ELEMENT

Author Name
Mini-Unit Name
Content Area(s)
Must include at
least 2
(Language Arts
and something
else)
Grade Level(s)
Duration
(Must be 10
Days)

Unit Theme and

Overview

DESCRIPTION
Jenna Sorsen

Plant Problem Solving

Language Arts (Reading for Information, Writing, Speaking and Listening) (2.RI.3,
2.RI.4, 2.RI.5, 2.RI.7, 2.W.2, 2.W.5, 2.W.6, 2.W.7, 2.W.8, 2.SL.2, 2.SL.3)
Science (2-LS2-1)
2nd Grade
10 lessons in the second grade classroom.
This unit focuses on helping students to understand global citizenship through
analyzing, comparing and contrasting cultural celebrations. This integrated unit is
designed for second graders and will be completed in approximately 10, 60-minute
sessions. Students will have the opportunity to understand the Chinese Moon Festival
through reading and discussing the mentor text, Thanking the Moon by Grace Lin. The
will also solidify their understanding of Thanksgiving through reading and analyzing
the mentor text: The Most Thankful Thing by Lisa McCourt. Students will learn about
other cultures through studying stories about celebrations and will gain a deeper
understanding of similarities and differences between another culture and their own.
Through analyzing literature and writing a personal cultural narrative as a culminating
project, students will gain a deeper understanding of these important global
competencies.
This unit carries students through the growing journey from the seed to the full
bloomed plant. It causes them to critically examine and observe the plant changes
each day and document those changes in their science journals. The unit aligns with
second grade science standards, and will be presented in the form of 10, 60-minute
lessons. To enhance the students understanding of the plant changing process, texts
will be read about plants, a field trip to a city park will take place, written assignments,
and culminating project that allows them to combine all of their notes in their science
journals will be completed along the way.

Text
Resources
(3-5)
Standards being
addressed (from
all content areas
integrated)

Teacher model of a personal science journal

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons (YouTube video)
How Does a Seed Become a Plant? SciShow Kids

Social Studies:
2. US.2.1 Students are able to compare ways different cultures shared traditions
Writing:
2. W. 3. Write narratives in which they recount a well elaborated event or short
sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use
temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure
Reading:
2. RL.2 Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and
determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
2.RL.7 Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text
to demonstrate understanding of its characters
Speaking and Listening:
2. SL.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2
topics and texts with peers and adults in small groups and larger groups.
2. SL.2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information
presented orally or through other media
2. SL.5 Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add drawings or other visual
displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas,

thoughts and feelings

I can re-tell the important details in the story through telling and writing.
I can study the authors writing and illustrations to determine the central message or
meaning behind the Mid-Autumn Festival in China.
I can compare the Mid-Autumn Festival in China to our Thanksgiving Holiday and note
similarities and differences.
Daily Learning
Targets or
Objectives

I can discuss the similarities and differences in small groups.

I can read the story like a writer and study how the author uses both words and
images to create a picture of the importance of the celebration.
I can use the strategies similar to the authors to write a story to explain an important
celebration in their own culture.
I can publish my story using an I-Pad app, adding pictures, and expression