Unit 4​
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ELL Classroom

reading and Writing Workshop

Strategies and Activities

Unit Plan

Informational Texts and Research

Activities

Teaching with E.L.O.N.  (Enriched Learning Opportunity Nexus) that seamlessly integrates AI 

Unit 4
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Theme: Discovering the World

Focus Skills:

• Main idea & supporting details (RI.6.2)
• Text features (headings, captions, diagrams)
• Short research and gathering relevant information (W.6.7, W.6.8)
• Vocabulary development (L.6.4)

 Week 1: Introduction to Informational Texts
Focus: What is informational text? Identifying text features
Text:

• “What Is an Encyclopedia?” from The World Book Encyclopedia (1917)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69382
  Activities:
• Text Features Scavenger Hunt (headings, captions, diagrams, bold words)
• Vocabulary Journal: New academic words
  Assessment: Students label features on a short article excerpt

Week 2: Main Idea and Supporting Details
Focus: Identifying the main idea and locating details
Text:

• “The Story of the Cotton Plant” by F.W. Warne (adapted)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41988
  Activities:
• Graphic organizer: “Main Idea and Three Details”
• Partner reading and highlighting
  Assessment: Paragraph summary of the article

Week 3: Using Text Features to Understand Meaning
Focus: Captions, diagrams, glossaries, and bold vocabulary
Text:

• “The Story of the Earth’s Atmosphere” from The Wonder Book of Science (1922)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/55795
  Activities:
• Text Features Scavenger Hunt (part 2)
• Vocabulary Journal: Use glossary terms in new sentences
  Assessment: Match glossary terms to definitions and visuals

Week 4: Vocabulary in Context
Focus: Using context clues to understand academic words (L.6.4)
Text:

• “The Travels of Marco Polo” (adapted excerpts)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10636
  Activities:
• Fill-in-the-blank with vocabulary
• Sentence-writing with word banks
  Assessment: Vocabulary quiz and original sentences

Week 5: Introduction to Research
Focus: Asking questions, finding answers in texts (W.6.7)
Text:

• “Endangered Species” (adapted from public domain articles and encyclopedias)
  [Example entry: Tiger - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23520]
  Activities:
• Choose an animal and write 3 research questions
• Begin mini research project
  Assessment: Outline of animal facts and sources

Week 6: Gathering Information

Focus: Gathering and organizing information from texts (W.6.8)
Text:

• “The World’s Explorers” from Great Explorers and Discoverers (1899)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22472
  Activities:
• Fill in a research chart: Who, Where, When, Why
• Vocabulary Journal: Explorer-related terms
  Assessment: Research paragraph with citations

Week 7: Creating a “Did You Know?” Poster
Focus: Presenting research findings visually
Activities:

• Design a poster with 3–5 facts, visuals, and labeled text features
• Peer sharing and feedback
  Assessment: Poster rubric (accuracy, features, creativity)

Week 8: Presentation and Reflection
Focus: Sharing research and reflecting on learning
Activities:

• Oral presentations of posters (SL.6.4 support)
• Reflection worksheet: “What I learned about my topic”
  Assessment: Final presentation + reflection writing

Ongoing Activities

• Vocabulary Journal: Weekly entries using academic vocabulary from readings
• Group Discussions: Regular practice asking and answering questions using sentence frames
• Exit Tickets: “What’s one thing you learned today?”

​The following activities include AI tools that enhance student engagement, provide data-driven insights, and facilitate personalized learning. 
​Week 1 – Text Features Scavenger Hunt (AI Support)

• Individual: Upload an adapted public domain article into ChatGPT and ask:
  “Highlight and list all the text features in this article.”
• Group: Use Canva Magic Whiteboard to create a shared diagram of text features with explanations and examples.

Week 2 – Main Idea & Details

• Individual: Students copy a paragraph into TLDRThis or ChatGPT and ask,
  “What is the main idea and two supporting details of this paragraph?”
• Group: Use Google Docs + Grammarly to collaboratively write a group summary with each member contributing one detail.

Week 3 – Using Text Features to Understand Meaning

• Individual: Upload a page from The Wonder Book of Science into Read&Write or ChatGPT, and use the dictionary and picture dictionary features to define bolded or unfamiliar words.
• Group: Build a labeled diagram using Canva to recreate and explain a diagram from the reading with labels and a glossary.

Week 4 – Vocabulary in Context

• Individual: Use Grammarly to check student-written sentences using vocabulary words in context.
• Group: Use ChatGPT to generate example sentences for vocabulary terms from Marco Polo’s journey (prompt: “Write 3 example sentences using the word 'navigate' suitable for middle school ELLs”).

Week 5 – Introduction to Research

• Individual: Students use Kiddle or Google SafeSearch + Explainpaper.com to locate a simple article on their endangered animal and summarize it with AI support.
• Group: Use ChatGPT to brainstorm questions:
  “What are 5 research questions we can ask about tigers as endangered animals?”

Week 6 – Gathering & Organizing Information

• Individual: Students input facts from their reading into Quillbot to rephrase in their own words for paraphrasing practice.
• Group: Use Google Docs with voice typing to create a shared research chart and presentation outline. Students can use ChatGPT to generate sentence starters like:
  “One interesting fact I learned is…”

Week 7 – Create a ‘Did You Know?’ Poster

• Individual: Students input research notes into Canva Magic Write or Adobe Express AI to generate a draft paragraph or fact list.
• Group: Design group posters collaboratively in Canva, integrating AI image search and “Did You Know?” sentence stems generated by ChatGPT.

Week 8 – Presentation and Reflection

• Individual: Students use Google Docs + Grammarly to write reflections on what they learned about their topic. Optional: Use Voice Typing if needed.
• Group: Use ChatGPT to generate speaking outlines or sentence starters for oral presentations (e.g., “Today we are presenting about…”).

Bonus AI Reflection Activity
​After Week 8, have students write or record a reflection using ChatGPT:
“Write a paragraph about how AI helped me understand my topic. Include how I used it to find information, write clearly, and build vocabulary.”