The Meeting Students' Needs column in each lesson contains support for both ELLs and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and some supports can serve a wide range of student needs. However, ELLs have unique needs that cannot always be met with UDL support. According to federal guidelines, ELLs must be given access to the curriculum with appropriate supports, such as those that are specifically identified as "For ELLs" in the Meeting Students' Needs column.

• Prioritizing lessons for classrooms with many ELLs: To prepare for the Unit 2 assessments, consider prioritizing and expanding instruction in Lessons 2-3, 5-6, and 8-11, which build the routine or concepts of Language Dives and close reading, comparing figurative language and point of view, analyzing concrete language and sensory details, and writing a literary analysis essay. If necessary, consider placing less focus and condensing instruction in Lessons 1 and 7, which provide valuable background and framing, but don't directly provide as much critical application.
• Language Dives: All students participate in a Language Dive in Lesson 5. ELLs can participate in two optional, connected Language Dives in Lessons 2 and 3. Students focus on metaphor, concrete language, and sensory details in these Language Dives. Many lessons also include optional Mini Language Dives for ELLs. To maximize language practice and accommodate time, consider dividing or reviewing each Language Dive over multiple lessons. Beginning in Module 2 and going forward, create a "Language Chunk Wall"--an area in the classroom where students can display and categorize the academic phrases discussed in the Language Dive. At the end of each Language Dive, students are invited to place the Language Dive sentence strip chunks on the Language Chunk Wall into corresponding categories, such as "Nouns and noun phrases" or "Linking language." Consider color-coding each category. Examples: blue for nouns and subjects; purple for pronouns; red for predicates and verbs; yellow for adjectives; and green for adverbs. See each Language Dive for suggested categories. Students can then refer to the wall during subsequent speaking and writing tasks. For more information on Language Dives and supporting ELLs, see the Tools page.
• Diversity and inclusion: Investigate the routines, practices, rituals, beliefs, norms, and experiences that are important to ELLs and their families. Integrate this background into the classroom as students write about what concrete language and sensory details help them understand about the rainforest. Call out and discuss the cultural diversity built into the materials in this unit and experiment to reach an effective balance between the use of English and the student's home language.
• Goal 3 Conversation Cues: Encourage productive and equitable conversation with Conversation Cues, which are questions teachers can ask students to help achieve four goals: (Goal 1) encourage all students to talk and be understood; (Goal 2) listen carefully to one another and seek to understand; (Goal 3) deepen thinking; and (Goal 4) think with others to expand the conversation (adapted from Michaels, Sarah and O'Connor, Cathy. Talk Science Primer. Cambridge, MA: TERC, 2012. Based on Chapin, S., O'Connor, C., and Anderson, N. [2009]. Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn, Grades K-6. Second Edition. Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions Publications). Refer to the Tools page for the complete set of cues. Goal 3 Conversation Cues are introduced in Lesson 1. Heightened language processing and development is a primary potential benefit for ELLs.
• Strategic grouping: As students are invited to pair up to draft, write, and revise an essay throughout this unit, seriously consider matching ELLs to a partner who has greater language proficiency. The conversations that happen as a result of such strategic pairing will greatly serve the language development of both partners.
• Text structure: Students will receive explicit instruction in the four parts of an informative essay model: the introduction with focus statement, the first body paragraph of evidence, the second body paragraph of evidence, and the conclusion. This structure may be different from the text structure students are familiar with in their home language. Compare and contrast home language text structure whenever possible.
• Writing: The conventional writing process and four-paragraph essay structure will be unfamiliar and challenging for some ELLs. Question what you think students know. Provide additional writing models and think-alouds. Prioritize error correction, focusing on errors that make writing incomprehensible, errors that disturb proficient speakers, errors that the student identifies, and frequent errors.
• Clauses and relative pronouns: Begin conversations about the structure of an English clause and how to join clauses with relative pronouns (e.g., Biological diversity means the various and different living things that are found within a community) and linking words (e.g., The man falls asleep, and the rainforest animals talk to him). Ask students how the clause structure and conjunctions compare with their home language structure and conjunctions. Once students understand the differences between a word, phrase, and clause, they can make huge gains in communicating clearly and accurately. See deeper instruction on relative clauses in Lessons 5-6 and in Homework Resources.
• Comprehending unfamiliar text: As students work to become fluent and critical readers, they will encounter a large volume of unfamiliar texts in this unit. Support them with the suggested strategies for reading unfamiliar text introduced throughout the unit.
• Celebration: Celebrate the courage, enthusiasm, diversity, and bilingual skills that ELLs bring to the classroom.