Hurricane ELL Lesson Plan
Grade Level/Subject: 1st Grade Science
Prerequisite Knowledge: Components of a hurricane, difference between a watch and warning, safety of a hurricane
Students will have already learned how to use and read a map
Approximate Time: 90 minutes
Student Objectives/Student Outcomes:
Students will discover the season of storm by learning the mariner’s poem and participating in the chant.
Students will learn the duration and locations of hurricanes by completing a storm-tracking graph for a hurricane with 80% accuracy at appropriate level using differentiated worksheets and groups.
Students will demonstrate the knowledge by creating a page in their hazardous weather brochure about the season, location, and duration of a hurricane with complete accuracy according to their ability level.
Content Standards:
11.A.1d Record and store data using available technologies.
12.E.1b Identify and describe patterns of weather and seasonal change.
13.B.1a Explain the uses of common scientific instruments (e.g., ruler, thermometer, balance, probe, computer).
WIDA English Language Proficiency Standard 4:
Writing Level: Collect, identify, label objects
Listening: Process, understand, interpret, and evaluate spoken language in a variety of situations
Speaking: Engage in oral communication in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Materials/Resources/Technology:
Big book copy of the mariners poem
Map of Atlantic Ocean
Strom tracking graph for each student, according to the tier of the student
Copy of Calendar
Hazardous Weather Brochure
Implementation:
Opening of lesson:
Teacher will introduce the mariner’s poem that was written in 1898 to help mariners remember the hurricane season. Tell them this will also help them remember when hurricane season is.
June too soon.
July stand by!
August look out you must
September remember
October, not over.
Remember, remember till the end of November.
First the teacher will read it to the class. Then they will chant it together. Teacher can divide the class into 6 groups and have each group take a line and chant it.
Lead students to discover that the hurricane season in typically end of June through November.
This also helps people who hunt hurricanes. Today we will be hurricane hunters! These are people who use technology to track hurricanes. They use special cameras in the sky called satellites.
Procedures:
1. Students will get into pre-organized groups of 3.
2. Teacher will introduce the activity by reading the script/quest: Students will track a hurricane, learn the duration, and the location of hurricanes. (This script is seen at the top of the students activity sheet, which they will get later in the lesson)
3. Each student will get an appropriate map of the Atlantic ocean.
4. Class will have a discussion about what this is a map of. Teacher will discuss parts of a map: the lines, coast, land, and sea. Give background information and guide how to use a map before the activity. Go over how to count by 10s. They will discuss where they think the map is. Lead them to discover that this is the Atlantic Ocean and the coast. Talk about this is where they will track their hurricanes. Hurricanes occur in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
7. Teacher will walk around and help and guide students
8. After the students have finished the activity, they will look at the dates of the Hurricane.
9. Each student will get a copy of a calendar
10. Students are instructed to put an x on each date the hurricane lasted and then count the total number of days. Students will learn that a hurricane lasts normally 1 week.
11. Class will lead a discussion about what they learned about hurricanes today and teacher will write on the board:
Summary/Closing:
Wow! That was a tough day at work tracking hurricanes. We track hurricanes to help us better predict where and when hurricanes will hit, which will help with safety and better prepare for a hurricane. Now that we are getting all the information about hurricanes, we ill need to explore more about how they form. Is there anything that the students are still confused about? Anything they can add to their KWL chart? (Note this was done at the beginning of the unit on Hurricanes and hung up on the bulletin board to refer to throughout the unit. Everything was written on individual squares of paper. As students learned new things, they are able to add it to their L. They could also move the concepts around or change concepts that they may have been incorrect about.) What do they want to learn next?
Student Assessment:
Were students able to complete their activity at the appropriate tier? This will be shown through the activity and completion of the brochure.
This unit is a project-based unit in which the final assessment is completion of a Hazardous Weather Brochure graded on a rubric. Each storm will include the basics of the weather pattern, the difference between a watch and a warning, and safety. This lesson added information to the basics of a hurricane:
ELL Rationale:
The opening activity uses a large book so that everyone can see the words that are being used. The poem includes short simple sentences that ELL students will be able to learn quickly. It involves vocabulary of the months, which is something they are familiar with since they do the date at the beginning of the day. The activity involves repetition of the sentences so they learn it and the chant allows them to become comfortable with the language being used by making them repeat it over and over and using a rhyming scheme to help remember.
