Description of the Unit and Unit Lessons Submission Template
NOTE: Click on Professor Cobie's eyes for an example.
Unit Overview Level
Unit Title:
States the title of the unit as a whole. Lessons that make up the unit will
have their own section titles
Unit Cultural
Theme or Academic Content Area:
Specifies a broad theme under which the lesson or task can be categorized. These
themes may be similar to chapter or unit topics found in textbooks. You must
choose either a cultural theme or an academic content area, not both.
A list of possible cultural themes is provided on the website. You should specify both the broad theme at the top of the list as well as a subtheme (if applicable). For example, the unit entitled "Le Baccalauréat Français" corresponds to the "Education" theme and the subtheme of "educational systems" (list of themes).
For the academic content area, choose from science, math, social studies, language arts, health, technology or add another.
Unit Language:
Indicates the specific language for which the unit is designed.
Unit Standards:
Lists the National Standards targeted in the unit as a whole.
Target Audience:
Indicates the target student population and their general level of proficiency.
Select the audience your lesson targets (e.g., "Traditional" or "Immersion").
Then choose the grade level. (e.g., "Middle School").
Last, choose the appropriate "year of instruction" within the audience type you chose. In a "traditional" setting, if students started the language in 9th grade, a lesson targeting 2nd year would choose "Traditional", "High School" and "Year 2" of instruction. In an immersion school that started language in Kindergarten, a lesson targeting the same 10th grade class would choose "Immersion", "High School" and "Year 10", because there have been 10 years of instruction.
Proficiency
Level
Indicates the proficiency level of the targeted audience, according to the Guidelines
for Speaking from ACTFL. You can see all of the Speaking
Proficiency Guidelines (pdf document) in one document at the ACTFL website.
On the submit or revise pages, you can click on a level and a popup window will
have the level description.
Unit Overview:
Refers to the main purpose or overall goal for the unit. The Overview gives
the "big picture" of the unit and summarizes the content, while each lesson
has a general purpose and objectives that are more specific.
Context:
Gives the background assumptions for the unit: what students are expected to
have learned before starting this unit, for both content and language - and
to what extent (i.e., the students have been exposed to…, or should have
mastered…, or have imperfect control of…, etc.). You might also
explain how the unit fits into a larger view of the curriculum.
General Unit References/Resources:
List complete bibliographic information for any source that is cited within
the context of the unit description; also, provide additional resources, such
as Web sites, that teachers may find useful as they implement the unit in their
classrooms.
You may list all of your resources here for the unit as a whole. However, most of your references and resources will be specific to a certain lesson and it would make more sense to be list them at the lesson level.
Unit Attachments:
(no longer accepted)
List here the documents that go with your unit: powerpoint files, graphics,
etc. Some additional documents will be of the handout sort and can be created
in another Word document.
You will just list the names of these files here. Please list the actual name of the file, what it is in respect to the unit/lesson and what program it was created in.
Lesson Level for a Unit
Lesson Title:
States the title of a Lesson within your unit.
If you want your Lessons to be listed in a certain order (alphabetical is the default), you will need to put a Lesson number. For example:
Lesson
01: What animals eat
Lesson 02: Where animals live
Lesson 03: What animals do
Please note that in order for the lesson numbers to come out in the right order, if you have more than 9 lessons, you need to use "0" in front of the number, or it will list as 1, 10, 11, 12, 2, 3, 4 (dumb computers).
Objectives:
Content:
Are related to subject-matter content. For example, a lesson on the music of Senegal
may involve music-related objectives (e.g., students will distinguish different
rhythms or be able to identify the number of beats in a measure). All lessons
in the CoBaLTT Web Resource Center will include content objectives. Many may emphasize
cultural objectives over content objectives. Objectives should be stated in terms
of what students will do or learn.
Cultural:
Refer to specific cultural content. For example, a lesson on the music of Senegal
may involve cultural objectives that point to cultural aspects (e.g., students
will become familiar with different ethnic groups in Senegal through examples
of their music). Cultural objectives may relate to the target culture and/or
the students' own culture. Objectives should be stated in terms of what students
will do or learn.
