Multidimensional Unit
Introduction to Second Language Education
ED3561
Instructor: Paula L. Kristmanson
5 December 2000
Ellen Capon
Overview of multidimensional unit
Grade level: K-3
Language and level: English, beginner
Field of Experience: Leisure Holiday Celebrations
Topics to be developed: Childrens Favourite Holidays
Holidays in Canada
Resources for Celebration
Canadian Thanksgiving
Experiential Goal: Share Thanksgiving Dinner.
At the end of this unit, students will be able to:
The follow-up lesson (after the Thanksgiving Dinner) will include a class discussion and a written reflection in their journal about the dinner and what it meant to them. Self-evaluation questions will be done in conference with the teacher.
Steps to follow to achieve the goal:
(Lesson Plan 1) 1. Childrens Favourite Holidays.
2. Reasons for celebration will be discussed.
3. Holidays in Canada will be investigated.
(Lesson Plan 2) 4. Canadian Thanksgiving, Harvest Festivals.
(Lesson Plan 3) 5. Plan Menu for Thanksgiving Dinner and discuss concept of thankfulness. Write about what we are thankful for.
6. Role-play trip to grocery store to get food for dinner.
7. Share Thanksgiving dinner.
8. Reflection and self-evaluation. Why do we have holidays?
Objectives for the Communicative/Experiential, Cultural, Language, and General Language Education Syllabi
Communicative/Experiential
Lesson 1. Class discussion of favourite holidays.
Lesson 1. Group discussion for cluster maps of celebration words.
Lesson 1. Make banners and streamers of favourite holidays and celebration words.
Lesson 2. In groups, children will read the cookie recipe and follow the directions.
Lesson 2. Children will roll out dough, according to instructions and cut out and decorate cookies.
Lesson 2. Children will help with washing and drying utensils.
Lesson 3. In groups, children will make collages of Thanksgiving dinner.
Lesson 3. Children will share their ideas of thankfulness with a partner.
Lesson 3. Children will follow oral and modeled instructions to weave a placemat.
Cultural
Lesson 1. Describe holidays of different cultures
Lesson 1. Discuss why we celebrate.
Lesson 1. Discuss holidays of Canada.
Lesson 2. Read a cookie recipe.
Lesson 2. Guest reader (native speaker other than teacher) will read Thanksgiving story.
Lesson 3. Discuss dinner time in each persons house and healthy eating habits.
Language
Lesson 1,2,3. Each student will add new vocabulary to a personal dictionary.
Lesson 1,2,3. Each student will write a reflection of each days activities in a personal learning journal.
Lesson 1. Fill in a cluster map of celebration words.
Lesson 2. As a class, students will identify the main concepts of the Thanksgiving story, graffiti style on board.
Lesson 3. As a class, students will plan the menu for Thanksgiving dinner. Suggestions will be written on the board graffiti style.
Lesson 3. Students will talk and write about their reasons to be thankful, sharing with a partner. Each student will help the other deciding the best way to say/write their ideas.
General Language Education
Lesson 1. Writing in journal about favourite holiday using terms and expressions from lesson 1 with peer evaluation to see how it can be said/written better.
Lesson 2. Students will give their reactions and opinions to the story orally.
Lesson 2. Students will write in their learning journals, reflecting on the Thanksgiving story and making cookies.
Lesson 3. Students will reflect on their thankful ideas, collage making, and mat weaving in their journals.
Lesson Plans
Grade level: K-3 Language: English
Length of class: half-day
Field of Experience: Leisure Holiday Celebrations
Lesson: One
Subject to be developed: Childrens favourite holidays
Materials:
- sparkles
- new vocabulary dictionary
- scissors, glue, crayons, markers, construction paper
- journal
Activities: The children will make celebration banners.
Steps to follow:
Teacher
- introduce subject of favourite holidays, ask why
we have celebrations.
- describe favourite holidays
- show an example of a celebration banner and
explain the activity.
- distribute craft materials. - make celebration banners depicting favourite holidays.
- introduce new vocabulary related to celebrations.
- make streamers for banners using new words.
- in groups, make cluster maps using celebration vocabulary.
- as a class, brainstorm a large cluster map of all
holidays in a circle
- each childs banner is placed around the perimeter
of the cluster map.
