First in Flight
This unit covers the story of Wilbur and Orville Wright, the inventors of the first airplane. It was inspired by a trip to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The unit begins with activating background knowledge about airplanes. Nearly every ESL student has traveled on an airplane before so it is easy to connect their airplane experience with the topic of how the first airplane was made.
After getting interest and activating background knowledge, the unit progresses with the reading of a text based on the Wright Brothers. There are three texts: a story for Kindergarteners, a factual yet easy story for 1st graders and a more difficult book for 2nd-4th graders (First in Flight). Each grade level has a different set of questions in a packet suited for their level. During the unit, each student will write a story about their first plane flight. Kindergarteners will make an entire book while older students will write a short story with one illustration. The unit continues through the first flight to the idea of inventions in general. For the final piece, students will design their own inventions, writing about it and providing an illustration.
I implemented it at the close of the school year, so we didn't quite have enough time to finish some of the invention section. Some students were able to complete it. Everyone had a lot of fun with the unit, particularly the part where they followed verbal and visual instructions to make their own airplane and then flew it. We measured the distance flown, experimented with different variables and covered a lot of science and math content.
After getting interest and activating background knowledge, the unit progresses with the reading of a text based on the Wright Brothers. There are three texts: a story for Kindergarteners, a factual yet easy story for 1st graders and a more difficult book for 2nd-4th graders (First in Flight). Each grade level has a different set of questions in a packet suited for their level. During the unit, each student will write a story about their first plane flight. Kindergarteners will make an entire book while older students will write a short story with one illustration. The unit continues through the first flight to the idea of inventions in general. For the final piece, students will design their own inventions, writing about it and providing an illustration.
I implemented it at the close of the school year, so we didn't quite have enough time to finish some of the invention section. Some students were able to complete it. Everyone had a lot of fun with the unit, particularly the part where they followed verbal and visual instructions to make their own airplane and then flew it. We measured the distance flown, experimented with different variables and covered a lot of science and math content.