Elementary CLA Planner – v. May 5, 2010
Contextualized Learning Activity (CLA):
Elementary Planning Template
Title of CLA: Tree Keepers
Grade Level: 1
Contextualized Learning is an instructional approach that helps to relate curriculum content to real
world situations. It incorporates a learning process that helps students to connect what they are
learning to real world situations in which that learning could be used.
Brief Description of
Contextualized
Learning Activities
Students will…(provide a brief overview of the activities that the students will be
engaged in)
With the guidance of an arborist (or someone with similar experience),
and using their senses, have students learn about the characteristics
and assess the health of a local tree.
With the possible assistance of SHSM – Environment students, have
students plant and care for a tree in the schoolyard (ex., sapling or
seedling that starts in class), and in doing so demonstrate the
understanding of its needs. Students will identify how to protect and
preserve trees, and why it is important.
Consider photo essays/stories – ways to protect
Shared writing – why protect
Trunk of tree/leaves of a tree
Context
What is the real world situation or workplace context for the activities?
Acting as apprentice arborists, students will evaluate the health of an
existing tree.
Students will plant a tree in their school community and demonstrate an
understanding of its care and maintenance.
Acting as environmental leaders and advocates, students will educate
the school community about the importance of environmental
preservation and steps that can be taken to ensure the sustainability of
trees.
Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Sector: Environmental Sector
***Link to HDSB Pathways SHSM Environmental Sector
-Georgetown District High School
-Aldershot High School
-Gary Allan High School
Duration
(Timeframe should include all students tasks, e.g. research, preparation and
Elementary CLA Planner – v. May 5, 2010
completion)
2-4 lessons
Big Ideas
Overall Expectations
Plants have things they need to live.
Plants are important and should be taken care of.
1. assess the role of humans in maintaining a healthy environment
2. investigate needs and characteristics of plants and animals, including
humans
3. demonstrate an understanding of the basic needs and characteristics
of plants and animals, including humans.
Learning Goals
I can show or tell what people can do to keep the Earth healthy.
I can show or tell what plants and animals (including humans) need to
live.
I can use my senses to learn about plants and animals.
I can compare how plants are the same and different.
Specific
Expectations
1.1, 1.2
2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 2.7
3.2, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7
Language – Writing
1.3, 1.4, 1.5
2.1
Language – Media Literacy
1.3
3.4
Language – Oral Communication
2.3, 2.4
Mathematics
-estimate, measure and record capacity using non-standard units
Cross-curricular
Links
Mathematics (Measurement), Information Technology, Visual Arts,
Social Studies (Relationships, Rules, and Responsibilities and the Local
Community)
Prior Learning
Pre-Teaching: Prior to beginning this CLA, students will need to have an
understanding of the following:
* characteristics of living things (2.2)
* relevant vocabulary (e.g., environment, community, preservation) (2.6)
* the five senses (e.g., touch, taste, smell etc.) (3.3)
Other prior learning:
-using graphic organizers to display information
-using non-standard tools for measurement
Elementary CLA Planner – v. May 5, 2010
-experience creating media texts
Essential Skills and
Work Habits
Identify the learning skills that are addressed in this CLA
 Responsibility (teacher observation)
*takes responsibility for and manages own behaviour when outside the
classroom and when working with outside professionals and visiting
students
 Organization (assessment of final product)
*identifies, gathers, evaluates, and uses information to assess the
health of a tree
 Independent Work (teacher observation)
*follows instructions with minimal supervision when working on handson tasks (ex., when planting a tree)
 Collaboration (teacher observation)
*responds positively to the ideas, opinions, values, and traditions of
classmates, community professionals and visiting students
 Initiative (teacher observation)
*demonstrates curiosity and interest in learning about environmental
responsibility
 Self-Regulation (teacher observation)
*perseveres and makes an effort when responding to challenges
A. Assessment and Evaluation of Student Achievement:
As you plan, please keep the following important considerations in mind:
How will we know students are learning?
How will we know students have learned?
 How will students demonstrate progress
 How will the students demonstrate
towards the desired learning?
achievement of the desired learning?
 What criteria will be used to determine
 What criteria will be used to determine that
whether students are learning?
students have learned?
 What assessment strategies/tools will best
 What assessment strategies/tools will best
gather evidence during learning?
gather evidence that the students have
learned?
Will the assessment and evaluation tasks provide opportunities for students to demonstrate the full
range of their learning in a variety of ways?
Assessment and evaluation strategies/tasks
Purpose
(List all assessment and evaluation strategies and tasks. Add
rows as required)
Assessment for learning (diagnostic, formative)
Assessment of learning (summative, evaluation)
Assessment as learning (self-assessment)
Assessment – Products:
1. Five Senses – Tree Observation
(see template provided)
Assessment for Learning
Assessment of Learning
2. Tree Care Plan
(see templates provided)
Assessment for Learning
Assessment of Learning
Elementary CLA Planner – v. May 5, 2010
3. Tree Preservation Poster
(see example provided)
Assessment for Learning
Assessment of Learning
Assessment – Observation:
1. Transfer and Application of New Learning
(see suggested tracking checklist)
Assessment of Learning
Assessment of Learning
2. Assessment of Learning Skills
(see criteria checklist provided)
Assessment of Communication:
1. Tree Preservation Poster
Assessment of Learning
2. Conference – Tree Preservation Poster Image
(see conference template provided)
Assessment of Learning
Assessment for Learning
3. CLA Self-Evaluation
(see template provided)
Assessment as Learning
Assessment and evaluation tools
(List all tools and attach checklists, rubrics, correction keys, etc.)
