Unit Plan 30 (Grade K ELA): Reading Science/Social Studies with Visuals
Kindergarten informational text unit: students learn to read diagrams, maps, and charts, explaining how pictures and labels work together to teach ideas while using picture and word clues to understand domain vocabulary in real-world contexts.
Focus: Diagrams/maps/charts; domain vocabulary in context
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Informational Text • Speaking/Listening)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students learn how visuals teach. Using kid-friendly diagrams, maps, and simple charts, children will explain what the pictures show and how words (captions/labels/keys) help them understand. They’ll also act as Word Detectives to figure out domain vocabulary from pictures and context, and they’ll practice listening and asking questions to confirm understanding.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Describe the relationship between a diagram/map/chart and the text/labels (RI.K.7).
- Ask and answer questions to clarify unknown domain words using pictures and context (RI.K.4).
- Confirm understanding of information presented orally or with visuals by asking/answering a follow-up question (SL.K.2).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Kindergarten
- RI.K.7 Describe the relationship between illustrations and the text (what person/place/thing/idea the illustration depicts).
- RI.K.4 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
- SL.K.2 Confirm understanding of information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions.
Success Criteria — student language
- I can point to a diagram/map/chart and tell what it shows.
- I can tell how the words/labels help me understand the picture.
- I can figure out a new word using the picture and page words.
- I can ask or answer a question to make sure I understand.