Subtask 4 (grade-specific activities).

Subtask 4: Impact and Dependence of Living Things on Air and Water

• Actions of humans affect (help or harm) quality of air and water

• Ability of air and water to sustain life • Ways air and water affect living things and

help them meet basic needs • Living things use air and water

• Living things depend on wind and moving water

• Plan a course of action to encourage maintenance of air and water. (Scientific Inquiry/Research & Experimentation)

Write a persuasive letter to the local government (mayor, alderman, MP, etc.) encouraging the maintenance of air and water.

Subtask 4: Impact and Dependence of Living Things on Soil

• Actions of humans affect quality of soil • Characteristics of soil types affect how

living things use them

• Ways in which components of soil provide shelter/nutrients for living things

• Plan a course of action to encourage maintenance of soil.

Write a persuasive power point/keynote presentation to the Ministry of the

Environment/Provincial Park superintendent encouraging the maintenance of soil.

In what ways might I differentiate the learning? PROCESS

• Provide resource materials at varied levels of readability including audio text • Use like-interest or mixed-interest work groups

• Use jigsaw cooperative strategy to allow for specialization in a topic • Provide teacher-led mini-workshops on varied levels of complexity

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Checkpoint #3

Science and Technology: Describe the human actions that help or harm air and water in the environment.

Language/Writing: Use correctly the

persuasive letter format to convince the reader to accept a point of view. (Form, Voice, Point of View)

The Arts/Drama: Speak in role assuming the attitude of the characters. (Creative Work)

Assessment Strategy/Tool(s): Persuasive letter performance task

Role-playing classroom presentation/rubric

Checkpoint #3

Science and Technology: Describe the human actions that help or harm soil the environment, including composting/recycling. Language/Writing: Use correctly the

persuasive letter format to convince the reader to accept a point of view. (Form, Voice, Point of View)

The Arts/Drama: Defend a point of view through speaking & writing in role. (Creative Work)

Assessment Strategy/Tool(s): Persuasive letter performance task

Role-playing classroom presentation/rubric

After Learning (Summative)

Subtask 5: Culminating Performance Task Environmental Research Fair:

• research an environmental issues topic • prepare and present a report/display

• include pictures, labelled diagrams, models, etc.

• defend a point of view to an audience. Gr. 2: Issues relate to air and water in the environment

Gr. 3: Issues relate to soils in the environment (Scientific Inquiry/Research)

Assessment Strategy/Tool(s): performance task/rubric

Subtask 5: Culminating Performance Task Design and build a terrarium, recording the stages of the water cycle as they are observed. OR

Create a game or toy that uses air as the propelling force.

(Technological Problem Solving)

Subtask 5: Culminating Performance Task Conduct a series of experiments that use a variety of soil types and/or conditions to determine which will sustain life.

In what ways might I differentiate the learning for the Culminating Task? PRODUCT:

• Range of written formats (e.g., essay with diagrams, poster board, file folder, computer presentation, etc.)

• Provide separate (single grade) culminating performance tasks, or combined grades

In what ways might I differentiate the learning for the Culminating Task? PROCESS:

• Tiered level of difficulty focused on the same learning goals

PRODUCT:

In what ways might I differentiate the learning for the Culminating Task? PROCESS:

• Tiered level of difficulty focused on the same learning goals

PRODUCT:

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