In this lesson plan, students will learn about the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. In the introductory first lesson, they will see how animals are often used as symbols. In the second lesson, they will hear one of several versions of how the 12 animals were chosen. They will then focus upon a few of the animals in the story and see how they can be used as symbols of certain human characteristics. In the third lesson, they will be introduced to the other animals of the zodiac, and they will be given a chart on which they will assign traits to each animal. Then they will consult a number of websites to find the traits traditionally associated with the animals, which they will add to their list. Then, they will come up with a number of ways to compare and contrast the animals in the list. In the third lesson, they will focus upon the animal associated with the year of their birth, learning about its traits and discussing whether or not these apply to themselves and their peers. Finally, each student will make an acrostic, combining the letters of his or her first name with adjectives that relate to his or her zodiac sign.

Students will read and use context clues to determine the meaning of various vocabulary. This resource supports English language development for English language learners.

Students will read and summarize an excerpt from Theodore Roosevelt's address in 1907. This resource supports English language development for English language learners.

The NC Multilingual Learner Teacher Network 21-23 Leadership Team recorded a series of video clips to inspire and empower all educators. In these videos, viewers will learn teaching strategies to support multilingual learners (MLs). The Network Leaders shared their own experiences and insights. Viewers also have the opportunity to connect with a community of like-minded educators who share their passion for ML education and language development.