11th – 12th grade • English Level 3

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Theme: Sleep

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International Consortium for Multilingual Excellence in Education

August 15th, 2020

Dear District/School Personnel:

We are a consortium of researchers, teacher educators, and teachers who believe in and strive to foster
multilingual excellence. Therefore, during this time of crisis and difficulty, we are eager to put our expertise
and passions to use to try to be of assistance. We initially designed 21 immediate-response packets for K-5,
as soon as the pandemic forced schools to shut down. We then applied for and received a grant that has
allowed us to create more than 100 full activity packets, ranging from Levels 1-3 of English proficiency, and
grades K-12.
The breakdown of packets is as follows:
Level 1 – Entry into English
Emphasis on developmentally appropriate interesting/challenging tasks
• K-2
• 3-5
• 6-8 with a literacy background
• 9-12 with a literacy background
• 6-8 without literacy background
• 9-12 without literacy background

Level 2 – Building Background

• K-1
• 2-3
• 4-5
• 6
• 7-8
• 9-10
• 11-12

Level 3 – Interdisciplinary Inquiry

• K-1
• 2-3
• 4-5
• 6
• 7-8
• 9-10
• 11-12

With this letter, is an “Activity Packet” that can be used freely with any group of students or families as you
see fit. Each packet includes interdisciplinary activities designed to be completed within a week. Teachers
from around the country have designed, developed, and created these packets, each focusing on the topics of
their choice. Because learning academic content can happen within any thematic context, these packets are
designed to be diverse, dynamic, and engaging for students of all backgrounds. The topics covered in these
units range from cultures, animals, natural disasters, inventions, and much more. You will see each teacher’s
personality reflected strongly in these packets, and our hope is that this will capture students in a way similar
to that of a rich and immersive classroom environment.

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International Consortium for Multilingual Excellence in Education

Our hope is that these materials can provide some meaningful learning supports to students and families who
may not have access to online learning opportunities. However, we can also imagine a variety of ways that
these packets can provide learning opportunities outside of our original intent and purpose. Please use these
activity packets in any way you see fit for your students and families. We will be so pleased to learn of how
they might be useful, particularly for your multilingual students and their families. We think it might be
particularly helpful for you to print packets and mail them to families, but we also see opportunities to work
with local agencies, leave printed-out packets for pick-ups at schools, etc.
We designed these activities based around several big ideas:
- Productive play and inquiry
- Grade level and English Language Development standards/curriculum
- Fostering multilingual language development
- Providing opportunity for all four language domains (reading, writing, speaking and listening)

These packets are self-contained. Everything a child will need to be successful with the activities is provided
in the packet. Students will only need a writing utensil. Additional tools like crayons or scissors are optional.
We have also included a letter to parents. We hope this will help parents understand what students will be
doing with the packet and that we encourage the use of all language resources available to the student. The
packets are in English for the students, but the students can write, talk and engage with family members
regarding the packet activities in any language they would like. We have translated the parent letter into
Spanish, and we encourage districts to translate the letter into any other language that would be helpful for
your local families.
Designing Activity Packets is a new initiative for us, though we have been designing professional learning
opportunities (eWorkshops) for teachers of multilingual learners since 2011. Like our Activity Packets, those
learning opportunities for teachers are free. To learn more about them and us, please visit our website at:
https://cehs.unl.edu/icmee/
We are eager to be a helpful, collaborative partner in all learning needs related to multilingual students and
their teachers, so please, do not hesitate to reach out to us with questions, ideas, concerns, feedback, etc. We
are available at icmee@unl.edu.

Sincerely,

Kara Mitchell Viesca, PhD

Associate Professor of Language Education
University of Nebraska Lincoln
Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
PI: International Consortium for Multilingual Excellence in Education

This packet was designed and created by Katie Loughrist

in collaboration with Lauren Gatti and Alexa Yunes.

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The Standards that Informed the Development of this Packet are:

Math

o CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSA.SSE.A.1.A
Interpret parts of an expression, such as terms, factors, and coefficients.
o CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSA.REI.A.1
Explain each step in solving a simple equation as following from the equality of numbers asserted at the
previous step, starting from the assumption that the original equation has a solution. Construct a viable
argument to justify a solution method.

English Language Arts

o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information
clearly and accurately through the effective selection, or organization, and analysis of content
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.4.B
Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g.,
conceive, conception, conceivable)
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.4.C
Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print
and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of
speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.6
Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for
reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate
independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to
comprehension or expression.
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.5
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective,
analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.4.A
Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a
sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when
indicated or appropriate.
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of

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 the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an
objective summary of the text
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words
with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful.
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.6
Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text
from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, iron, or understatement)
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.D
Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary and objective tone while attending the norms and
conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Science & Technical Subjects (ELA)

o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important
distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account.
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.6
Analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an
experiment in a text, identifying important issues that remain unsolved.

Art

o FA 12.2.4.a
Investigate how artists define, shape, and empower their lives (e.g., personal life, lifelong opportunities,
careers).
o FA 12.2.4.b
Analyze and interpret works of art from a variety of contemporary, historical, cultural contexts, time
periods, and cultural settings.
o FA 12.2.4.d
Connect images, objects, and a personal work of art to convey a story, familiar experience, or connection to
the world.

