a model unit for grade 1: who am i? - portage & main · pdf filea model unit for grade 1:...

A Model Unit for Grade 1: Who Am I?

I Belong, The Senses, Characteristics of Objects and Materials

Jennifer Katz

Tools for InsTrUcTIon And reAdInG AssessMenT

TtD_Gr1_Model.indd 1 10/1/13 1:24 PM

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© 2013 by Jennifer Katz

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Contents

Plan for School Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Introduction to Model Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Theme: Who Am I? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Instructional Planner: Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Suggested Materials for Unit Lessons and Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Other Recommended Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Plan for Integrating Social Studies and Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Plan for English Language Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Plan for Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Mathematics Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Assessment Rubric for Social Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Assessment Rubric for Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Assessment Rubric for Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Preparations for MI Activities and Work Centres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Introductory Work with Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Brainstorming Activity Ideas for MI Centres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Activity Cards for MI Work Centres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17



4 Grade 1: Who Am I?

© Portage & Main Press, 2013, A Model Unit for Grade 1: Who Am I?, ISBN: 978-1-55379-398-4

Gra

de 1

Sc

hool

Yea

rSe

ptem

ber

to D

ecem

ber

Term

/Uni

t One

Janu

ary

to M

arch

Te

rm/U

nit T

wo

Apr

il to

Jun

e Te

rm/U

nit T

hree

ThEM

ES C

hO

SEn

TO

In

TEG

RATE

DIS

CIPL

InES

Who

Am

I?W

here

Am

I?W

ho A

re W

e?

RATI

On

ALE

An

D

COn

nEC

TIO

nS

Our

iden

tity

is, i

n pa

rt, d

eter

min

ed b

y th

e w

orld

we

perc

eive

aro

und

us, a

nd

we

use

our s

ense

s to

exp

lore

obj

ects

and

mat

eria

ls, a

nd s

hape

and

spa

ce.

The

envi

ronm

ent a

roun

d us

, bot

h na

tura

l an

d hu

man

-mad

e, is

ada

pted

to d

aily

and

se

ason

al c

hang

es (e

.g.,

we

insu

late

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mes

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old

clim

ates

). En

viro

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and

chan

ges

also

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atte

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at, g

row

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cha

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This

uni

t cen

tres

on th

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f com

mun

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and

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rdep

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nce

– so

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ly a

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ith

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SOCI

AL

STU

DIE

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elon

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y En

viro

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with

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ers

Skill

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now

ledg

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alue

s—A

pplic

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ns a

ll ye

ar

SCIE

nCE

The

Sens

es/C

hara

cter

istic

s

of O

bjec

ts a

nd M

ater

ials

Dai

ly a

nd S

easo

nal C

hang

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arac

teris

tics

and

nee

ds

of L

ivin

g Th

ings

Skill

s, K

now

ledg

e, V

alue

s—A

pplic

atio

ns a

ll ye

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MAT

hEM

ATIC

SSh

ape

and

Spac

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ttern

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rem

ent

Num

ber c

once

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and

num

eric

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all

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PhYS

ICA

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CATI

On

Safe

ty/M

ovem

ent

Fitn

ess

Man

agem

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Hea

lthy

Lifes

tyle

Pers

onal

and

soc

ial m

anag

emen

t all

year

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GU

AG

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RTS

ACT

IvIT

IES

Inte

grat

ed a

ll ye

ar

FIn

E A

RTS

ACT

IvIT

IES

Inte

grat

ed a

ll ye

ar

Plan

for

Scho

ol Y

ear



Grade 1: Who Am I? 5


Introduction to Model UnitThe publications included in the series Tools for Instruction and Reading Assessment support the three-block model of universal design for learning, presented in my book Teaching to Diversity (TtD). For each grade from 1–12, this series offers two tools:

1. A Model Unit in two parts: (i) the instructional manual for one integrated thematic unit of the school year plan; (ii) a full set of activities drawing on the concept of multiple intelligences (MI). Note: Part ii is not available for grades 11 and 12.

2. A Reading Assessment Program Guide, also in two parts: (i) the guide with templates and grade-specific rubrics; (ii) four levelled Reading Passages to use for assessment throughout the school year.

In chapter 4 of Teaching to Diversity, I described the rationale for planning thematic units for a full academic year. I also included an overview of “how-to” procedures. In this book, I include a working plan for the school year (see chart, opposite page). The plan integrates major themes from Manitoba’s curricula into manageable units of study that correspond to three terms in one school year.

In this model unit for the first term in grade 1, teachers will find planners that outline the essential understandings, essential questions, and final project(s) for the unit. The rubrics included are based on Bloom’s taxonomy; that is, the criteria in the rubrics show a progression of conceptual thinking from rote, basic understanding to synthesized, higher-order analysis.

Be aware that the language of Bloom is unique to cognitive thought, and is developmental. For instance, identify or recognize means the teacher has provided examples, and students can “pick the right one,” or reiterate a fact taught earlier, such as “Aboriginal peoples were the first people in Canada.” Describe means students can provide supporting detail. Explain, assess, and analyze require students to provide multiple perspectives; that is, the pros and cons, or both sides, of an argument. Finally, evaluate means students, after considering both pros and cons or differing perspectives, form an opinion; that is, place a value on the analysis. For young children, this might simply mean explaining likes and dislikes, or being able to say, “Sometimes…, but sometimes….” For example, grade-one students may tell us how their families’ cultures have aspects that the students like and enjoy because they are their favourite ___. These same students may tell us aspects that make them feel ___. These students are meeting the criterion for “Evaluates how his or her family’s culture influences who he or she is.”

The material shows how I integrate the social studies and science topics while bringing them into other disciplines—mathematics, physical education and health, language arts, and fine arts—particularly through the lens of the multiple intelligences (MI). Differentiated activities based on MI approaches, as sketched out in the brainstormed ideas on page 16, are chosen to inspire diverse students and accommodate their individual learning styles. The MI activity cards that flesh out the topics for such centre-based activities follow the list on page 17.

As implied by the title, A Model Unit for Grade 1, I encourage teachers not only to adapt my ideas and materials as needed for their own class but also apply what they learn from working with their own students to their planning, whether individually or collaboratively, for the second and third terms.

Throughout this model unit, you will see the acronym TtD with page numbers from Teaching to Diversity. Refer to these pages to find fuller explanations, descriptions, or examples of strategies and procedures.

TtD: pp. 74–85



Grade 1: Who Am I? 17


Activity Cards for MI Work Centres

Protecting Your Senses

Water and Material

Culture and Me

My Groups

ABCs of Peace

Five Senses Poems

Five Senses Collage

Comparing Images

Role Plays from Our Past

Measuring Objects

Peace Songs

Drum Making

In Groups and On Our Own

Cultural Celebrations

Group Connections

Comparing

natural Objects

Five Senses Found Poems




VISU

AL-

SPAT

IAL

Five

Sen

ses

Colla

ge

A c

olla

ge is

a m

ix o

f a

who

le b

unch

of

pict

ures

.

Cre

ate

a co

llage

abo

ut t

he fi

ve s

ense

s.




NAT

URA

LIST

nat

ural

Obj

ects

Mak

e a

list

of s

ome

of y

our

favo

urit

e th

ings

.

Whi

ch o

nes

com

e fr

om n

atur

e?

Whi

ch o

nes

are

mad

e by

peo

ple?

Now

, sor

t yo

ur f

avou

rite

thi

ngs

into

tw

o gr

oups

.

nat

ure

Mad

e by

Peo

ple



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