Curriculum Unit

Unit Title

Paradise Falls

Key Skills

Socio-emotional competency (Respect and

Responsibility)

Grade Level

Kindergarten 2

Subject/Topic Area(s)

Math, Science, Moral Education, English,

Creative Arts, Music

Designed by

Goh Weihan (Wu Weihan) [7]

Khairun Nurhanani Bte Khairudin [13]
Lee Hui Ling Daphne (Li Huiling) [18]
Norashikin Bte Mohd Shah [24]

Time Frame
Summary of Unit:

Once a week, over a span of 5 weeks.

How will you introduce this unit to students? Purpose of unit, learning activities,
assessment tasks

Building childrens understanding

Showing snippets of the film Up for introductory activity

Deepening childrens understanding

Clarifying their understanding about the film

Expanding childrens understanding

Pre-empt children about moral values like respect (honor) and
responsibility in keeping a promise

End Product:

Children will be able to create their original three-dimensional artwork on

Paradise Falls named The Land of Respect and Love

Details about key skills that students will develop:

Socio-emotional competency
i. Self-awareness The ability to identify, discover and recognize ones

ii.
iii.
iv.
v.

emotions and thoughts

Self-management The ability to regulate ones emotions, thoughts
and behaviors effectively
Social awareness The ability to take the perspectives of others and
empathize with others
Relationship skills The ability to establish positive relationships
among diverse groups of people
Responsible decision making The ability to make constructive and
respectful decisions

Social skills (refer to social skills diagram in Annex A)

i. Collaboration and Cooperation Team building skills
ii.
Communication / Basic Interaction Listening with empathy
iii.
Conflict resolution

Relevant text(s) that can be used:

Casel Guide

Supplementary Documents:

Di Zi Gui (page 62 to 72)

Chapter 4: Be trustworthy and Chapter 5: Love All Equally)
http://www.amitabha-gallery.org/pdf/plc/hzdzge.pdf

San Zi Jing (page 4)

Points 11 and 12
http://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/curriculum_files/
free/activities/aug2008/50102a.pdf

List in a table format, supports for comprehension and performance

Sensory Support
The animated film
Up

Photographs of
Venezuela (As a
reference to create
Paradise Falls)
Music and movement
(using the soundtrack

Graphic Support
Graphic Organizers
(for children to refer
to when creating
Paradise Falls)
Timelines (What
happened to the
characters
throughout the film)

Interactive Support
Collaborative work
- In pairs, small or
large groups
Using English Language
and gestures (adapted from
sign language), and
pictorial cues as the
medium for instruction
Facilitation from adults and
educators

from the animated film

Up)
Using plants, cotton
wool as a substitute
for soil in case of
allergies
Manipulating of art
materials

Using YouTube, VLC

Player/Windows Media
Player to showcase the film
Invited guests such as
gardeners
Using video camera for
documentation

Explain how technology will be integrated throughout the unit:

The unit will be heavily dependent on YouTube and the various media players as
snippets of the film will be shown to the children as a memory jolter. Music players
and audio speakers will also be used to create the background atmosphere when
children are creating their Paradise Falls.
Summary of class learning profile (no. of students, results of learning
styles surveys, relevant information from Individual Educational Plans
(IEPs)

Total number of Children: 18

Profile of children:
o 14 typically developing children
o 2 children diagnosed with Dyslexia
Providing visual cues
Giving time allowance to complete a task
o 1 children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD)
Using music, movement and actions (multiple means of
engagement)
Giving time allowance to self-regulate before the start of each
activity
o 1 children diagnosed with mild Autism
Giving clear and specific set of instructions
Giving the child a choice to join in the activity when he is
ready

STAGE ONE Desired Results

Content standard(s) for socio-emotional competency:

Understanding and detecting feelings of self and others

Reflecting upon their behaviors and how it affects others
Being aware of the importance of responsibility, care and respect for
living things in the environment

Enduring understanding(s):
Students will understand that

A way to demonstrate responsibility is by honoring their words to

others.
Different people have different ways of thinking and do not necessarily
have to think the same way as them. Thus, students will have to
respect the diverse perspectives.

