Exploring+the+African+Grasslands

Exploring the African Grasslands! "Exploring the African Grasslands" is a curriculum designed around educating Lower Elementary students about the animals within the grasslands of Africa as well as provide necessary language instruction around animals, their habitats and everyday lives. This curriculum includes leveled informational and narrative texts as well as video, song, informal writing and formal writing lessons.It is our hope that you as teachers are able to use these lessons in order to teach your students language as well as content.
 * Snapshot of the Unit: **

**Grade/Subject:** First Grade

[|CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI 1.1] Ask and answer questions about key details in the text.
 * Common Core Standard(s): **

[|CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.][|RL 1.1] Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

[|CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.][|W.1.2] Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

[|ELP 1.1] construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through grade-appropriate listening, reading, and viewing [|ELP 1.3] speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and topics
 * English Language Proficiency Standards: **


 * Unit Objectives **
 * __Content __
 * Learning about African grassland animals
 * __Language __
 * Teach learners questions in English, question word
 * Prepositions and vocabulary expansion
 * __Literacy __
 * Ask and answer key details about the texts
 * Differences between books that tell stories and books that give information

Text Set

Unit Components: (arrange these in the suggested order of implementation)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Introductory Activity: the Circle of Life
 * [[file:grasslands_IntroductoryActivity (2).docx]]
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">Narrative Text: [|Honey...Honey...Lion!] by Jan Brett
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">[[file:grasslands_NarrativeTextActivityGuide (2).docx]]
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Informational Text: Animal Babies in grasslands
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[[file:grasslands_InformationalTextActivityGuide.docx]]
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">Informal Writing Activity:
 * [[file:grasslands_InformalWritingTaskActivityGuide.docx]]
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Video/Song: [|Going On a Lion Hunt]
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[[file:grasslands_Video Song Guide.docx]]
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Formal Writing Activity:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">[[file:grasslands_FormalWritingTaskActivityGuideAGA.docx]]
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">Culminating Project:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> [[file:grasslands_Culminating Project.docx]]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Created By:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Megan Finnerty is from Arizona with a degree in Sociology from Gonzaga University and is receiving her Masters in Initial Teaching also from Gonzaga University. She is a firm believer that learning should be fun and she is excited <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">to pursue her passion for working with young children.

Lynda Copley is working towards a Masters of Initial Teaching at Gonzaga University. She currently holds a BA in Children's Studies from Eastern Washington University and has worked for the Spokane County Head Start/EHS/ECEAP Program for the past 15 years.

Ande Seines is a Spokane native that graduated from Gonzaga University with a degree in Special Education in 2014. She is now pursuing her Masters of Initial Teaching in Elementary Education at Gonzaga University with an endorsement in reading.

Rachel DeLateur graduated from Gonzaga University with her Bachelor's in Art, French, and International Relations in 2013. She recently graduated from Gonzaga University with her Master's of Initial Teaching and will be the art teacher at Spokane International Academy this fall.