Sample Lesson Plan – Secondary Level

M. ACKERMAN

Final Project: Unit Lesson Plan

SEASONS

Michele Ackerman

EDCI 519: Fall 2005
George Mason University
ESOL Unit Lesson Plan
Seasons
OVERVIEW:
Teacher: Michele Ackerman
School: (Any) VA Middle School Grade(s): 7-8
Proficiency Level(s): Levels 2-4 Program Model: ESL Pullout
Unit Duration: 5 consecutive class sessions
Class Period Time: 45 minutes Number of Students: 10-20
CONTENT AREAS: English language; Social Studies – American culture and traditions; Earth science – Virginia/ Northeast climate and weather
UNIT DESCRIPTION:
This unit was designed for an ESL pullout program model for middle school ELL students, Levels 2 – 4; however, it would also work well for an Immersion program model. It mostly centers around content based instruction (CBI) of topics in Earth science: seasons and weather. The unit also relates to Social Studies topics in American culture. It does this by giving students background cultural knowledge and vocabulary about some American holidays and traditions, in a way that allows students to connect with their own cultural backgrounds. This unit plan is intended to provide these ESOL students with the background knowledge needed to keep pace and excel in mainstream classrooms while building their English language skills and proficiency.
For the purpose of this unit plan, the definition of ‘Levels 2 – 4’ would be ESOL students with proficiency levels anywhere between advanced beginning/ early production through advanced level for this age group. Each lesson plan contains activities in which students of all these proficiency levels can participate, however, each lesson also provides ways to scaffold instruction for lower proficiency levels and differentiate instruction for students of higher proficiency levels. The goal is to provide a natural approach to learning (i+1), in which students are motivated to learn in a safe, risk-free environment and challenged at the appropriate levels to meet a high set of expectations.