Essential questions:

How do you show love and respect to the people around you?
How would you treat something or someone that you love?
What would you do if your friends were to break your favorite toy/bully
someone you love?
How would you feel if your friends were to reject your ideas?
How would you feel if your friends do not honor their promises?
Have you broken a promise before? If yes, why did you break your
promise?

Learning objectives:
Students will know

The importance of respect and responsibility

How to demonstrate respect and responsibility

Performance objectives:
Students will be able to

Express and share their ideas, thoughts and feelings through verbally
and nonverbally through the arts

Develop conflict resolution skills during collaboration

Discover and reflect on how the class were able to work together to
create Paradise Falls.
Show understanding of questions by responding with gestures,
expressions or words /phrases
Use appropriate tone and volume when speaking

STAGE TWO Assessment Evidence

Performance task(s):
Do students have a choice of final projects to demonstrate understanding?

Children will use different art forms to contribute to the art project.
Children will be given the choice to select the task which they want to
work on.
o For instance, they can do individually, in pairs or in small groups
to create different parts of the final product.

Key criteria for project, final assessment:

For assessing childrens socio-emotional competency

In a group setting:
Children will:

Be welcoming and supportive to their friends and educators

Wait for their turn to share their thoughts and ideas
Show respect through being focused in listening to what others have
to say, feel and think
Observe differences and learn to accommodate to their friends (e.g.
negotiate for turn taking)

In a general setting:
Children will:

Share personal experiences and feelings with friends and educators

Use an appropriate way to express their needs and emotions
Act and respond politely with adults and friends in school and at home
(e.g. Saying Please, Thank you , You are welcome)
Demonstrate appropriate behaviors
Suggest ideas to resolve differences in group discussions and play

activities
Other evidence(s):
Documentation
Videos
o Children engaged in music and movement
o Their in-class responses and the interaction with the materials
provided
o The response and feelings of children after they quarrel with
their friends or resolve a conflict will be videoed as a means to
assess their application of social skills
Guiding questions in the video will be as follows:
How did you feel when Johnny said that you could
not use the red paper?
How did you solve the problem with Johnny?
What else do you think you could do to solve the
problem?
Photographs
o Children at work on Paradise Falls
Observational Records
o Anecdotal records
o Checklists

STAGE THREE Explaining Learning Plan

Where

How students will know where they are headed & why?

Hook

How instructor will hook students into engaging instructions?

Experience

After viewing the animated film Up, the

educator will set a scenario:
o Now children, Carl has already reached his
Paradise Falls, but, we have not yet
reached our Paradise Falls.
o We are going to make our own Paradise
Falls in class.
o Firstly, what do we want in our Paradise
Falls?
o And, what are some of the things that we
love/treasure to have inside our Paradise
Falls?
The transparency of the end product is to help
children to know what is expected of them and
to prepare the children to have an image of how
they want their Paradise Falls to be like.

Educators will ask open-ended questions as

opposed to close-ended questions to guide their
thinking and facilitate discussion amongst the
groups
Educators will encourage children to relate to
prior experiences and knowledge in the context
of what they are discussing
Educators will ask thought-provoking questions
as stated under Essential Questions in stage
one.

What events can students experience to make ideas and issues real?

Educators can stage a scenario for children to

experience how it feels like to be disrespected.
Educators simulate a situation where he/she
breaks a promise to the children and gather
feedback and feelings from the children.
Educators can bring elderly people back to the

class to share experiences.

Reflect and rethink

How will you cause students to reflect and rethink to dig deeper into
core ideas?

Exhibit
understanding

How will students exhibit their understanding about their final

performances and exhibits?

