Unit #1

Lesson Title: Introduction to Earth

Curriculum Area:

• Science – The New Zealand Curriculum, Level 1
• Strand: Planet Earth and Beyond – "Explore and describe natural features and resources."
• Linked Key Competencies: Thinking, Using language, symbols, and texts, Relating to others

---

WALT (We Are Learning To):

• Understand that Earth is our home planet.
• Identify basic features of Earth: land, water, and air.

---

Success Criteria:

• I can tell someone that I live on planet Earth.
• I can name land, water, and air as parts of Earth.
• I can share one fact about land or water or air.

---

Lesson Duration:

30 minutes

---

Materials Needed:

• Large globe or inflatable Earth ball
• Storybook: "Our Planet Earth" (dyslexia-friendly font if possible, e.g., OpenDyslexic)
• Sensory tactile materials: sand (land), water spray bottle/mist (water), fan or feather (air)
• Visual cue cards (symbols for land, water, air)
• Large sheet of paper and crayons
• Simple Earth posters around the room
• Calming music (e.g., nature sounds)

---

Lesson Outline:

1. Warm–Up: Earth Welcome (5 minutes)

• Activity: Gather students in a circle on the mat.
• Teacher Talk: “Today we are going to talk about a very special place – our home – Earth!”
• Sensory Connection: Pass around the globe or Earth ball for each student to touch and hold.
• Engagement Prompt: “What do you think lives on Earth?”

---

2. Storytelling: "Our Planet Earth" (10 minutes)

• Activity: Read aloud the story "Our Planet Earth" with large, bright pictures.
• Use a dyslexia-friendly font version for students who prefer or need visual supports.
• Sensory Connection:
  • When mentioning land, pass around a small box of clean sand for students to touch.
  • For water, mist a little water into the air with a spray bottle.
  • For air, gently wave a fan or feather over them.
• Encourage students to gently interact when comfortable (important for sensory-sensitive students).

---

3. Interactive Visual Exploration (5 minutes)

• Activity: Display large images of mountains, oceans, forests, sky.
• Discussion Prompts:
  • "What do you see?"
  • "Where do you see lots of water?"
  • "Can you see the sky where you live?"
• Support: Use Image/Symbol Cue Cards for pointing if verbal response is difficult.

---

4. Creative Activity: Earth Collage (7 minutes)

• Activity:
  • On a large shared paper, students will create a simple Earth collage using crayons.
  • Each student colours or adds to one part: blue for water, green/brown for land, white for clouds/air.
• Support:
  • Pre-draw simple circles or shapes to guide students.
  • Offer chunky crayons for better grip.
  • Allow finger smudging or sensory play for those who prefer using hands instead of tools.

---

5. Closing Circle: "Our Home" Reflection (3 minutes)

• Teacher Talk: “We live on a beautiful planet called Earth. It gives us land to walk on, water to drink, and air to breathe.”
• Call-and-Repeat Chant:
  • Teacher: "We love our…!"
  • Whole Class: "Earth!"

---

Differentiation Strategies:

• For Sensory Needs:

  • Students can opt out of tactile experiences if preferred.
  • Provide individual trays with sensory materials for those who prefer minimal group sharing.

• For Communication Needs:

  • Use visual pointing or choice cards for non-verbal students.
  • Allow "thumbs up" or "high five" to show understanding.

• For Attention Variability:

  • Movement breaks embedded (allow standing/stretching during storytelling).
  • Keep sensory activities short and varied.

• For Students Needing Additional Support:

  • Pair students with a buddy or teaching assistant.
  • Repeat key concepts using gesture and sign language where possible (e.g., Makaton for "Earth", "water", "air").

---

Extension Activities for Advanced Learners:

• Question Prompts:
  • "Where do you think the water in rivers comes from?"
  • "Can you think of a place you've seen lots of mountains?"
• Drawing Challenge: Create your own mini Earth showing your favourite places.
• Extra Reading Basket: Books about space and Earth at an accessible level.

---

Teacher Tips:

🌟 Wow your students with multi-sensory learning! Think texture, sound, movement, and visuals.
🌟 Use student's ideas in the collage — let their choices lead part of the session if energy allows. 🌟 Celebrate mistakes! If a student colours the sky green? That’s fine! It shows creative engagement.

---

Final Notes:

• Stay flexible and responsive to the needs of the students.
• Prioritise calm, sensory-friendly transitions between activities.
• Remember: for our tamariki, feeling safe and valued is the biggest success!

---

🌏 Together, we begin our magical journey exploring Planet Earth!