-success checklists
-data from student conferences
-observations and anecdotal comments
-descriptive feedback throughout
-self-evaluation
B. Sequence of Strategies:
How will the learning be designed?
 Do the instructional goals and assessment strategies support the achievement of the learning
goals?
 Are the assessment strategies linked to each of the instructional strategies in a planned,
purposeful and systematic way?
 Do the assessment and instructional strategies provide feedback and ongoing monitoring of the
student’s learning throughout the CLA?
 How will teachers differentiate instruction and assessment to meet the learning needs of the
student?
A Contextualized Learning Activity should include the following:
Group learning
 Complex tasks that require cooperation and the interpersonal skills necessary for effective
Elementary CLA Planner – v. May 5, 2010
interaction
Experiential Learning
 Hands on experiences that encourage students to explore, invent, discover and inquire
Authentic Context
 Real-world situations that the learning and tasks connect to
Application and Practice
 Realistic and relevant activities and tasks where the learning can be used
Transfer
 New contexts and novel situations where the learning can be used
a) Launch the contextualized learning activity, establish
the learning goals, set the context, and explain the task.
b) Invite an arborist or someone with similar experience,
to speak to students about the characteristics and health
of a tree.
c) Students select a tree in the school yard or
community and, using their five senses and the
information learned from the arborist record relevant
observations and information.
d) Students reflect on their findings and assess the
information gathered to make a judgement about the
health of the tree.
Authentic
Context
Application
& Practice
Transfer
Reflection
Lesson 1
Observation and Assessment of an existing tree
Experiential
Learning
In point form, describe the sequence of activities (instructional and
assessment strategies) that will support the intended learning.
Attach all student handouts and worksheets. For each part of the
sequence, indicate which of the CLA elements are being
addressed:
Group
Learning
Reflection
 Opportunities for identification of personal interests, strengths and competencies
*
*
*
*
*
*
Elementary CLA Planner – v. May 5, 2010
Lesson 2
Planting and caring for a tree
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
a) With the assistance of a SHSM: Environmental sector
student(s), grade one students will plant a tree in their
schoolyard or community.
b) Using expertise and information from the SHSM
student(s) and Arborist, grade one students will develop
a plan to care for and nurture the newly planted tree and
the previously examined tree.
c) Students will select an appropriate form to
communicate this plan. (ex., graphic organizer,
flowchart, or presentation etc.)
Lesson 3
Sustaining the environment through awareness and
leadership
a) Through a technology image bank, students select
the image(s) that best represents the idea of
preservation of a tree.
b) Through conferencing, students will orally share the
justification for their choice(s).
c) Students will use their selected images to generate a
class-created poster.
d) Using their own ideas and acquired knowledge,
students will participate in a shared writing activity
explaining why it is important to preserve trees.
*** for c) and d), see support materials for possible
presentation idea
C. Differentiation:
Differentiation will be based on:
*
Elementary CLA Planner – v. May 5, 2010
Readiness
Learner Profile
Interest
-readiness will be developed
through the pre-teaching
period
-Tree Observation and Planting –
-engagement in real life
kinaesthetic, naturalist, interpersonal, applicable tasks and
visual, auditory, experiential
learning
-all CLA activities will be
accessible to all students at
various developmental levels
and levels of readiness
-Tree Care Plan – linguistic,
logistical, visual, naturalist
-student driven activity
generating interest
-Tree Preservation Poster – visual,
interpersonal, linguistic, naturalist,
intrapersonal
-related to nature and the
community
Differentiation will take place through:
Content
Process
-quality and quantity
-activities can be
of information and
completed in groups,
detail included in the
pairs, or individuals
Five Senses – Tree
-instructional
Observation and Tree strategies will vary
Care Plan
-time and length of
-pre-teaching can be
sustained of work
adjusted to meet
periods will vary
students’ needs
Additional Notes/Comments/Explanations:
Product
-differentiate
expectations as
required
-open-ended tasks
Learning Environment
-varied groupings for teaching
and for exploration activities
Any additional information that will be helpful
-opportunities are provided for self-selection
-many options for teachers to differentiate based on student I.E.P.’s, student needs, and
available resources
D. Resources:
Authentic real world or workplace materials
-budget for seeds, seedlings and/or saplings,
-budget for soil and shovels (e.g., planting materials)
Human resources
-access to an Arborist (or someone with similar knowledge)
-access to students in the Pathways SHSM: Environment Sector
Print
-photo-resource bank
-appropriate texts on the topics of tree planting and care (e.g., Literacy Place texts)
Elementary CLA Planner – v. May 5, 2010
Video
Medianet:
Why plants grow where they do (303498)
All about caring for plants (75397)
What do plants need to live? (302651)
The importance of plants (711603)
How do plants respond to the world? (302649)
Software
Software used for extensions or accommodations as required (ex., Co-Writer)
Websites
Google Images for Tree Preservation Images
employerregistry.ca
earthday.ca
brontecreekproject.org
Other
-fieldtrip to Landscape Ontario, Guelph Arboretum, local nursery, or nature walk through a forested area
E. Accommodations:
List instructional, environmental and assessment accommodations
 See section on differentiation
 Adjusting / relying more heavily on one of the three components of assessment
triangulation: products, conversations, observations
 Based on students’ IEPs