Tailor and
personalize

Conduct post-discussion with children to evaluate

their understanding and clarify their doubts or
questions that they may have after the process of
creating Paradise Falls.
Use social stories to deepen their understanding about
respect and responsibility.
Use guided imagery to allow children to be able to talk
and reflect on their images that were visualized in
their minds.
o Opportunity for children to tell where they have
been and what they have seen, heard, felt, or
imagine.
o This reflective process reinforces the concept of
respecting and understanding other peoples
images which are different and special.

Children can be engaged in dramatization through a

given scenario.
Children will be able to demonstrate the use of
appropriate social words like Please, Thank you or
You are welcome when interacting with their friends.
Children will be able to share what they have learnt in
large group discussion.
Children will be able to know how to negotiate and
compromise when a conflict arises without adults
intervention.

How will you use UDL, CRP and DI to meet your students needs?

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

o Multiple means of representations The
animated film Up and the storybook.
o Multiple means of actions and expressions The
various medium of expression through the use
of the arts. Children are also given a choice to

work with mediums that they prefer the most.

o Multiple means of engagement The use of
music to provide an additional avenue for
learning other than the visual arts and threedimensional models when children are creating
Paradise Falls.

Organize

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP)

o Inviting the elderly of different races to the class
to talk about the various ways of showing
respect in their culture.
o Inviting a gardener to class to talk about
horticulture.

Differentiated Instruction (DI)

o Short and explicit instructions to cater to the
child with Autism
o Using pictorial cues and gestures to convey
messages and instructions specifically for the
children with Dyslexia, ADHD and Autism

How will you organize your lessons for optimal effectiveness?

The lessons will be planned in a sequence where

materials used for creating the final product will be
used and tapped on in subsequent lessons.
o Science lesson: knowing that the plants will take
time to grow, the science lesson would be the
first lesson in order for the plants to grow in
time for the product of Paradise Falls.
o Literacy: The storybook based on the animated
film Up would be read to the children to
refresh their memories on the film viewed
previously. This literacy lesson would introduce
new vocabulary to children as well.
o Mathematics: Based on the storybook read in
the previous lesson, a timeline will be created as
visual representation of the film for children to
recall what they have seen and to do
subsequent follow-up activities.
o Visual Arts and 3D Modeling: This lesson would
be a follow up lesson for Mathematics where the
children will learn about patterning skills while

creating parts of Paradise Falls.

o Music and Movement Using the timeline which
was created based on the storybook, children
will then be engaged in a dramatization in a
journey to the Paradise Falls they will be
creating.

LESSON PLAN 1 Literacy

(Storybook reading)

Theme: Paradise Falls

Age Group: 6 years old
Number of children: 18 children
Profile of children:
o 14 typically developing children
o 2 children diagnosed with Dyslexia
o 1 children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD)
o 1 children diagnosed with mild Autism
Students lesson product(s):
Children will work in groups of three to write a story based on their
understanding of respect and responsibility.
Targeted skill(s):
1) Collaboration and Cooperation
2) Writing and Comprehension skills
Thought-provoking questions for lesson:
How do you show love and respect to the people around you?
What is respect and responsibility?
How can you be responsible for your own things in the home or school setting?
Learning objective(s):
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to
1) Understand the meaning of respect and responsibility and how it
relates to them
2) Demonstrate respect and responsibility towards others
3) Write a story about being respectful and responsible

Supports for Comprehension and Performance:

Sensory Support
Video of the film
Up

Graphic Support
Whiteboard

Interactive Support
Collaborative work
- In small groups
Using English Language
and gestures (adapted
from sign language),
and pictorial cues as the
medium for instruction
Facilitation from adults
and educators
Using YouTube, VLC
Player/Windows Media
Player to showcase the
film

Procedures:
Tuning-in activity
Pre-assessment(s):
1) Educator will get the children to watch snippets of the animated
UP which showcase the theme of respect and responsibility (i.e.
When the scout boy offers his help to the old man (Carl), and when
Carl made a promise to his wife and honours his promise despite
her demise)
Main activity:
During lesson Assessment(s): Language Experience Approach (LEA)
1) The children will then engage in a class discussion about the film
UP with focus being placed on themes of respect and
responsibility.
2) The educator will ask the children a few questions such as :
-

How did the boy show respect towards the old man?

