Rachel Cliborne Grade Level: 2

Unit: Adjectives

1. What are the ELL or content area standards?

2.7 Describe characters, setting and plot events in fiction and poetry
2.6 Discuss meanings of words and develop vocabulary by listening to and reading a
variety of texts

2. What key concepts will students learn, and what strategies will be used to teach them?
Students will be able to use adjectives to describe characters in the book, themselves
and their classmates.
Students will understand adjectives are used to describe things.
 With adjectives I think that visual cues like pictures will help students with selecting
adjectives to use.
 Working in groups to discuss adjectives and describe characters.
o Think-pair-share: All students can work together to learn. EL students can
gain vocabulary from non-EL students.
 Learning Stations: there can be different stations about adjectives and describing the
characters.
3. What background knowledge will students need? How will it be activated?
 Vocabulary (How to describe someone/setting)
 Adjectives – different words used to describe something/someone.
- Brainstorm words students already know
- Use graphic organizers to make connections between previously learned and new
concepts.
4. List key terms, words, idioms, and phrases (TWIPs) to be pretaught. Include simple,
student-friendly definitions. Identify words that are likely to be used outside class as
well as academic words that are content-specific.
 Hairy, Scary, Ordinary (Book used to teach adjectives)
 The Recess Queen (Book for students to use to describe character and setting)
o This book contains a new made up words that would need to be discussed.
1. Adjectives – A word that describes a thing, idea or living being. (ACADEMIC
WORD)
2. Describe – explain what something looks like, smells like, sounds like, and
feels like. (ACADEMIC WORD)
3. Frisky – playful
4. Acient – old
5. Fizzy – bubbly
6. Modify – change
7. Crossed her – got in her way
8. Bolted – went fast
5. Design one or more of the following activities for TWIP instruction:
  Matching vocabulary with definitions – Could be great not just for TWIPs but for
learning adjectives for this lesson.
 Drawing and labeling – Visual cues for adjective words. Draw picture of character
or self-label. (Level 1 student: Listening)
 Labeling maps
 Filling out simple charts
 Sequencing activities
 Group vocabulary activities and games
 Student-generated word walls – Put TWIP/adjectives from book on word wall –
Adjective Wall. (Level 3 student: Linking words and phrases)

6. Check which of the following strategies you will use in class:

o Buddies – Speaking, listening Level 1 can ask questions related to
o Cooperative groups – Speaking and listening story. Level 3 state simple adjectives.
o Students can work together to come up with adjectives. English LL and
general students practice speaking with others.
o Graphs, charts, photos, drawings – Photos, Drawing, Writing and visual cues.
o Level 1 support for Labeling/Creative representation of stories.
o Graphic organizers – Level 3 listening and reading. Allow students to see content
broken down.
o Level 1 Making graphic information, also listening and illustrating
pictures.
o Level 3 creating graphic organizers related to content from reading.
o Hands-on activities
o Taping explanations and photoshop notes
o Highlighting, sticky, notes, Wikki Stix
o Level 3: Reading. Locating details in content area text.
o Using body language, skits, storytelling, music and videos
o Vocabulary box wherever possible

7. How will you modify text for beginning learners of English?

 Hairy, Scary, Ordinary – student friendly definitions
o Breaking down the difficult adjectives.
 Recess Queen – Explaining some of the verbs/adjectives used to describe
characters.
 Depending on the students reading level, students may need visual cues, or a
read aloud.