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English Units: Level 4

  • Sound - This unit is written for students in Levels 3 and 4 of the New Zealand curriculum with emphasis on practical science investigations, oral language and topic specific vocabulary. It provides opportunities for students to explore and communicate findings about everyday physical phenomena (sound), and to seek and describe patterns and trends in physical phenomena (sound). This unit has video clips throughout, which demonstrate embeddng literacy into the science curriculum.
  • Survival - Using an integrated focus on English and Social Science, students describe factors putting pressure on the environment and the consequences of this pressure. They then choose an environmental issue, complete an inquiry, then present their findings.
  • Dr Livingstone, I presume? (archived)
    An integrated English/Social Studies unit. Students identify the experiences and challenges that people face as they explore and find out about new places. They are encouraged to explain why and how explorers have undertaken journeys.
    (Descriptions, Reports)
  • Listen up! Speak up! (archived)
    This unit provides a structured approach to build students' confidence in public speaking. Students participate in a series of increasingly demanding speaking and listening activities which prepare them to deliver their speech to their classmates. 
  • Playing around with poetry (archived)
    A unit for teachers and students to explore and have fun with different forms of poetry, to listen, read aloud and perform for an audience.
  • Speech making (archived)
    A Speech Contest is a great part of Intermediate School life. This unit explores great ideas to motivate, maximise learning, personal esteem and development of students.
  • What a character! (archived)
    In this unit students will explore strategies for creating and analysing characters. The character sketch is a component of a story and may be developed in a variety of ways through the reading and writing programme.
    (Descriptions)
  • Advertisements and you!
    A unit in which students can explore static images, analysing the ways in which verbal and visual features are combined in an advertisement for particular purposes and audiences.
    (Arguments, Descriptions)

Thinking about the Nature of Science

Using the Nature of Science - Supporting Teaching and Learning

Learning task 1

Language and literacy intention(s) We are learning to identify and use key words associated with Sound in a spoken sense and using NZ sign language
Opportunities for key competencies development Thinking
Using Language Symbols & Texts
Relating to Others
Managing Self
Principles and values coherence High Expectations
Inclusion
Coherence
Learning to Learn
Values
Curiosity
Inquiry
Respect
Innovation

Big Idea - Sound energy is transferred to the substance it travels through, producing vibration.

Moses Goes to a Concert by Isaac Millman - the picture book is shared with the class and students are asked to identify the key scientific ideas represented in the text and how the Moses and the musician have an understanding of sound, each in a different way.

Students will recognise/increase their understanding that sound occurs as a result of a wave of vibrations.

Students’ understandings and phrases will be recorded and used as the starting point of a vocabulary word bank (PDF 116KB) for this unit.

Students are exposed to, in the text, key words and phrases used in sign language by deaf people as a means of communicating ideas, words and feelings.

Students interpret key phrases in the text shown in sign language

Students are then grouped into groups of three. Each group receives three different phrases from the text showing Moses or the Musician signing a message and use the visual cues to practice and replicate the phrase demonstrating their understanding of sign language as a means of communicating ideas.

Each member of the group is responsible for teaching a phrase from the book, using sign language, to the other members of the group without speaking.

Then each group receives a copy of  NZ sign language finger spelling chart  and students are then given the opportunity to read, understand and fingerspell using sign language:

  • Their name
  • The word ‘vibration’
  • A word or phrase, meaningful to the student, from the illustrated panels showing Moses signing a message in Moses Goes to a Concert
  • For ELL students the opportunity to share and teach other students the key words and scientific concept words in their first language is given. These words in languages other than English are also recorded on the Sound Word Bank in the classroom

Sound Exploration Activity

Students work in pairs in the Seeing The Vibrations investigation and orally generate and share their ideas using a Predict Share Explain sequence.

Predict what they think will happen
Share what they saw happen
Explain what they observed and why

(1) Seeing the Vibrations

What You Need

  • A bowl
  • Cling film
  • 12 pieces of Rice
  • A metal oven tray
  • A stick

What You Do

Cover the bowl with cling film so that the film is taut like a drum skin.

Place the rice on the taut cling film.

Take the metal tray and holding it by one edge close to the bowl and continuously bang the tray with the stick.

Discuss why the rice moves.

Opportunities to explore –
 I wonder what would happen if….
 ….we used salt/jelly crystals/sugar instead of rice? What do you think?

What to Look For

Are the children making a connection between the moving rice, the vibrating cling film and the sound waves travelling from the hit metal oven tray?

Can they understand that sound waves travel through the air and cause vibrations on anything that is in the way.

Applications to the real world

The students think of examples of this in ‘the real world’ and justify their reasoning orally:

In manufacturing.
In entertainment.
In sports.
In business.

Teacher records the students’ ideas and display so that they can be referred to or elaborated on.

Peer Assessment Activities

Students are able to demonstrate their understanding of sign language by creating and interpreting words in sign language

Conclude the session with students orally sharing their findings with another group. Allow opportunities for additional student understandings to be recorded following discussions with others.

Assessment opportunities by the teacher using the teaching as inquiry framework

Observation of students’ conversations and working in groups

  1. What information about the student’s learning and knowledge have I gained?
  2. What are the implications for my teaching
  3.  What are the next learning steps - conceptual understanding, vocabulary, learner needs?

word bank

Y Chart

statement defining sound

Predict and Check Template

Predict and Check Teacher Notes

Definition Match

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