English Units:Years 1-3
Oral Language Units
Bring on the clowns
This unit is designed to encourage students to create, interpret and retell stories through oral story telling and mime.
(Recounts)
Caring for pets
An integrated English/Social Studies unit designed to encourage students to think carefully about the care needed if they are to be responsible pet owners.
(Recounts, Reports)
Cinderella
This unit is a language unit involving reading, writing and presenting. It is based around a musical of Cinderella and could culminate in a performance.
(Narratives)
Horton Hatches the Egg
An oral language unit designed to encourage students to create, interpret and retell stories through story telling, role play and drama.
(Recounts)
Insects
An integrated English/Science unit in which students are involved in a study of insects in their environment. Students will be encouraged to observe, investigate, question and share experiences relating to insects.
(Explanations, Reports)
My grandparents and me
This unit helps students to focus on the special relationships between grandparents (or older friends - grandfriends) and grandchildren by looking closely at their roles, rights and responsibilities. It culminates in Grandparent's Day at school, where students have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of those roles, rights and responsibilities, and the concepts of manaaki, aroha, taonga and whakapapa in a shared celebration of their learning.
Terrific trees
An integrated Science/English unit based on students' experiences and observation of native trees. Students will develop skills in comparing, grouping, and identify and label major parts of a tree.
(Recounts, Reports)
Through your ears and eyes
In this unit students learn to identify and apply interpersonal listening strategies in group and class discussion times. It could be used for a block of focused teaching and learning, or as an on-going unit, revisited many times during the year.
Visual Language Units
A journey through space
A unit in which students are taken through the resource-based learning/inquiry process. Students will be encouraged to explore a variety of resources, to find out about the solar system and history of space travel.
(Explanations, Reports)
Beautiful birds
A unit in which students are involved in a study of birds in their environment. Students will be encouraged to share experiences and record true facts about birds.
(Recounts)
Bring on the clowns
This unit is designed to encourage students to create, interpret and retell stories through oral story telling and mime.
(Recounts)
Cinderella
This unit is a language unit involving reading, writing and presenting. It is based around a musical of Cinderella and could culminate in a performance.
(Narratives)
Communicating with Cards
This unit introduces students to static images and the use of figurative language in their writing of a Mother's Day card. The unit could be adapted to generate cards for other occasions, eg. birthdays, farewells.
Postcards from my planet
This unit provides opportunities for students to share their holiday activities by creating their own postcards. The unit lends itself to creative illustrations using a range of visual media. Electronic postcards are also introduced.
(Descriptions, Recounts)
Signs and symbols
A unit in which students study signs and symbols in their community. Students are encouraged to observe the signs they see, discussing the ways in which they are presented and how they convey their meanings.
Teddybears
In this unit students learn about different text forms (narrative, poetry, recount) and the use of illustrations, making use of a range of teddybear resources, both print and computer-based.
(Narratives, Recounts)
Terrific trees
An integrated Science/English unit based on students' experiences and observation of native trees. Students will develop skills in comparing, grouping, and identify and label major parts of a tree.
(Recounts, Reports)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
This an integrated English/Science unit based on Eric Carle's classic "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". Using observations, experiences and close reading, students describe the life cycle of a butterfly and visually present and retell the story.
(Recounts)
Written Language Units
A journey through space
A unit in which students are taken through the resource-based learning/inquiry process. Students will be encouraged to explore a variety of resources, to find out about the solar system and history of space travel.
(Explanations, Reports)
Communicating with cards
This unit introduces students to static images and the use of figurative language in their writing of a Mother's Day card. The unit could be adapted to generate cards for other occasions, eg. birthdays, farewells.
Dick King-Smith
In this author study unit, students will learn about the life and books of Dick King-Smith. It encourages reading and writing through many varied activities.
(Narratives)
Hoiho's Chicks
In this unit students read and study Hoiho's Chicks by Joy Cowley, and learn and write about the Hoiho (Yellow-Eyed Penguin).
(Recounts)
Journeys in books and pictures
In this unit students will look at journeys shown in a range of picture books, identify and compare special features of the books, and try a range of presentations including calligrams.
(Narratives, Recounts)
Leap! Frog
An integrated English/Science unit based on students experiences, observation and close reading of a variety of "frog" texts. Students write a report based on their observations, experiences, and investigations to share with their peers.(Reports)
Let's go camping!
A unit in which students are involved in developing camping skills. Students will be encouraged to share experiences and record using transactional writing
(Instructions, Recounts)
Reduce, reuse, recycle
In this integrated English/Social Studies unit students will carry out an inquiry into resources that can be recycled and make decisions about possible social action on recycling.
(Instructions, Recounts)
Tales of the Grimm Brothers
This unit is a language unit, focusing on close reading and innovation of the Grimm Brothers' fairytales.
(Narratives)
Teddybears
In this unit students learn about different text forms (narrative, poetry, recount) and the use of illustrations, making use of a range of teddybear resources, both print and computer-based.
(Narratives, Recounts)
Whales
Through the study of cetaceans, students will develop and use the skills of comparing, grouping and identifying. Students will write about whales, expressing their ideas in poetic and transactional writing.
(Reports)
What makes a shadow?
In this unit students will learn about shadows as they observe and draw shadows of classmates. They will observe and discuss shadows changing over time, write explanations about shadows, state facts and opinions and recount events.
(Explanations)
Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?
This unit will introduce students to oral and written arguments. Students will use oral and written language to persuade a target audience through a variety of activities.
(Arguments)