This lesson incorporates building background knowledge about maps before the students are expected to complete the activity using the maps. This is done through a classroom discussion about how to use and read maps, which is done as a whole class discussion. Students will have already worked with maps in other subjects, but this background/review will make it so the students will learn how to track a hurricane and make this the focus of the lesson, not on how to read a map.
The class uses a word wall of key science vocabulary. These vocabulary words also apply to the behavioral objectives of the lesson. Making these terms explicitly known will help ELL students break the language barrier and promote success in the weather unit. This is a SIOP strategy as well. Students will be able to use a dictionary to look up unfamiliar words, There will be both Spanish and English dictionaries available.
The lesson also uses pre-organized groups so students of same level ability and language are together to help with the activity. Using pre-assigned groups allows the students know exactly where to go and have groups of abilities and levels so they help each other with the thinking. Putting ELL students together may also allow the students to check with each other for understanding. Student to student interaction is a great strategy for working with ELL students.
The activity also incorporates differentiation and tiered activities, which is very beneficial for ELL students. This allows students with language difficulties and all students to complete the activity at their level, yet still acquire the knowledge goal of the lesson. This is a great strategy for all students.
Worksheet:
To view worksheet and map, you can download the attached worksheet:
http://www.box.net/shared/pvibcu5bpa
Grade Level/Subject: 1st Grade Science
Prerequisite Knowledge: Components of a hurricane, difference between a watch and warning, safety of a hurricane
Students will have already learned how to use and read a map
Approximate Time: 90 minutes
Student Objectives/Student Outcomes:
Students will discover the season of storm by learning the mariner’s poem and participating in the chant.
Students will learn the duration and locations of hurricanes by completing a storm-tracking graph for a hurricane with 80% accuracy at appropriate level using differentiated worksheets and groups.
Students will demonstrate the knowledge by creating a page in their hazardous weather brochure about the season, location, and duration of a hurricane with complete accuracy according to their ability level.
Content Standards:
11.A.1d Record and store data using available technologies.
12.E.1b Identify and describe patterns of weather and seasonal change.
13.B.1a Explain the uses of common scientific instruments (e.g., ruler, thermometer, balance, probe, computer).
WIDA English Language Proficiency Standard 4:
Writing Level: Collect, identify, label objects
Listening: Process, understand, interpret, and evaluate spoken language in a variety of situations
Speaking: Engage in oral communication in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Materials/Resources/Technology:
Big book copy of the mariners poem
Map of Atlantic Ocean
Strom tracking graph for each student, according to the tier of the student
Copy of Calendar
Hazardous Weather Brochure
Implementation:
Opening of lesson:
Teacher will introduce the mariner’s poem that was written in 1898 to help mariners remember the hurricane season. Tell them this will also help them remember when hurricane season is.
June too soon.
July stand by!
August look out you must
September remember
October, not over.
Remember, remember till the end of November.
First the teacher will read it to the class. Then they will chant it together. Teacher can divide the class into 6 groups and have each group take a line and chant it.
Lead students to discover that the hurricane season in typically end of June through November.
This also helps people who hunt hurricanes. Today we will be hurricane hunters! These are people who use technology to track hurricanes. They use special cameras in the sky called satellites.
Procedures:
1. Students will get into pre-organized groups of 3.
2. Teacher will introduce the activity by reading the script/quest: Students will track a hurricane, learn the duration, and the location of hurricanes. (This script is seen at the top of the students activity sheet, which they will get later in the lesson)
3. Each student will get an appropriate map of the Atlantic ocean.
4. Class will have a discussion about what this is a map of. Teacher will discuss parts of a map: the lines, coast, land, and sea. Give background information and guide how to use a map before the activity. Go over how to count by 10s. They will discuss where they think the map is. Lead them to discover that this is the Atlantic Ocean and the coast. Talk about this is where they will track their hurricanes. Hurricanes occur in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
- Class will add words: ocean, inland, and coast to the word wall, which is a bulletin board with all the words that are associated with their hurricane unit.
