CLIL didactic unit: What´s the matter?

CLIL didactic unit

Subjects: Social Science, Language, English, Artistic Education             

Teacher: Marta Silva Cazorla and English teacher

Title of the Unit: What’s the matter?                              Course / Level: 4^th Primary Education           

1. Learning outcomes  / Evaluation criteria	-          Recognise that everything is made of matter -          Identify the states of matter -          Understand what mass and volume are. -          Recognise some properties of materials -          Identify the difference between physical and chemical change. -          Write a narration following a structure and key words.
2. Subject Content	-          Classification of materials -          States of matter -          Changes in matter -          Properties of materials -          Narrative
	3. Language Content / Communication
Vocabulary	-          NOUNS:  gas-gas,  liquid- liquid, mass- masa, matter-material,  solid-sólido, volume-volumen, shape-figura -          VERBS:  has- tiene, consta, is formed by- está formado por,  get- conseguir, change into- transformarse en, burn- quemar, rot- podrirse,  rust-oxidarse,  freeze-congelarse, melt-derretirse. -          ADJECTIVES:  fragile- frágil, hard- duro, soft-suave, tough- duro, plastic- plástico,  man-made- artificial -          Uso de sinónimos y antónimos de palabras relacionadas con descripciones de personas y súper-héroes. Cambios físicos
Structures	-          It’s easy to bend... It’s easy to break -          It’s difficult to scratch -          Palabras y expresiones para ordenar textos: Todo empezó, Entonces, De repente, De pronto, Al final… / At the beginning, … Then, … Suddenly, … Finally -          Palabras para exagerar  detalles: inigualable, extraordinario, nunca habría imaginado que, era tan, parecía imposible que…
Discourse type	-          Description -          Narrative
Languageskills	-          Reading, Speaking, Listening, Writing
4. Contextual (cultural) element	The unit is designed for a 25 students group, about 10 years old. 4 of which are high capacities students. They belong to a high socio-cultural area.
5. Cognitive (thinking) processes	Learn, observe, describe, investigate, understand, create
6. (a) Final Task(s)	Write a narration about a superhero transformation, (one in Spanish and one in English)
6. (b) Activities	Learn the basic vocabulary of the lesson with the conversation assistant’s help. Using class objects and some photos, recognise some properties of materials Observe and describe changes produced in objects after watching the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRT3RmNrw4I While some students write down sentences describing the changes observed in the video, others will select online activities related to changes on matter (from the sources provided in the blog) They have to practice them and see if they are related to the lesson. In pairs practice online activities. First the two activities from Educaplay in the blog, and the activities selected by the students in the previous activity. In the meantime the speedy students will try to “translate” into Spanish one of the superpowers in the article “How to be a superhero”  https://es.scribd.com/document/327770993/How-to-Be-a-Superhero After that, in groups, investigate which superheroes have such superpowers. Review all the vocabulary worked before, and practice the activities proposed in the document “What’s the matter?” https://es.scribd.com/document/328166549/Whats-the-Matter With the conversation assistant’s help, describe changes produced in themselves orally Narrar los cambios sufridos por ellos mismos después de haber estudiado los cambios en el color y llevar a cabo actividades sobre colores fríos, calientes en una composición con fotos propias en cuatro momentos de su vida. Explain the steps to write a narrative text. https://es.scribd.com/document/328053783/NARRAR-UN-SUCESO-pdf  After that write a narration in Spanish about an event happened to them. After reading some narrations, in groups, find some basic narration structures and key words to be used on them. Write down them in a chart. Write a little narration about an event happened to them using the structures learnt in English. Speedy students can investigate on internet if the information about superpowers in the article is true or false. Watch two scene about Ant Man’s transformation,  and  then describe orally the changes  produced. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5FYeciGgaA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQzlEimV4mo Write a narration about it. Then give it to a partner to read and correct it (following a check list) Investigate in pairs about superheroes, choose one to learn about how he or she changes.
	7. Methodology
Organization and classdistribution / timing	-          The activities will be done in Language, in English and in Natural Science lessons during two weeks. -          As it has been described, the activities will be done in big group, individually, in pairs, or in groups of four/five.
Resources / Materials	-          Nicci, the conversation assistant -          Alittlecorner4u.blogspot.com
Key Competences	-          Linguistic communication -          Digital competence -          Learning to learn -          Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology.
8. Evaluation (criteria and instruments)	§  Direct observation, attitude, work, participation… §  Final Task ‘s narrations §  Rubric §  Artistic composition

Feel free to use this template. Thanks for attributing the source.

A first sample of this template has been published at:

Pérez Torres, I. 2009. "Apuntes sobre los principios y características de la metodología AICLE" en V. Pavón, J. Ávila (eds.), Aplicaciones didácticas para la enseñanza integrada de lengua y contenidos. Sevilla: Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Andalucía-Universidad de Córdoba.171-180.

It is mainly based on the hands-on experience at designing units and on conversations with experts and peers. The theory of the 4Cs by Do Coyle has also been taken into account. This theory has been shown in various publications, such as: Coyle, D., Hood, P. and Marsh, D., 2010. Content and Language Integrated Learning. Cambridge University Press.