Physical Education

o PE.HS.5.2a
Identifies and implements components of an appropriate effective strength and conditioning program
o PE.HS.5.2b
Identifies and uses the major muscle groups in specific exercises
o PE.HS.5.2c
Applies the terminology associated with exercise and participation in beginning strength and conditioning
activities

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11th – 12th grade • English Level 3

Theme: Sleep

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International Consortium for Multilingual Excellence in Education

August 15th, 2020

Dear Families:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became necessary for students to learn at home. Many students have limited
access to technology, others struggle with online learning, and some simply want more to do while they are at
home. With these things in mind, we have created an extensive resource of learning materials that we hope will be
helpful for your children to engage with. These Activity Packets were designed with your students in mind and are
aligned with each of their grade level content. Each activity in the packets will help students continue with their
schooling as well as continue to grow their multilingualism. We encourage you to talk to your student about what
they are doing and let your child ask you about the topics they are learning about. The packet is in English, but we
encourage you and your children to speak and think together in any language you would like to. We strongly
encourage you to use the language you feel most comfortable using with your student. Supporting their learning in
all the languages they know is helpful—even for developing their English! So, please encourage your student to
do the work in the packet in any language they would like.

We know that families are dealing with a lot of stress and uncertainty right now, so we encourage you to play the
role you would like to play with your student and their Activity Packet based on what works best for you. We
recommend reading the information about the packet and activities and then discussing with your student how the
packet works and how they can work through it. We believe that with that introduction, your student can do a lot,
if not all, of the work themselves. However, if you are available to work more closely with your student (or for a
sibling or other family member to do so), we encourage that as well. Please know, this is not intended to be
something that adds stress and work to your family during this demanding time. We hope that this is a helpful
resource so your student can continue growing academically while in unusual situations.

We also hope you will find these packets interesting and fun. We have integrated activities from all of the grade
level content standards: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Physical Education and
Art. We have also developed different packets for the different levels of English proficiency, so your child should
feel challenged but also capable of largely understanding the content in front of them.

6th-12th grade students are encouraged to talk about their learning as much as possible, even if it is not to one
person in particular. Some packets will include activities where students can “use a cell phone” to record voice
messages and post on social media, which we hope might be ways in which they can be encouraged to speak in
English or in any language they prefer.

In this packet, you will find:

1. Table of Contents: This will provide you with a general pacing guide to help your student stay on track.
2. Topic Warm-Up SLEEP: Your student will brainstorm to determine what they already know about the topic.
They will use the information they collect to guide them in their learning as they are exposed to new content.
3. Topic Vocabulary & Memory Game: This activity includes a glossary with many of the terms they will
encounter in the packet. It includes the word, definition, an instructional image, and a space for them to write
how they will remember the word. Students will then cut out cards in order to play a studying game called
“Memory.” Feel free to play a round with your student!

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International Consortium for Multilingual Excellence in Education

4. Scientific Article: Why Sleep? This activity exposes your student to an academic scientific text related to the
packet topic. Your student will work to understand the details of the text, make inferences, and apply what they
have learned to the real examples and their own lives.
5. Algebra: X = Sleep: This activity explains in simplified English how to solve an equation using PEMDAS, an
algebraic term that helps students remember the order they should do the steps in. The language of math can
sometimes be difficult, so this activity is designed to help your student understand the terminology involved in
equations and how to solve the math problems themselves.
6. PE: Exercises to Help You Sleep: This activity first teaches your students the best exercises to aid in better
sleep, including cardio, strength training, and yoga. Your student will focus on strength training throughout this
packet. The exercise instructions are only listed in one place, but please encourage your student to engage in
the exercises each and every day. They are only beneficial when they are done repeatedly on a daily schedule.
7. Language Arts: Figurative Language & Music: This activity focus on the use of figurative language (similes
and metaphors) in poetry and fiction. Students will read the lyrics of a hip-hop song and make inferences about
the artist’s intent in using that specific language. They will write an analysis identifying what they think the
song means.
8. Art: Dreams & Desires through the Mandala: This activity first explains how art can aid in rest, relaxation,
and a healthier mind and body. It then introduces a traditional art form in Hindu and Buddhist cultures called
the mandala. Your student will learn about the basic features of a mandala and based on that knowledge, create
a mandala of their own.
Includes 1 BLANK PAGE at the end for your student to draw their artwork on.
9. Reflection: This activity asks your student to reflect on everything they have learned in the packet and apply it
to their own lives. This would be a great opportunity for you to sit with your student and ask them to go
through each activity of the packet with you and explain what they learned and how it has changed their
opinions or perceptions.

NOTE: Answer sheets are at the end of the packet, so your student will have easy access.
If you do not want your student to have answer sheets, remove them from the packet before giving it to them.

We hope that these activities will enhance your child’s learning while we work through these very unusual
circumstances. We also hope that they will give your child opportunities for productive play. If you have any
questions or concerns about these packets, feel free to reach out to our project at icmee@unl.edu or by calling
the Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education department at 402-472-2231.

Sincerely,

Kara Mitchell Viesca, PhD

Associate Professor of Language Education
University of Nebraska Lincoln
Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
PI: International Consortium for Multilingual Excellence in Education

This packet was designed and created by Katie Loughrist

in collaboration with Lauren Gatti and Alexa Yunes.

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Queridas familias:

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International Consortium for Multilingual Excellence in Education

Share your learning!

Share a picture of any of your work by using #MultilingualProud
on social media.

We’d love to see what you’ve done with this packet!

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Lesson 1

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Lesson 2

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Lesson 3

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Lesson 4

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Lesson 5

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