Creating A Text About The Seasons

A Writing Lesson for Year 2/3

By tootgarook on Mar 24, 2014 English Lesson Plans, Year 2 English Lesson Plans, Year 3
English Lesson Plans

Summary:
This lesson aims to provide students with knowledge and ideas to create their own text which
explains their understanding of the seasons in Australia. It is designed to accommodate
students who learn best with visual resources such as Powerpoint presentations and learning
maps, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. This lesson aligns itself with
the Australian Curriculum as well as the Aboriginal 8 ways of learning, more information
may be retrieved from http://8ways.wikispaces.com

Australian Curriculum Links:

Year 2:

Discuss different texts on a similar topic, identifying similarities and differences

between the texts (ACELY1665).

Discuss the characters and settings of different texts and explore how language is used
to present these features in different ways (ACELT1591)

Listen for specific purposes and information, including instructions, and extend
students own and others ideas in discussions (ACELY1666)

Australian Curriculum cross curriculum priorities:

OI.2- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities maintain a special connection
to and responsibility for Country/Place throughout all of Australia.

OI.5- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples ways of life are uniquely
expressed through ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing.

Australian Curriculum general capabilities:

Work collaboratively- identify cooperative behaviours in a range of group activities.

Make decisions- practice individual and group decision making in situations such as
class meetings and when working in pairs and small groups.

Lesson:
Introduction:

Keynote presentation on interactive whiteboard (See Resources Below)

Reinforce our class communication protocol by encouraging the children to nod

their heads or do a thumbs up sign if they understand the content of the lesson, or
shake their head and thumbs down if not. Always support verbal instructions with
visual supports and gestures (ACARA, 2014, pp 23).

Introduce the lesson by viewing the How we are learning slide. Group discussion
on previous learning on the changing season and things we noticed and collected
from our environment as we walked around our local area. Allow EAL/D students
opportunities to share in group discussion (ACARA, 2014, pp 23).

Draw childrens attention to the learning map slide and point to each item as I
explain the children process we will follow this lesson (watch first then do). Revisit
the EAL/D learner often while on task to reinforce instructions (ACARA, 2014, pp
23).

Introduce the two texts we will be looking at, a five minute digital text from an
online resource called Twelve Canoes, the story we are watching is called Seasons
and Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo by Alison Lester. We will then discuss the
similarities and differences between the texts (teacher to add key words to
whiteboard). We will be using these texts to add to our understanding of the seasons.
To add more to their understanding of seasons, ask EAL/D students to share what the
seasons were like back at their home/where they came from, understanding that these
may sometimes be oral stories (ACARA, 2014, pp22).

Look at map of Australia slide and point to Arnhem Land and our location, comment
on the distance, ask if anyone has been to Arnhem Land, if not briefly discuss my
own experience and impressions of Arnhem Land.

We are going to make a plan to which we will use next lesson, work individually or
in small groups to make a mind map of ideas to use to create our own texts based on
the seasons of our place. Allow EAL/D students opportunities to share and work in
one on one and small groups situations (ACARA, 2014, pp 23).

Body:

View Seasons digital story- http://www.12canoes.com.au

Discuss key points of story and write key words on white board.

Invite children to sit in our yarning circle as I read Alison Lesters Ernie Dances to
the Didgeridoo. 5 minutes
o Discussion: (During discussion, educator write key points as a mind map on
white board) (ACELY1666)

What similarities did you notice between the two texts? (ACELY1665,
seasons).
What ways do Aboriginal communities notice the seasons are changing?
(OI. 2). Ask EAL/D students to share how they knew the seasons were
changing back at home/where they came from, understanding that these
may sometimes be oral stories. Family members and bilingual assistants
can be helpful (ACARA, 2014, pp 23).
What do the change of seasons mean for them? (OI.5). some people say
we have six seasons, it doesnt matter, the seasons are not about the
passing of time, theyre about how different things work together,
food, crops, sea life/oysters, plant life, animals)
How was language used in the two texts? What words did you notice?
(ACELT1591) Encourage EAL/D students to build lists of comparative
forms, with the words in context, in their personal word books. Misused
comparatives in EAL/D writing and speech should be explained rather
than the error simply being corrected (ACARA, 2014, pp 22).

Model myself as a learner by using a dictionary to look up the word monsoon. Ask
the children if there are any words they did not understand, use dictionary and
write meaning on whiteboard. Always support verbal instructions with visual supports
and gestures and revisit the EAL/D learner often while on task to reinforce
instructions (ACARA, 2014, pp 23).

Look at final Creating our texts to share slide- Discuss and write key words/ideas
on white board.

Talk briefly about cooperative behaviours we value when working in groups.

Look at What is a text? slide. Then children choose to work in small groups
or individually, use butchers paper and textas to create a mind map about the
seasons, they might choose to talk about the seasons where we live, seasons in
Arnhem land or compare the two places. Allow EAL/D students opportunities to
share in one on one and small group situations (ACARA, 2014, pp 23).

Conclusion:
As children begin to pack up, summarise our learning during the lesson. Explain that I will
add to our How we are learning chart and I will make an additional slide with some of our
ideas and learning as a starting point for our next lesson when we will create our texts, to
share with our community.

Assessment:

Watch for childrens engagement during class discussions, story and digital
story (ACELY1665). Allow EAL/D students opportunities to share in one on one
and group situations (ACARA, 2014, pp 23).

Observe childrens non verbal communication, are they nodding their heads as a
sign of agreement or understanding and that they are listening and
engaged? (ACELY1666) Always support verbal instructions with visual supports and
gestures, and revisit the EAL/D learner often while on task to reinforce instructions
(ACARA, 2014, pp 23).

Observe childrens participation in mind map activity- are they working individually?
If working in a group how are they contributing to the group? Are they writing or
sharing their thoughts and ideas? Allow EAL/D students opportunities to share in
one on one and small group situations (ACARA, 2014, pp 23).

As children are working on their mind maps- did they follow instructions?

Observe and interact with children to ensure they understand the requirements and are
contributing in their own way. Allow EAL/D students opportunities to share in one
on one with the teacher (ACARA, 2014, pp 23).

Resources:

Keynote presentation on interactive white board, aimed at providing a visual resource

for learning and a learning map, looking together at the aim or big picture of the
lesson then looking at the stages our learning will take. Download it here: Creating a
Text About the Seasons (PDF)

Digital story- http://www.12canoes.com.au (Select story- Seasons)

Picture book- Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo (2001) by Alison Lester which is a
story about Ernie who goes to live in Arnhem land for a year. Ernie writes letters to

his five friends at home about his new home, friends, the changing seasons and life in
Arnhem Land. Alison Lester based this book on a story written by the children at the
Gunbalanya Community School.

Whiteboard and whiteboard markers

Butchers paper and textas for children to use