Lesson One: Introduction to the Unit

Lesson Duration: 1.5 hours

Curriculum Links:
English: ACELY1698

Literacy Indicators: LS5.i; VR5.i; VR5.ii; VR5.vii; VR5.viii; WC5.xi; WC5.xii

Geography: ACHGK027
Learning Objectives:
- Students will develop their understanding of points of view within text by searching
the meanings of some vocabulary choices, in order to gain understanding on how
these choices have been made for a particular purpose
- Using our focus text, students will begin to develop their understanding of the
influences that people can have on environmental characteristics
Resources Required:
- Focus text: One Small Island
- Butchers paper and markers
- iPads/computers, 1 per group for online research
- Dictionaries, 1 per group
- Youtube Clip of Allison Lester & Coral Tulloch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91r4CY2ZtSI
Classroom Organisation:
- Desks arranged in clusters of five and six with a list of names on each desk (this will
be the students in each group for the duration of the unit); each desk will also have
an A3 poster sized sheet of butchers paper ready to write definitions on; markers to
write on posters
- Students to gather on the floor in usual group area for reading of the story
- At front of room will be focus text on display with a small pile of A3 butchers paper
and marks (children will write down words they do not know the meaning of, during
second time reading the story)


Learning Experiences:
- Show students Youtube clip about One Small Island to get them in the mood for
this lesson and the unit
- Introduce the unit to the students, explicitly explaining that they will undertake
15hrs of the unit in which they will be using a range of texts to examine the language
features related to information texts and eventually presenting a 3-5 minute oral
presentation about the Great Barrier Reef and making our environment more
sustainable
- Read picturebook section of the focus text from cover to cover to introduce our unit
- Quick discussion on what the children thought about the text; how did it make them
feel? How did the author position them? Did they understand all language used?
- Re-read text asking students to write down words they do not understand the
meaning of as they hear them (on butchers paper with markers)
- Students will break into their assigned groups and be given a number of words from
our list to research the meanings of, they will do this using: One Small Island
glossary; classroom dictionaries and an online dictionary source. They will compare
meanings and write down in their own words the meanings of the words they are
researching *definitions will be displayed around the classroom so students can use
words in their presentations
- Final Discussion Topic: How important is it that we understand fully the meaning of
words within the text we are reading?
Assessment:
Assessment as Learning: Informal assessments will take place through observations
of work, keeping record of any students not participating appropriately in their
groups and intervening when necessary.
Assessment for Learning: Will take place at a later stage in unit when children begin
drafting their speeches and Strip Design posters.
Assessment of Learning: Will take place in the final two lessons where students
deliver their oral presentations for this unit of work.
Adjustments:
- Children are broken in to Heterogeneous groups (3 groups of 5 and 2 groups of 6) so
that there is room for peer support and peer scaffolding throughout each lesson.
However, within these groups, the children with English as an Additional Language or
Dialect (EAL/D) will be placed into the same group so that support staff can work
with them during research times and speech drafting
- Visual aids are employed for students with EAL/D and student with hearing
impairment (as well as whole class as we understand that children are visual learners
- Activities are engaging and hands on and require the focus of all members of the
group to be completed