Topic: The Environment
Unit description: Learning in this unit focuses on developing the knowledge, understanding and skills that will enable students to discuss and write about to a high degree of accuracy and precision the topic of the natural environment. Students acquire vocabulary, expressions and language structures within this context. Student activities relate to the Habits of Mind which form the basis of the unit of work and importantly match the process and not only the content.
Students listen, read and respond to texts and learn to incorporate modelled linguistic structures in order to produce a series of texts which will culminate in a research task and the creation of a webpage exploring the topic of the natural environment while developing an understanding of striving for accuracy and precision within their work.
Outcomes:
5.UL.1
5.UL.2
5.UL.3
5.UL.4
5.MLC.1
5.MLC.2
5.MBC.1
5.MBC.2
Indicative time: 11 weeks
A student selects, summarises and analyses information and ideas in spoken texts about the environment and responds appropriately.
A student selects, summarises and analyses information and ideas in written texts about the environment and responds appropriately.
A student uses Japanese by incorporating diverse structures and features to express their own ideas about the environment
The students experiments with linguistic patterns and structures in Japanese to convey information about the natural environment and expresses their ideas about environmental issues through a range of mediums
A student demonstrates understanding of the nature of languages as systems by describing and comparing linguistic features across languages.
A student uses linguistic resources to support the study and production of texts in
Japanese
A student explores the interdependence of language and culture in a range of texts and contexts.
A student identifies and explains aspects of the culture of Japanese speaking communities in texts.
Habit of Mind- Striving for accuracy and precision
Habit outcome
Exploring Meaning
Deeper understanding of what striving for accuracy means
Expanding Capacity
Experiment with a number of strategies to refine work. o Marking code o 2B4T strategy o Checklists for activities
Increasing Alertness
A set of criteria for the students to be able to recognise when to strive for accuracy.
The students need to be able to recognise opportunities to

Students create a web page based on a term’s work of research about a chosen area of the natural environment.
There are 3 components to this webpage-
 A reflective journal recorded throughout the term.( in English)
 A factual text giving a detailed description about an area of natural environment; for example a rainforest/ocean/desert/arctic region.
 A creative writing piece designed around an environmental issue- a letter to the editor of a local newspaper. A cartoon depicting environmental issues apply this HOM.
Extending Values
Students express the value of the habit of mind by being more inclined to use it in their work and their behaviour.
Both formal and informal reward structures need to reflect the application of the HOMS.
Building Commitment
Students need to be able to reflect and look at their goals.
This can be done through rubrics, reflective journal writing
 A recorded interview/survey about an area of the environment/recycling/reducing waste and energy in the home.

Students learn about:
5.UL.3
5.UL.2
5.UL.3
HOM outcome
Exploring meaning
Students start to develop an
understanding of the HOM in context with topic
Goal setting allows the groundwork to be made for reflection and the building of commitment of this HOM.
The running
Integrated teaching, learning and assessment activities
 Introduction of the HOMS- students match photos of famous people and their classmates to posters of the habits put up around the room.
 As a whole class, brainstorm definition of striving for accuracy and precision. Students are asked, in pairs to create a sentence about what this HOM means to them-.
Eg “ doing more than your best”
 Students are given a copy of a self assessment worksheet about this HOM and are asked to fill it in. This sheet will be given at the end of weeks 1,
5 and 11. it is important that before the sheet is given the first time, the students disucss possible strategies.
 At this stage of the unit it is important that the students set goals for the term in regards to their language development. These will then be reflected on during and at the end of the unit.
 Teacher presents pictures of different types of natural environment. The class brainstorms a list of appropriate matching vocabulary. These
Evidence of learning
Class discussion and feedback about different responses.
Students are asked to rank the most effective definitions as a class
Eliciting strategies and discussing them will allow evidence of learning from students.
Vocabulary is classified according to whether it is な adjective or い adjective or noun or verb.
Error correction as a whole class- using interactive whiteboard and
Feedback
Oral feedback from teacher on knowledge and ability to use the vocabulary.
Teacher’s
Date

Students learn about:
5.UL.4
5.UL.2
5.UL.1
5.UL.4
HOM outcome dictation assists in expanding
their capacity with this HOM
It is encouraging them to make correction of their work in a positive way.
Expanding capacities
Integrated teaching, learning and assessment activities pictures are to be left up on the walls throughout the term
 In pairs the students are asked to write a sentence describing each picture with the intention being to paying attention to detail and accuracy.
 Game-bingo- using environment vocabulary
 Running dictation-sentences about Amazon
Rainforest.
 Pre teach vocabulary and structures
 In pairs students decide who the runner is and who the writer is- they then
Journal writing complete the running dictation.
 Sequencing activity- in pairs students are asked to sequence some sentences about the Amazon.
 Listening activity- after pre-teaching and giving focus question- students listen to whole text and answer questions.
Students given assessment task- design a webpage which incorporates their journal, a factual text, a creative writing piece and an interview/survey as a video file.
(Journal can be in English, everything else in Japanese.)
Presentations will occur in week 11.
 Further reading tasks and listening tasks from
Mirai 5 to help build up vocabulary and structures to be used in webpage
 Writing activity- students are given the task of writing a short paragraph about an area of the natural environment that interests them. It is at
Evidence of learning then saving to specific file being created by the class for this topic.
Correct use of structure and vocabulary will demonstrate the students’ understanding
Correct responses will demonstrate students’ ability to extract key ideas in text and order- thus reflecting degree of accuracy.
Correct answers to questions
After students write first draft- it needs to be peer checked and then errors need to be corrected.
Correct use of structures and
Feedback
Level of participation in the research and quality of draft will demonstrate students, ability to collect and interpret to collect information to be used in factual text.
Teacher written feedback
Teacher’s
Date

Students learn about:
5.UL.4
5.UL.3
5.UL.4
5. UL.4.
5.UL.3
5.UL.4
HOM outcome
Expanding capacities
Integrated teaching, learning and assessment activities this stage that the marking code is to be introduced. The students know that when they get their work peer checked, they can use it and that is not for the sole purpose of the
teacher.
This draft is to be developed later in the term as the factual text for the webpage.
Journal writing
 Survey/interview- As part of the process for the webpage the students are given the task of writing 5 questions for survey or interview to be videoed and put on as a file in webpage. Video is to be 1-2minutes in length- Students can’t start to film until there written work has been checked using 2B4T strategy.
 Creative writing task
Students start to work on a letter to a magazine expressing their concerns over an environmental issue in the area of the natural environment that they did their factual text on.
Journal writing
Once creative writing piece is complete- to be put on webpage.
 Second and final draft of factual text
The last week to be spent in preparation for presentations.
 Individual presentations
Evidence of learning vocabulary will demonstrate the students ability to incorporate information from a range of sources
One on one meetings with teacher when everyone is writing reflective journals at the end of each week.
2B4T strategy.
Feedback
Oral and written feedback from teacher
Peer feedback
Whole class discussion following each presentation
Oral and written feedback from
Teacher’s
Date

Students learn about:
HOM outcome
Integrated teaching, learning and assessment activities
Subject:
Course:
Unit of work:
Habit of Mind
Teacher:
Date:
1.
Were the order of subtopic, level of difficulty and time allocation sufficient?
2.
Did the chosen Habit of Mind match the process?
Evidence of learning Feedback teacher
Teacher’s
Date

3.
Were the teaching methods appropriate and effective?
4.
Were the resources suitable and adequate?
5.
Were there any problems with assessment setting, conducting or marking?
6.
Student response to teaching learning and assessment experiences, including their development in and understanding of the Habit of
Mind .
7.
Additions and modifications