- add celebration words to dictionary
- reflect on favourite holiday and banner activity in journal
Grade level: K-3
Language: English
Length of class: half-day
Field of Experience: Leisure Holiday Celebrations
Lesson: Two
Subject to be developed: Canadian Thanksgiving
Materials:
Teacher
- Thanksgiving book - cookie dough recipe
- ingredients for cookies
- baking utensils
- cookie cutters
- new vocabulary dictionary
- journal
Activity: Make cookies and hear Thanksgiving story.
Steps to follow:
Teacher
- introduce and write on board new vocabulary
for baking.
- read cookie recipe and go over baking steps - read cookie recipe and go over baking steps with teacher
- distribute ingredients - in groups of 4, blend ingredients for cookies
- mix ingredients in mixer
- a student from each group will put dough in refrigerator. Dough stays in fridge one hour.
- talk about Thanksgiving, harvest festivals, concept
of thankfulness.
- as a class, students share their experiences related to these types of festivals
- introduce guest reader (I chose a guest reader so
the children will hear another native speaker)
- guest reader reads Thanksgiving story
- as a class students identify the main characters, ideas, settings, and events with graffiti on board
- teacher describes details, children connect main concepts
to the details and add graffiti
- teacher leads in organization of main concepts,
and students help revise graffiti
- students give reactions to and opinions of the story
- cookie dough brought out of refrigerator - in groups, students roll out dough, and use cookie cutters to cut out cookies, and place on baking tins, decorate with sprinkles, etc.
- place cookie tins in oven for ten minutes.
- wash/help teacher wash bowls, spoons, baking utensils, etc.
- new words added to vocabulary dictionary
- reflect in journal on thanksgiving story and making cookies
- cookies go home with children
Grade level: K-3
Language: English
Length of class: half-day
Field of Experience: Leisure Holiday Celebrations
Lesson: Three
Subject to be developed: Menu for Thanksgiving dinner, and reasons to be thankful.
Materials:
Teacher
- magazines
- scissors, glue, paper, construction paper
- new vocabulary dictionary
- journal
Activities: Plan menu for Thanksgiving dinner. Collage. Weave placemats
Steps to follow:
Teacher
- introduce experiential goal idea sharing a
Thanksgiving dinner together. - as a class, discuss dinner time and healthy eating habits
- write new vocabulary words on board
- as a class, plan menu for Thanksgiving dinner using graffiti on board
- go over vocabulary, and help with graffiti on board
- distribute craft materials - in groups of 4 make collages of the dinner menu using pictures from magazines
- introduce subject of thankfulness, and reasons
to be thankful
- write new vocabulary words on board - with a partner, share ideas of thankfulness, and write their reasons for being thankful (partners can give ideas about how to say things better or in a different way)
- place childrens reasons for being thankful on
wall in a cornucopia picture
- show woven construction paper placemat. show and
tell how to make one.
- weave placemats to be used at dinner (music Raffi in background)
- new words added to vocabulary dictionaries
- reflect in journal on reasons to be thankful, collage making, and weaving
Evaluation
Ongoing monitoring for understanding and use of the language will be done by the teacher throughout the unit. As activities are being done, the teacher will be observing and noting difficulties to work on with individuals on a post-it note. The teacher will have a log with each childs name on a page for these post-it notes and other written notes regarding progress. The teacher will be looking for use of new vocabulary, communication skill with others, ability to understand and follow directions, ability to reflect the days activities.
The teacher will be looking at the journals and vocabulary dictionaries each child keeps. The teacher will be looking for understanding and use of new vocabulary, as well as ability to reflect on the days activities and how well the child uses the language to express their ideas in written form.
One half hour in each day will be used for conferencing. The teacher will meet individually with approximately six children and discuss any concerns the teacher has noted as well as how well the child is doing. At this time, the student can share with the teacher their self-evaluation by answering the questions:
Further Holidays
Other holidays that could be explored in depth like Thanksgiving was in this unit are:
Sources
Richard-Amato, Patricia. 1996. Making It Happen; Interaction in the Second Language Classroom. Addison-Wesley Publishing Group. White Plains, NY.
Rigg, Pat and Virginia G. Allen. 1989. When They Dont All Speak English. National Council of Teachers of English. Urbana, Ill. 77-93.
Meaker, Loretta. 1999. Communication Links; Basic activities for the language classroom. Oxford University Press, Oxford.