Unit Topic: _______Mali________

Grade level: ____2nd grade____

Stage 1 Desired Results

Content Standard/Established Goals(s):
Literacy:
Compare & contrast the most important points presented by 2 texts on
the same topic (CC 1.2.2.1)
Use various text features and search tools to locate key facts or
information in a text efficiently (CC 1.2.2.E)
Explain how graphic representations contribute to and clarify a text
(CC.1.2.2.G)
Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text
(CC. 1.2.2.H)
Write informational/explanatory text to examine a topic & convey ideas
&information clearly (CC 1.4.2.A)
Math:
Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction within
100 (CC 2.2.2.A.1)
Measure and estimate lengths in standard units using appropriate tools
(CC.2.4.2.A.1)
Represent and interpret data using line plots, picture graphs, and bar
graphs (CC 2.4.2.A.4)
Extend the concepts of addition and subtraction to problems involving
length (CC 2.4.2.A.6)
Social Studies:
Curriculum Standards for Social Studies
People, Places & Environment
Performance Expectations
o construct and use mental maps of local regions and the
world that demonstrate relative location, direction, size and
shape (a)
o interpret use and distinguish various representation of the
earth such as maps, globes and photographs (b)
o Describe how people create places that reflect ideas like
personality, cultures, wants and needs as they design
homes, playgrounds, classrooms and the like (g)
o Examine the interaction of human beings and their physical
environments, the use of land, the building of cities and
ecosystem changes in selected locales and regions (h)
Science:
Use information from several sources to provide evidences that Earth
events can occur quickly or slowly (2-ESS1-1)
Water is found in the oceans, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Water exists as
solid ice and in liquid form. (2-ESS2-3)

Understanding(s)
Students will understand that:

Information can be presented

in different forms
Information can be passed on
from one to the other
Different forms of information
are interchangeable
Graphs and numbers
sometime carry more
information than texts do
Communicating with other
people help information
gathering
Any kind of conclusion is
made basing on facts, not
assumption
The world is not in isolation
Culture makes a person what
he or she is
To respect other people is to
respect oneself
Being different does not
necessarily mean being
wrong

Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will know

Different ways to present the

same piece of information
One way to deepen their
understanding of the text is
through comparing and
contrasting
Africa is not a country; it is a
continent that is home to 54
countries
Why it is important to learn
about different cultures
The founder of Mali Empire
What Mansa Musa is famous
for
The Great Mosque of Djenn
Why it is important to know
the weather
Definition of certain terms:

Essential Question(s):

How do I obtain useful

information from a text?
What do I need to know in
order to read a graph?
What is the most efficient
way of reading?
How do I take notes?
How do I transform
information into a different
form?
How do I exchange useful
information when sharing
with my partners?
How do I find the main
idea/topic sentence?
How do I add more details?
How do I organize the
information I have?
How do I react to something
new that I have never
experienced before?

Students will be able to

Write
informative/explanatory texts
Compare and contrast the
ways information is
presented in different
resources
Look for details/facts that will
support the authors points
Read and interpret a
chart/bar graph
Create a bar graph based on
their own understanding
Create weather calendar
Create scientific journal
Identify key map features in
order to read maps/create
their own maps
Explore and discuss the
relationship between

meteorologist, symbol,
overcast, etc.

environments and human

beings (e.g., the
positive/negative effect
human beings bring on
natural habitats or vice
versa)

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s):
Other Evidence:

Beginning

Students will be able to

complete the T chart to
examine the similarities and
differences by comparing and
contrasting two different texts
on the same topic
Students will be able to
create a weather calendar
using weather symbols
Students will be able to start
a scientific journal
Students will be able to
create a bar graph with a
given data set (for instance,
to create a bar graph based
on the weather data recorded
on the weather calendar)
Students will be able to do
informational writing with a
clearly stated topic sentence
and supporting details/facts
Students will be able to put
together information of Mali
to create a brochure that
records different categories
about Mali

Learning Activity
Read aloud:
Informational texts on
animals of Africa
Read aloud:
Weather and Hows the
Weather

o
o

Discussion how much they

participate
Observation how much they
interact and how well they
help the teacher to finish the
chart
Observation check on their
weather calendar while they
are working individually
Observation check on the
words they use
Partner learning pay
attention to the feedbacks or
comments they give each
other
Check-in to see the notes or
the organizers they have that
help them sort all the facts
and information
Group work observe how
students cooperate with
each other; how do they
react in certain situation,
how do they work together
as a team, how do they
divide up jobs, etc.

Stage 3 Learning Plan

Objectives/Goals
Formative
Assessment
Examine the points
Discussion and have
author made in an
students help with the
informational text
reading notes together
Compare and contrast
different texts on the
same topic

Discussion and
completing T chart
together on the board

C
u
l
m
i
n
a
t
i
n
g

Read aloud:
A is for Africa
Map:
Africa Is Not a Country

Understand that Africa

is a continent, not a
country

Discussion: have a
world map present
Worksheet with maps
of Africa and North
America

Learning Activity

Objectives/Goals

Math center:
Activities on creating
bar graphs

Know that the other

useful way to represent
data is to draw a graph

Formative
Assessment
Worksheet that
requires students to
create a graph using
the data provided

Science read aloud:

Hows the Weather
Weather Forecasting

Create a weather
calendar and use
weather symbol to
keep track of the
everyday weather
Create scientific
journals using
descriptive words to
record the weather

Weather calendar for

everyone to keep in
their science folders; it
is not one persons job,
it is everyones
responsibility to record
what the weather is
like
Collect them once a
week

Math center:
Go over the weather
calendar and weather
symbols once again
before drawing a bar
graph on how many
days are sunny, cloudy,
rainy, etc.

Create a bar graph

after collecting a good
amount of weather
data

Draw a bar graph on

the paper and glue it
back to the weather
calendar, turn both of
the papers in

Read aloud:
Meet Our New Student
from Mali
Discussion

Understand that it is
very important to learn
about different cultures
and learn to respect
the differences

Discussion:
What is culture?
Why is everyone
different?
What does it mean to
be respectful?