Instructional
Units
Kindergarten
Intermediate
Unit Overview Correlated with CA ELD Standards
Ecology: Our Environment
Unit Goal
The goal of this unit with the theme of Ecology: Our Environment is to ensure that students gain the language necessary to report facts and make observations. They expand
their bank of topic-specific vocabulary and use it to describe ongoing actions and locations. Students build sentences that describe cause and effect. They also group sentences
around topics and summarize actions. After they have studied each type of animal and ecosystem, they use verb phrases to discuss conservation actions they can take to help
protect the natural world.
This unit helps equip students with the language needed to express understanding about our environment as they strengthen their proficiency in verbal communication.
Learning this language supports students in connecting fact-based knowledge with their own impact on the world around them. It is important that students have opportunities
to observe, discuss actions and results of actions, and consider their role in the natural world.
Week 1
Language
Functions
Topic
Language
Focus
Week 3
 Describe characteristics;
Describe actions – 6.10, 6.20
 Indicate locations; Cause and
effect – 6.14, 6.28
Week 4
 Describe characteristics;
Describe actions – 6.10, 6.20
 Cause and effect – 6.28
 Describe characteristics;
Describe actions – 6.10, 6.20
 Indicate locations; Cause and
effect – 6.14, 6.28
River animals
Tree animals
 Nouns and adjectives to describe the
beaver, salmon, and river
 Topical verbs and verb phrases,
including: I/We will/won’t,
Let’s/Don’t
 Conjunction: because
 Possessive nouns
 Prepositions of location
 Adverb: fast
 Nouns to describe the squirrel,
woodpecker, tree, and paper
 Descriptive words: many, important,
too much, other, small, less, long,
pointy
 Topical verbs and verb phrases,
including: I/We will/won’t,
Let’s/Don’t
 Prepositions to indicate location
 Adverb: too
 Nouns and adjectives to describe the
turtle, duck, park, and pond
 Topical verbs and verb phrases,
including: I/We will/won’t,
Let’s/Don’t
 Prepositions of location
 Gerund: littering
 Conjunction: because
 Phrase: is bad/good for
 Nouns and adjectives to describe the
mountain lion, deer, and forest
 Grouping sentences around a topic
using all language from previous
weeks
 I/We will/won’t + verbs and verb
phrases from previous weeks
 Phrases with: I will do what I can to
_____ / because it _____!
Students play “Charades” and a board
Students play “Charades” and a board
game to tell each other about tree animals
and how to protect them.
Students play “Charades” and a board
game to tell each other about pond and
park animals and how to protect them.
Students sort cards to help them
summarize actions and explain what
they can do individually and as a class to
protect the environment.
PI.1. Exchange information and ideas
with others
PI.6. Closely read texts/multimedia for
explicit and implicit meaning
PI.12. Use varied and precise vocabulary
and structures to convey ideas
PII.3. Use verbs and verb phrases
PII.4. Use nouns and noun phrases
PII.5. Modify to add details
PII.6. Connect ideas
PI.1. Exchange information and ideas
with others
PI.6. Closely read texts/multimedia for
explicit and implicit meaning
PI.12. Use varied and precise vocabulary
and structures to convey ideas
PII.3. Use verbs and verb phrases
PII.4. Use nouns and noun phrases
PII.5. Modify to add details
PII.6. Connect ideas
PI.1. Exchange information and ideas
with others
PI.6. Closely read texts/multimedia for
explicit and implicit meaning
PI.12. Use varied and precise vocabulary
and structures to convey ideas
PII.3. Use verbs and verb phrases
PII.4. Use nouns and noun phrases
PII.5. Modify to add details
PII.6. Connect ideas
PI.1. Exchange information and ideas
with others
PI.6. Closely read texts/multimedia for
explicit and implicit meaning
PI.12. Use varied and precise vocabulary
and structures to convey ideas
PII.3. Use verbs and verb phrases
PII.4. Use nouns and noun phrases
PII.5. Modify to add details
PII.6. Connect ideas
Weekly
game to tell each other about river
Assessment animals and how to protect them.
Task
CA ELD
Standards
Addressed
Week 2
 Describe characteristics;
Describe actions – 6.10, 6.20
 Indicate locations; Cause
and effect – 6.14, 6.28
Pond and park animals
Forest animals
PI = Part I: Interacting in Meaningful Ways; PII = Part II: Learning About How English Works
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