ENGLISH UNIT (PARKS ARE AWESOME)  

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PARKS ARE AWESOME

PARKS ARE AWESOME

 

 

A language based unit on an environmental theme.

CURRICULUM

Oral Language

Written Language

Visual Language

Links to Maths

Levels 2-4

Communicating information, ideas and opinions
Interpreting and evaluating information.

Writing confidently and fluently to reflect personal experiences, feelings and ideas.

Collecting, organising, designing and presenting information in visual form to communicate meaning.


PROJECT ONE: Identifying Our Parks

 

Parks can be so many things - in fact any natural area that is protected for conservation, recreation and enjoyment. In your local area your students will be able to find many parks. These could be …

  • forest parks
  • marine reserves
  • rivers, lakes
  • walking tracks
  • wetlands
  • zoos
  • historic reserves
  • botanical gardens
  • sports grounds
  • nature reserves
  • city parks and play areas


Develop the wider idea of a park with your class and then have groups brainstorm and list as many as they know of in your local area. Were there some areas that they had not considered as parks before?

Cooperatively make a ‘huge’ map of your local area. This could be to scale, schematic, or an artistic impression. On the map, students list and record …

  • the names of the parks
  • who has been there?
  • what activities can you carry out or enjoy there?

Discuss or write a paragraph. What would our district be like without any parks.

PROJECT TWO: Visit and Enjoy Local Parks

Plan a series of class field trips to different parks around your local area.Before visiting, have students predict what they will find in the park.

Always encourage students to just sit quietly and take in the sights, smells and sounds of the parks. Start with just a minute of silence and then work up until it is second nature for them to stop, relax and enjoy the park.

List the special features of each park, eg

  • what makes it unique or different?
  • what can people do there for relaxation or enjoyment?
  • what animals, birds, insects, trees is the park home to?
  • who do we see enjoying and using the park?

Can the students see any visible threats to the park environment, eg litter, weeds. Can they suggest a course of action to help preserve or improve the park?

Invite representatives from the local Council to speak to the class about the parks and reserves in the local area for which they are responsible. To make this a valuable visit, have students prepare questions beforehand, eg how do they maintain and promote the parks? How can the students assist them in caring for the parks? Brainstorm and list ideas.

PROJECT THREE: Using and Enjoying Our Parks

Have students find out how many people use the local parks by conducting a survey amongst schoolmates, family and older friends.

Record and graph results and include: how often they are used, by whom, and for what purposes? Does a particular age group use them more than others? Are some forms of activities more popular than others?

Assign each group the task of promoting a particular park in your area. Talk about and decide the many methods they could use for park promotion, eg

  • an illustrated brochure
  • pages on the school website
  • letters to the local community paper
  • organised walking and biking trips
  • a poster and audio display for other classes and parents
  • iMovie video or slideshow