How did the old man show his love and care for his wife,
Ellie?

Why did the old man travel to the wilds of South Africa?

3) Educator will write down exactly what the children had said and
read aloud the childrens response while writing it down on the
whiteboard.
4) Educator will annotate the childs name at the side of each
response.
5) After this is done, the whole class will read what is written
on the whiteboard.
6) Educator will highlight key words from the childrens
response in an attempt to focus the childrens attention to
how these words are being used in an appropriate context.
Closure:
End-of-class Assessment(s):
1) Educator will get the children to work in groups of three to write a
short story based on their understanding of how they can show
respect and responsibility to others.
2) The children are encouraged to use pictures in their stories.
3) Educators will facilitate the children as they write their stories.
4) After writing the stories, the children will present their stories to the
class.

LESSON PLAN 2 Mathematics

Theme: Paradise Falls
Age Group: 6 years old
Number of children: 18 children
Profile of children:
o 14 typically developing children
o 2 children diagnosed with Dyslexia
o 1 children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD)
o 1 children diagnosed with mild Autism
Students lesson product(s):
Children will work in large group to reflect and recall the events that happen
in the animated film Up in chronological order.
Targeted skill(s):
1) Higher order thinking skills
o Observation skills
o Listening skills
o Processing skills
o Memory skills
o Organization skills
o Comprehension skills
o Sequencing skills
2) Communication and basic interaction
Thought-provoking questions for lesson:
Can you describe to me what happen from the start to the end of the film
Up?
Learning objective(s):
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to
1) Willingly participate in reflecting and recalling of the events that
happen in the film Up as a class.
2) Work together to correctly identify the sequence of the events with
minimal prompts from the educator.

3) Demonstrate their understanding of the film Up through the

collection of the events in chronological order.
Supports for Comprehension and Performance:
Sensory Support
Graphic Support
The use of felt and
Snippets of the
Velcro for the creation animated film Up
of timeline
Pictures and word
cues relevant to the
events to be included
in the timeline

Interactive Support
Facilitation and prompts
from the educator to the
children
YouTube or Windows
Media Player to showcase
the snippets of the film
Audio player

Procedures:
Tuning-in activity
Pre-assessment(s):
1) Educator will facilitate children in reflecting and recalling on the
animated film or the storybook read to them during the Literacy
lesson.
2) Educator will then play some of the audio found in the film Up
and question children to describe the particular event that portrays
the audio.
Main activity:
During lesson Assessment(s):
1) Educator will switch off the lights and ask children to close their
eyes and use their imagination to create visual images in their
mind related to the events in the film. This will be guided by the
educator. For instance, educator can start off by asking, Can you
recall what happened in the first place when Russell met the
grandfather, Carl? What happen next?
2) Educator will then switch on the lights back and bring children to
another discussion to collate all their recalling of the film into visual
representation in a form of timeline.
Closure:
End-of-class Assessment(s):

1)

Educator will play back snippets of the animated film Up to

summarize the lesson learnt and to give children opportunities to
re-organize the events that they may have recalled differently
during the main activity.

LESSON PLAN 3 Science (Growing plants)

Theme: Paradise Falls
Age Group: 6 years old
Number of children: 18 children
Profile of children:
o 14 typically developing children
o 2 children diagnosed with Dyslexia
o 1 children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD)
o 1 children diagnosed with mild Autism
Students lesson product(s):
Children will work in pairs to plant a mystery seed for the use in lesson 5.
Targeted skill(s):
1) Collaboration and cooperation
2) Communication and basic interaction
Thought-provoking questions for lesson:
How do you treat something that you love?
Learning objective(s):
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
1) Work with a partner to plant a mystery seed
2) Show care for the plant by watering and fertilizing.
3) Demonstrate their understanding on how to plant a seed and how to
take care of it.
Materials and Supports for Comprehension and Performance:
Sensory Support
Cotton Wool

