Running Head: BILITERACY-UNIT - FRAMEWORK

Biliteracy Unit Framework

By
Lisbeth Banales
Maria, Calero
Lizbeth Jara Oregon
Jacqueline Peimbert

Bi-Literacy Strategies for Dual Language Learners BIE-DL5338

University of St. Thomas
 BILITERACY-UNIT - FRAMEWORK

Biliteracy Unit Framework (BUF) Template

Planning for Biliteracy (backwards design, beginning with STANDARDS)

Content Area(s): Language Arts integrated with Science

Content Standard(s): 2.9(A)* Identify the basic needs of plants and animals.
2.9(B) Identify factors in the environment including temperature and precipitation that affect growth and behavior such as migration,
hibernation and dormancy of living things.
2.9 (C) Compare the ways living organisms depend on each other and on their environment such as through food chain.
2.10 (A) Observe, record and compare how the physical characteristics and behavior of animals help them meet their basic needs.
2.10(B)Observe, record and compare how the physical characteristics and behavior of plants help them meet their basic needs
2.10 (C) Investigate and record some of the stages that insects such as grasshoppers and butterflies undergo during their life cycle.
Content Big Idea(s): Organisms and Environment

● Lesson 1: Living vs Non-living

● Lesson 2: Animal Basic Needs
● Lesson 3: Plant Basic Needs
● Lesson 4: Migration
● Lesson 5: Hibernation and dormancy
● Lesson 6: Food Chain
● Lesson 7: Food Chain
● Lesson 8: Life Cycle

Language Arts Standard(s): 2.6(B) generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain
information

Language Arts Big Idea(s): Thinking within the text

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Content Target(s): Students will read to comprehend, make observations and write down questions using a foldable with 3 columns: Pre
Reading-During Reading-After Reading questions.

Language Targets:

● Spanish- Students will observe the book, table of contents, pictures, charts, graphs, diagrams to create questions using correct
punctuation and accents in Spanish, before, during, and after reading, recording it in their foldable.

● The Bridge- Students will observe a T-Chart with samples of their questions in Spanish. Students discuss what they noticed in those
questions. Identify the differences between questioning in Spanish and English such as the use of question marks, accents and identify
important vocabulary.

● English-Students will make questions using correct end punctuation in English.

Developing Oracy and Background Knowledge (One language until the Bridge) Spanish

Language of instruction: Spanish

Language resources, linguistic creativity, and cultural funds of knowledge:

● Students will use multiple varieties of Spanish to refer to different organisms and their environment. For example, some students may
say “chango” while others say “mono” or “mico”. Another example could be that some students say “pajaro” while others say “ave”.
● Students might also use English while speaking Spanish such as , “Un animal (English term) es un ser vivo.”

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● To identify the cultural funds of knowledge of diverse backgrounds, the teacher can send pictures home of organisms and habitats
that are to be taught in the unit. The assignment would be to write the words that they use to identify the picture. The teacher can
then add these words to the Spanish word wall or an anchor chart so that students can understand how different words are used to
identify the same.
● Students will use descriptive language to explain their experiences with living and non-living organisms and their environments.

Building background knowledge:

● The teacher begins the lesson by introducing key basic vocabulary using TPR gestures to connected visuals to an action.
● The teacher will also use adapted reader’s theater to introduce vocabulary as students act out scripts.
● Hands-on activity with realia: Use picture cards of a living and nonliving animal (teddy bear and grizzly bear) to create discussions
using sentence stems such as:
○ A teddy bear is a ____ thing. / Un oso de peluche es una cosa _____.
○ A grizzly bear is a ____thing./ Un oso pardo es una cosa ______.
● After hands on activity, students will compare picture cards, teacher observes and records observations

Reading Comprehension

● Read Aloud Ex. ¿Qué características tienen los animales y las plantas? or ¿Qué necesitan las plantas y los animales?
● Create anchor chart about animal needs and characteristics
● Check for understanding (3 questions)
● Close lesson: Turn and talk

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Writing

● Writing activity that integrates science and ELA.

Writing activity example: Make a class book in which every student contributes a page. Each student chooses one animal, draws it
and then writes two sentences about how its physical characteristics and/or behavior helps it to meet its basic needs. Label each animal
part.

Sheltered instruction:

Examples of Strategies
· Total Physical Response (TPR)
· Pictures and pointing to pictures
· Objects and models
· Pausing to define key vocabulary
· Think-aloud to model
· Structured conversations
· Sentence and paragraph frames
. Anchor chart
. vocabulary bank/word wall
Workstations
· Math/Literacy Integrated Station
· Science/Literacy Integrated Station
· Social Studies/Literacy Integrated Station
. Technology Station
Word Study and Fluency
● Introduce unit vocabulary during word study
● practice decoding
● word work
● fluency

Unit vocabulary example:

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English Spanish

• basic need • necesidad básica

• mammal • mamífero
• shelter • abrigo
• behavior • comportamiento
• physical characteristic • característica física
• reptile • reptil
• amphibian • anfibio
• life cycle • ciclo de vida
• egg • huevo
• larva • larva
• pupa • pupa
• adult • adulto
• nymph • ninfa

The Bridge (Both languages side by side)

Create cognate anchor chart to review and create metalinguistic connections for students using unit vocabulary.

Cognates Cognados

observation observación

organism organismo

animals animales

characteristics caracteristicas

More examples:

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Language Features

· Phonology: delfín—dolphin
· Morphology: observación—observation
· Syntax: La casa bonita—The pretty house
· Grammar: ¿Cuál es el título del libro?—What is the title of the book?

Extension and Application Activities (English)

Create a unit project to apply what students learned throughout the unit.

Provide students with research materials such as books and online resources such as Myon, Epic, Reading A-Z, Ebscohost kids. Students will
present their project to the class. Teacher will continue to use sheltered instruction to provide support to ELLs and modify the lesson in order
for all students to participate at their level.

Summative Assessment: This project will be used to assess unit understanding.

Project example: Students will create an animal habitat using what they have learned about animal characteristics and behaviors.

Project Example:

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Writing Component Example:

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Teaching for Biliteracy, Beeman & Urow, 2013, Caslon Publishing