Saint Francis University

Education Department
Jeanie McMullen

Unit Plan – Earth Day

Standards-Aligned Unit Planning Process-Domain I

1. Unit Overview
1a. Brief description of the unit of study
1b. Grade level standard(s) to be addressed in
this unit of study
Content Area: Thematic Unit (Science/Social Studies/Health)
Grade Level: Kindergarten
In this unit, students will learn all about Earth Day and different things that we can to do help keep
the Earth safe. The unit will take five days to complete. There will be a lesson about how we can
reuse things in our house to create a clutter bug. We will learn how to stop polluting the Earth with
the help of a crafty owl. Later in the week we will explore the different living things that live on
our Earth with a nature walk. We will make a book all about recycling. We will then end the week
by creating a reducing, reusing, and recycling poster all about the Earth. The students will have the
opportunity to learn about the Earth through stories, videos, and hands-on activities. The students
will be assessed through informal and formal assessments.
1. Standard - 4.5.K.D – Identify waste and practice ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
2. Standard - 4.3.K.A – Identify some renewable resources used in the classroom.
3. Standard - 4.5.K.C – Identify different types of pollution (land, water, or air) and their sources.
Big Ideas/Essential Questions:
o We can help the Earth by reducing pollution
o We can help make the Earth a better place
o We can help keep animals and plants safe by taking care of the Earth
o There are many objects that can be reused instead of thrown in the garbage
o What are ways that we can help the Earth?
2. Learning Targets - Domain I/III
2a. Concepts and Competencies for all
students
SAS Portal: PA Core Curriculum Framework
PA Alternate Eligible Content
General Education Curriculum Unit Objectives
2a. Concepts and competencies for all students
Concepts:
o Vocabulary
o How to properly use materials (glue, scissors, crayons)
o Difference between safe and non-safe
o Difference between worse and better

Competencies:
o Identify ways to reduce
o Identify ways to reuse
o Identify ways to recycle
o Identify types of pollution
o Identify waste
o Determine ways to keep the Earth a safe and better place
o Look closely at living and nonliving objects and describe what they notice
o Use illustrations to show how they can help the Earth
o Write a sentence about how to take care of the Earth in order to keep plants and animals
safe
2b. Key vocabulary for all students 2b. Prioritized key vocabulary and ideas for all exceptional learners
o Reduce o Clutter – a group of things lying around in a mess
o Reuse o Earth – the planet that we live on
o Recycle o Safe – to be protected
o Earth Day o Better – to improve
o Nature o Plants – something that is living in the ground
o Pollution o Land – the part of the Earth not covered by water
o Renewable resource o Water – the wet part of the Earth
o Waste o Air – the invisible gas that we breathe in
o Pollute – a dirty substance that can be harmful
3. Instructional Process - Domain III
Universal Design for Learning Principles:
Multiple Means of Representation, Expression and Engagement
Differentiation
Instructional Accommodations
Components Instructional Materials, Resources and Assessment and Modifications
Practices Tools (No Students with
Barriers to Access IEP’s)
Use read aloud o Questions and o BOOKS o Informal o Students will o Provide
activities and discussions o Activity pages observation of have to materials
YouTube videos to o Direct explicit o Pencils student’s complete that have
introduce and teach instruction o Crayons conversations several fine already been
Earth Day to the o Promethean o Scissors o Informal motor skills: cut out or
students at the Board flip o Glue observation of cutting, gluing, special
beginning of the unit charts o YouTube students while picking up scissors.
and to introduce ways o Read alouds o Promethean Board completing objects, and o Paraprofessi
to help the Earth o Activity pages o Projector brainstorming writing. onal
throughout the unit. o YouTube o Flip charts activities on o Tasks with o Additional
videos o Clipboards the multi-step time to
Use Promethean o Hands-on o Read alouds Promethean directions complete
Board flip charts to activities o Bulletin board Board o Requirement activities
record student’s ideas o Teaching supplies o Informal of sustained o Repeat
about how to keep the example o Construction observation of attention directions
Earth a safe place o Teaching non- paper in all colors students o Requirement multiple
throughout the unit. examples o Printer completing of written and times
o Teaching o Clutter activity pages spoken o Breaks
models o I Can Save the o Informal responses o Changing
Provide the students o Promethean Earth – observation of o Requirements the activity
with hands-on Board o The Earth Book – students of listening to every ten to
opportunities to activities and Todd Parr completing the teacher fifteen
explore the Earth and games o Recycling Day – hands-on speak and minutes
ways to reduce, reuse, Edward Miller activities listening to o Sound will
and recycle. o The Earth and I – o Percent of videos for be amplified
Frank Asch correct information o Alternate
o Power Up to Fight responses on about the Earth seating
Pollution – Lisa activity pages and Earth Day.
Bullard
4. Individualized Student Planning
Student Standards-Aligned IEP Goals Student-Specific IEP Goals Individualized Student Supports
Aligned to prioritized learning
targets
A Not Applicable Not Applicable Not Applicable
B Not Applicable Not Applicable Not Applicable
C Not Applicable Not Applicable Not Applicable