Language - Content Obligatory:
Specify the language (i.e., vocabulary, communicative functions and grammatical
structures) required for students to develop an understanding of and communicate
about the content or cultural materials that are the focus of the lesson. For
example, in a lesson on the music of Senegal, students may need to use musical
terms such as rhythm, beat, melody, etc. and to learn names of musical instruments.
In addition, they may learn words that refer to the cultural issues under study
(e.g., Wolof, a language spoken by a main Senegalese ethnic group). Content-obligatory
language objectives "derive directly from the linguistic needs for communicating
the information in the content area" (Snow, Met & Genesee, 1989, p.
206). These objectives are very important; planning for systematic integration
of language concepts in the context of a content lesson is key to content-based
language instruction. Objectives should be stated in terms of what students
will do or learn. The list
of communicative functions that appears in the POLIA Handbook is provided.
Snow, M.A., Met, M., & Genesee, F. (1989). A conceptual framework for the integration of language and content in second/foreign language instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 23(2), 201-217.
Language - Content Compatible:
Specify the language (i.e., vocabulary, communicative functions and grammatical
structures) that is compatible with the concepts or information to be taught.
Content-compatible language objectives allow the teacher to integrate additional
language skills within the context of a content-based lesson. For example, in
a lesson on the music of Senegal, students may further their language development
by practicing expressions used to express an opinion. The function of expressing
opinions is not necessary for learning the content, but is very compatible with
the content in that students can exchange their opinions about the different
types of Senegalese music they encounter in the lesson. Content-compatible language
objectives "derive from the second/foreign language curriculum and ongoing
assessment of leaner needs and progress" (Snow, Met & Genesee, 1989,
p. 206). These objectives are very important; planning for systematic integration
of language concepts in the context of a content lesson is key to content-based
language instruction. Objectives should be stated in terms of what students
will do or learn. The list
of communicative functions that appears in the POLIA Handbook is provided.
Snow, M.A., Met, M., & Genesee, F. (1989). A conceptual framework for the integration of language and content in second/foreign language instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 23(2), 201-217.
Learning
Strategies / Social and Skills Development Objectives:
Are related to the kinds of skills and/or learning strategies that students
learn throughout their schooling. These skills and strategies further their
cognitive development and academic learning. Learning strategies,
for example, include particular reading strategies, such as
using context to predict the meaning of unknown words. Skills development
includes areas such as note-taking, critical thinking skills or computer use
skills. Social objectives are related to the kinds of behaviors
and skills that students need to utilize to work cooperatively in the classroom
environment. Such behaviors and skills further their social and academic development.
For example, a social objective might relate to how students provide feedback
to peers on a writing task.
Objectives should be stated in terms of what students will do or learn.
Lesson Time
Frame:
Stipulates the estimated time frame needed to complete only this lesson.
Materials
Needed:
Lists the materials needed; specifies materials that are provided in the lesson.
Handouts needed for the lesson should be provided in the form of attachments.
Description
of the Task(s):
Involves a detailed description of the procedure(s), often beginning with a
"context," which provides a brief background and sets the stage for
the lesson. Often the description is divided into steps or stages (e.g., pre-reading,
during-reading, post-reading). Handouts needed for the lesson should be provided
in the form of attachments.
Lesson (Formative)
Assessment:
Describes the assessment procedures for determining the students' performance
on a particular lesson's tasks; the rubrics or checklists needed to carry out
the assessment procedures should be provided.
Lesson References
and Resources:
List complete bibliographic information for any source that is cited within
the context of the lesson description; also, provide additional resources, such
as Web sites, that teachers may find useful as they implement the task in their
classrooms.
Attachments:
(no longer accepted)
List here the documents that you have created that go with this lesson (i.e.,
rubrics, checklists, any handouts you would give to the students, etc.).
Unit Final Assesssment (Summative)
The Unit Summative Assessment will usually take the form of a culminating project of some sort that pulls together everything that the students have learned over the course of the unit. It could be a debate, an oral presentation, a written essay, etc. It should NOT be a test or a quiz.
This section includes these sections (similar to the Lessons):
Time Frame
Materials Needed
Description of the Task
References and Resources
Attachments
Handouts
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