Sand/soil and
fertilizer to give

Graphic Support
Interactive Support
Visual representation Inviting a gardener into the
class
of the life cycle and
needs of a plant
(Mung bean)
Photographs of the
YouTube video on: The
different types of
Needs of a Plant Song for

different texture

Seeds of different
plants

plants which the

mystery seeds might
germinate into
seedlings and
eventually to plants
Flashcards for The
Needs of a Plant
Song for Kids

Kids
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=OQT6piZOX7c

Educator to facilitate the

discussion between the
children and the gardener

Water
Recycled plastic
containers
The Tiny Seed
by Eric Carle
Procedures:
Tuning-in activity
Pre-assessment(s):
1) Educator will read The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle.
2) Discussion based on the storybook: Children will identity what are
the important conditions for plants to grow such as the sunlight,
water, soil and air.
3) Educator will sum up the discussion by displaying a visual
representation of the life cycle and needs of a plant.
Main activity:
During lesson Assessment(s):
1) The invited guest (gardener) will talk and demonstrate how to care
for a plant and talk to the children about the importance of plants.
2) Educator will facilitate a question and answer session between the
children and the gardener.
3) Educator will provide various means of materials (as seen in the
sensory support list) and encourage children to explore the various
textures.
4) Educator will divide the class into pairs.
5) Educator will distribute the materials for each pair to work with.
Closure:
End-of-class Assessment(s):
1) Educator will show a YouTube video on: The Needs of a
Plant Song for Kids

2) While singing the song, educator will use flashcards for

children to follow (specially designed for children with
Dyslexia)

LESSON PLAN 4 Visual Arts & 3D

Modeling (Patterning)
Theme: Paradise Falls
Age Group: 6 years old
Number of children: 18 children
Profile of children:
o 14 typically developing children
o 2 children diagnosed with Dyslexia
o 1 children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD)
o 1 children diagnosed with mild Autism
Students lesson product(s):
Children will work in small groups to create a 3D artwork of their Paradise
Falls.
Targeted skill(s):
1) Responsible decision making
2) Collaboration and cooperation
3) Communication and basic interaction
Thought-provoking questions for lesson:
1) How does our Paradise Falls look like?
2) What do you want to put in it?
Learning objective(s):
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to
1) Work in groups of 3 and use different materials and art techniques to
create a part of Paradise Falls.
Materials and Supports for Comprehension and Performance:
Sensory Support
Tempera paints,

Graphic Support
Timeline of Up

Interactive Support
Educator to facilitate

palettes, brushes
Clay

from Lesson 2

discussions
Working together with
peers

Color pencils, crayons

Construction paper,
crepe paper, foam
sheets
Styrofoam board
Procedures:
Tuning-in activity
Pre-assessment(s):
1) Educator will go through the timeline of Up with the children.
2) Educator to facilitate discussion (based on the timeline) by asking:
a. Where did Carl go?
b. What do you want to be inside your Paradise Falls? Why?
c. How do you think we should arrange the items in our
Paradise Falls?
3) Educator to write out the suggestions in the form of a mind map
and let children choose what they want to do (in groups of 3).
Main activity:
During lesson Assessment(s):
1) Educator to recap on patterning with the children.
2) Educator to demonstrate on how to use patterning on artwork by
getting children to name the patterns she makes on the examples.
3) Educator will provide various materials (as seen in the sensory
support list) for children to explore.
4) Educator to encourage children to include patterning in their art.
5) Educator will distribute the art materials for each group to work
with.
Closure:
End-of-class Assessment(s):
1) Educator and children will come together to discuss how to
arrange their different parts together on the Styrofoam
board.
2) Educator will draw a blueprint out on the whiteboard.
3) When all the children agree to the design, take a photo of
the blueprint to put the different parts of Paradise Falls
together in Lesson 5.

