WL.07

SUMMARY

KEY INFORMATION

In this Cornerstone, students enhance their cultural awareness by "exploring" different target-language countries and creating their own postcards as souvenirs. Using a project-based instructional model, students create postcards of places they have visited, including culturally-relevant landmarks, and other geographical vocabulary learned throughout the unit. Students are challenged to write complete sentences that present important facts from their places. Finally, students participate in a class presentation to share their postcards.

GRADE
Elementary

TOPIC
Postcards

LESSONS
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DURATION
2 Days

INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL
Project-Based Learning

AUTHOR(S)
Koutouan Gadie, Shepherd ES

RESOURCES

The lessons for this Cornerstone require the resources listed below. More information regarding the use of each of the resources can be located in the Cornerstone lesson plans.

TEXTS AND WEBSITES

This Cornerstone does not require any outside resources.

SUPPLIES & TECHNOLOGY

This Cornerstone does not require any outside materials.

CURRICULUM INTEGRATION

Cornerstones are relevant, rigorous, and aligned to national learning standards. Use the tabs below to learn more about aligning to standards, embedding the Cornerstone in your unit of study, and preparing to teach the Cornerstones.

STANDARDS

OSSE Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.

OSSE Standard 1.3 Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.

OSSE Standard 5.1 Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND EXTENSIONS

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

In order to complete this Cornerstone, students need to have previous knowledge of weather, animals, and geography vocabulary.

PLACEMENT

BEFORE

This Cornerstone will serve as the summative integrated performance assessment (IPA) at the end of Unit 4 for Elementary K-2.

DURING

I can name and describe places that I visited.
I can recognize words when other people introduce their places.
I can read words related to weather, seasons, and animals.

AFTER

After this Cornerstone is completed, students should be able to apply the information and skills learned to enhance and share their cultural awareness.

PLANNING

To plan for this Cornerstone, read the summary, consult the rubrics and lesson plans, and utilize student work provided.

INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH

Teachers will be both model and facilitator during the lessons. Initially, teachers will introduce students to relevant vocabulary and sentence structures by performing a whole-class demonstration. It is helpful to think of this demonstration as a slowly evolving conversation. First, you will have the conversation, then you will gradually incorporate students into the learning process. Your goal is to give the students a successful experience so that they can build towards mastery. The students will then be able to demonstrate mastery of the vocabulary and structures learned through the creation of their final product. The teacher will act as a facilitator during this time, making sure that students are completing the activities as directed and providing any scaffolding that is needed in the moment. In this role, teachers can check student work as it is being done, thereby increasing the number of students who obtain mastery by the end of the Cornerstone.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Teachers should enter this Cornerstone with command of the subject material, specifically the information related to the unit at hand.

LESSON PACING

Below is a recommended pacing for this Cornerstone and the objective for each lesson. More information regarding each lesson can be located in the Cornerstone lesson plans.

DAY	OBJECTIVE
Day 1	Students will create several postcards of different places using the target language.
Day 2	Students will present their postcards to their classmates, then trade their postcards and ask and answer questions with their peers. Finally, students will present one of their postcards to the class.

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