- On one side of the card will be the word written in English, on the other side, the class will come up with an appropriate definition for how they are using it. This is something the class will do together and everyone will agree on what is written on the back. The teacher will write the words and definition
- If students are unaware of the word or need additional help finding the meaning, students will be able to use a dictionary. Spanish and English dictionaries are available
- Tier 1: A map of the Atlantic with dots already drawn on the lines. Students will connect the dots according to the points given for each hurricane
- Tier 2: A map of the Atlantic with plot points that are whole numbers
- Tier 3: A map of the Atlantic with plot points that include 5s, where they will have to estimate where it would be on the line
7. Teacher will walk around and help and guide students
8. After the students have finished the activity, they will look at the dates of the Hurricane.
9. Each student will get a copy of a calendar
10. Students are instructed to put an x on each date the hurricane lasted and then count the total number of days. Students will learn that a hurricane lasts normally 1 week.
11. Class will lead a discussion about what they learned about hurricanes today and teacher will write on the board:
- Season: June 10 - November 30
- Location: Atlantic and Pacific Ocean
- Duration: 1 week
- Students who do not need help can copy from the board
- Student who need some direction will have lined paper to write their words on
- Students who need added help will have sheets with lines and differences of warnings and watches outlined for them but they have to write the headings of watch and warning
Summary/Closing:
Wow! That was a tough day at work tracking hurricanes. We track hurricanes to help us better predict where and when hurricanes will hit, which will help with safety and better prepare for a hurricane. Now that we are getting all the information about hurricanes, we ill need to explore more about how they form. Is there anything that the students are still confused about? Anything they can add to their KWL chart? (Note this was done at the beginning of the unit on Hurricanes and hung up on the bulletin board to refer to throughout the unit. Everything was written on individual squares of paper. As students learned new things, they are able to add it to their L. They could also move the concepts around or change concepts that they may have been incorrect about.) What do they want to learn next?
Student Assessment:
Were students able to complete their activity at the appropriate tier? This will be shown through the activity and completion of the brochure.
This unit is a project-based unit in which the final assessment is completion of a Hazardous Weather Brochure graded on a rubric. Each storm will include the basics of the weather pattern, the difference between a watch and a warning, and safety. This lesson added information to the basics of a hurricane:
- Season: June 10 November 30
- Location: Atlantic and Pacific Ocean
- Duration: 1 week
ELL Rationale:
The opening activity uses a large book so that everyone can see the words that are being used. The poem includes short simple sentences that ELL students will be able to learn quickly. It involves vocabulary of the months, which is something they are familiar with since they do the date at the beginning of the day. The activity involves repetition of the sentences so they learn it and the chant allows them to become comfortable with the language being used by making them repeat it over and over and using a rhyming scheme to help remember.
This lesson incorporates building background knowledge about maps before the students are expected to complete the activity using the maps. This is done through a classroom discussion about how to use and read maps, which is done as a whole class discussion. Students will have already worked with maps in other subjects, but this background/review will make it so the students will learn how to track a hurricane and make this the focus of the lesson, not on how to read a map.
The class uses a word wall of key science vocabulary. These vocabulary words also apply to the behavioral objectives of the lesson. Making these terms explicitly known will help ELL students break the language barrier and promote success in the weather unit. This is a SIOP strategy as well. Students will be able to use a dictionary to look up unfamiliar words, There will be both Spanish and English dictionaries available.
The lesson also uses pre-organized groups so students of same level ability and language are together to help with the activity. Using pre-assigned groups allows the students know exactly where to go and have groups of abilities and levels so they help each other with the thinking. Putting ELL students together may also allow the students to check with each other for understanding. Student to student interaction is a great strategy for working with ELL students.
The activity also incorporates differentiation and tiered activities, which is very beneficial for ELL students. This allows students with language difficulties and all students to complete the activity at their level, yet still acquire the knowledge goal of the lesson. This is a great strategy for all students.
Worksheet:
To view worksheet and map, you can download the attached worksheet:
http://www.box.net/shared/pvibcu5bpa