Teenage Smoking Didactic Unit

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Following are the  guidelines that served me in the process of creating this didactic unit. These are the guidelines provided in Educared's e-learning course  "Elaboración de Unidades didácticas integrando las TIC'S"! (22/04/2008 - 22/05/08) 

  

The goal of this didactic unit is to help students learn and improve their command of English using New Information and Communication Technologies. Equally important, work on the unit takes into account the English Curriculum set standards for four domains of English language learning: social interaction; access to information; presentation; and appreciation of literature and culture, and language.  See NBA.

 

Accordingly, after working on this unit pupils should be able to:

 

·         interact effectively in English in a variety of situations (here, related to teenage smoking).

·         obtain and make use of information from a variety of sources and media.

·         present information in an organized manner.

 

Principles underlying the teaching and learning of this unit.

 

As could not be otherwise, the unit follows the principles that underlie language learning; language teaching; the choice of materials, topics, and tasks; and assessment in the classroom. These principles have been stated in the English Curriculum (Israel's Ministry of Education)   (see here)

 

 OverallLearning Objective:

• Deal with the topic of "Teenage Smoking " using different modes of expression, according to the English Curriculum's Domains: Standards, Levels of Progression, Benchmarks and Criteria for all grades

 (See detailed explanation below) 

 

Target student population: The main purpose of the unit is to help  15 - 18 year-old teenagers (In Israel, 10th, 11th and / or 12th grade students in the israeli school system) learn and actively use as much English as possible.

When taking into account the levels of progression for each domain (see here for information on Domains: Standards, Levels of Progression, Benchmarks and Criteria - Levels of Progression for Each Domain), the unit focuses on the Intermediate and Proficiency levels.

See detailed information for each domain as stated on the English Curriculum:

·         Domain of Social Interaction

·         Domain of Access to Information

·         Domain of Presentation

·         Domain of Appreciation of Literature and Culture, and Language

 

 

The unit caters to different groups of pupils in that it acknowledges students' diversity. Accordingly, different tasks cater to different ways of learning, using and presenting information.

 

Obviously, the main objective is to help pupils learn and improve their command of English, so when preparing different activities, all the skills have taken into account.

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Overall Unit Objectives

 

According to the requirements of the English curriculum for all grades –

Domains: Standards, Levels of Progression, Benchmarks and Criteria

Levels of Progression for Each Domain

 

 

 

Content objectives:

 

·        Understand clearly the reasons why teenagers smoke.

·        Identify and understand the risks involved in teen-age smoking.

·        Find out what can be done to reduce these risks.

·        Summarize what works when dealing with the prevention of illness related to teenage smoking

·        Show different teenagers' attitudes to smoking.

·        Conduct independent research on teenage smoking (and present content orally and / or in writing.

·        Create opportunities to use Web 2.0 tools.

·        Use Mind Maps  

 

 

 

Objectives – Language

·        Acquire and use vocabulary related to smoking.

·        Use different grammar structures.

 

Objectives - Cognitive

• Encourage divergent thinking.
• Encourage pupils to use English as a means for gaining information.
• Encourage problem-solving and critical thinking skills, such as analyzing, comparing, generalizing, predicting and hypothesizing at all levels of language learning development.
• Provide pupils with opportunities for reflection and self-evaluation

Objectives - Emotional and Social

• Include opportunities for peer interaction, such as pair and group work.
• Encourage multiple modes of expression when dealing with teenage driving.
• Encourage multiple modes of expression when presenting tasks to peers.
• Broaden pupils' horizons and motivate them to continue finding out about people, cultures, etc. through English
• Give real-world opportunities (or simulations) to apply or adapt new knowledge
• Provide pupils with opportunities for peer assessment.

Tasks

 

1.  Find out information concerning when and why teenagers take up smoking, and share findings (report on a forum / blog) 

 

2. Watch a video clips concerning teenage smoking and comment.

 

3. Create different Mind Maps related to steenage smoking.

 

4. Use a variety of Web 2.0 tools to share work online.

 

5. Start a social community that deals with the issue of teenage smoking.

 

6. Answer though- provoking questions related to smoking on a blog.

 

7. EXPRESSION (EVALUATION)

 

1. Choose at least TWO evaluation options to get a grade on your work on this unit.

 

(Note: teachers may decide to give a (traditional) written test either instead of one of the two evaluation activities, or in addition to them)

 

Teenage Smoking Didactic Unit