LESSON PLAN 5 Music & Movement

(Dramatization)

Theme: Paradise Falls

Age Group: 6 years old
Number of children: 18 children
Profile of children:
o 14 typically developing children
o 2 children diagnosed with Dyslexia
o 1 children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD)
o 1 children diagnosed with mild Autism
Students lesson product(s):
Children will use the products from Lesson 3 and 4 to create the final
product of Paradise Falls.
Targeted skill(s):
1)
2)
3)
4)

Collaboration and cooperation

Communication and basic interaction
Conflict resolution
Team building

Thought-provoking questions for lesson:

How would you feel if your friends were to reject your ideas?
What are your feelings when you and your friends managed to solve the
problem?
Learning objective(s):
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
1) Negotiate and find an answer with their peers to resolve a conflict
given in a scenario
2) Listen and follow instructions from their friends while working
together as a team

Materials and Supports for Comprehension and Performance:

Sensory
Support
Plants

Visual art works

done by the
children

3D art works
created by the
children

Graphic Support

Interactive Support

Directional
signboards for
children to follow
when engaged in
the dramatization
of the music
Timeline from
lesson 1 of the
happenings in the
animated film
Up

Soundtrack to be played when

flying
up into the sky:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
YaPaw9whEdc&list=PL3798FB%0b
B112FD4F85

Soundtrack to be played when

facing danger on the way to
Paradise Falls:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
JwrUjS8t2OE&list=PL3798FBB112FD4F
85

Soundtrack to be played when

being chased by dogs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
HdeQ47GVcpc&list=PL3798FBB112FD
4F85

Soundtrack to be played when

Paradise Falls is found
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
ulX2Syhyi8&list=PL3798FBB112FD4F85

Background music to be played

when children are creating their
Paradise Falls:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
0thalGIOMwU&list=PL3798FBB112FD4
F85

Computer and audio speakers

Guided Imagery process
Procedures:
Tuning-in activity
Pre-assessment(s):
1) Educator will instruct the children to gather the plants from the
science lesson and products from the previous lesson to create
their Paradise Falls.

2) While allowing the children to create their Paradise Falls, the

educator would play up the theme song from the animated film
Up to create an atmosphere for the childrens Paradise Falls.
Main activity:
During lesson Assessment(s):
1) Educator will inform children that everyone will be making their
journey to their Paradise Falls with reference to the chain of events
listed in the timeline (from lesson 1).
2) Educator will engage the children in different scenarios of travelling
to Paradise Falls while the soundtrack is played(as stated in the
Interactive Support)
a. Educator will bring the children on a journey up into the skies
in a house lifted up by millions of balloons.
b. Educator will present to the children a scenario where they
have landed a distance away from Paradise Falls and would
require them to walk.
c. Educator will alert the children that there are dangerous
elements in the path ahead such as quicksand, cliffs and
deep water where the children will be required to work
together as a team to discuss how to get past the obstacle.
d. Educator will suddenly stop in the tracks and quieten
everyone down to inform the children that they are being
followed by dogs. Children are then invited to discuss quickly
on how to solve the problem. Educator will go around the
groups to facilitate the discussion to help the children reach a
concluding resolution.
e. At long last, the educator will inform the children that after all
the adventures, the children have reached their Paradise
Falls.
Closure:
End-of-class Assessment(s):
1) Educator will lead the children through the process of guided
imagery to reflect on the whole dramatization experience while
thinking back on their interactions with their friends.
2) Educator will encourage the children to share their feelings,
thoughts about the images that were visualized in their minds
before bringing the lesson to a close.
Possible Follow-up Activity:

1) Guest speakers from previous lessons and the childrens parents will
be invited over to view Paradise Falls while the children will act as
adventure guides to describe and explain about Paradise Falls.

Annex A
Taken from:
http://www.phschool.com/eteach/professional_development/teachin
g_the_social_skills/essay.html