environmental+choices

Check out these teacher generated ideas to further enrich this book club.

**//How easy is it to be green?//**
Consider supporting vocabulary during this inquiry unit. Students will encounter a lot of unfamiliar vocabulary connected to the scientific nature of this unit. Over the course of our science literacy network sessions we have been exploring different strategies and activities that will help students build their vocabulary knowledge.



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To introduce the concept of "green" for this unit consider using the "mix & mingle" strategy. Write a variety of definitions of "green" on different cue cards ( 1 definition per cue card). Include a variety of definitions ranging from "envious, immature, symbol of growth to environmentally friendly." Have students mix and mingle, sharing their definition and discussing what these definitions could have in common. Students can continue to mix and mingle verifying that the topic, concept or word they are thinking of is in fact correct. Have students share all the different definitions as a whole class.=====



**Vocabulary Sorting Mat**
The various reading texts in this unit will present some challenging vocabulary. As a "minds on" or "before reading" activity, have students identify unfamiliar terms. Students can then record these unfamiliar terms on sticky notes or directly on the sorting mat. Encourage students to consider the degree to which they "know" each term as they sort their personal list of vocabulary on the sorting mat. Research tells us that students generally need 12 encounters with a word before they are able to truly understand it in all sorts of contexts. Encourage students to become researchers; they can track their encounters with words on their sorting mats and track how many encounters it takes before they feel confident enough to move each word across the columns on the sorting mat.



Modified Frayer Model with Environmental Issues Photos
While groups each start at their home table with a photograph this strategy can become more challenging by having groups rotate to each of the different photographs with the task of adding on new "describing words, possible locations, concerns, and questions" that do not already appear on the charts. Listening in to group conversations and reading the completed charts provided valuable "assessment for learning" data about students' background knowledge.



Check out how one teacher extended the use of some of the informational text in this unit and responded to students' interest in debating some of the content in the reading selections. The different groups worked together to create a debate statement and then choose which side of the argument they would like to represent. Thanks for sharing your experience & ideas Katie!

The following powerpoints were created by grade 7 students as a culminating task for the unit. Students had choice in the mode of presentation for their learning! See what they learned about how easy it is to be more enviornmentally "green." Thank you for sharing your experiences and the student work Joe!