Erhan Gülşen Erhan Gülşen

Content-based (CLIL) Reading Lesson (Geography)
5th Graders (Secondary School) (Differentiated Instruction) level

Description

In this lesson, the Ss do a reading activity in the context of learning about the geographical formation of a lake by using some technical terms, such as outlet, border and freshwater. First, they take a quiz about Caspian Sea and answer the questions by using their iPads collaboratively. Next, they start reading the text individually and then check their answers to the questions in the quiz. After that, they read the text again to answer the detailed reading questions. Then, as productive skills they first prepare a presentation with their peers on their iPads by using the Lensoo Create application and talk about the Caspian Sea with their partners before their friends. And, as a formative assessment, the T. assigns homework on describing another lake within the country by using the details given. Students are 10-11 year-old fifth graders. They are learning English through differentiated instruction and they are familiar with CLIL reading lessons, which are provided by the main course book, Blaze 2. At the end of the lesson; Ss will be able to identify the geographical terms used to describe a lake. Ss will be able to do a short research about geographical formations. Ss will be able to comprehend a content-based reading text and answer the questions related to it. Ss will be able to make a presentation by using the geographical terms in the text. Ss will be able to describe another lake in a short paragraph. Forms: lexical items used to describe a lake Function: Learning about and describing a geographical formation

Materials

Main Aims

  • To provide scan and detailed reading practice using a text about the Caspian Sea in the context of learning about a geographical formation

Subsidiary Aims

  • To provide fluency speaking practice in a presentation in the context of describing the Caspian Sea
  • To provide product writing practice of a paragraph in the context of describing a lake

Procedure

Warmer/Lead-in (3-5 minutes) • To set lesson context and engage students

After greetings, the T. draws a table with two columns on the whiteboard or smart board and write "A Lake" on top of one of the columns and "A Sea on top of the other. S/he asks the Ss the question "What is the difference between a lake and a sea?" S/he writes down the Ss' answers in the relevant column. S/he asks them to make comparison using large, small. S/he may give some specific examples from the Ss' country. After the Ss give some answers for 4-5 minutes, the T tells them that today they are going to read about a lake which is actually a sea or a sea which is actually a lake.

Pre-Reading (10-12 minutes) • To prepare students for the text and make it accessible

The T. hands out activity 1 to each student pair in the classroom and tells that they are going to learn about the Caspian Sea. S/he tells them to answer the quiz questions together with their peers by searching about the Caspian Sea on their iPads for 5 minutes. S/he should check whether there is one above-level and one below-level student at each desk. S/he may ask such instruction check questions as "How many minutes do you have? Do you work with your partners or yourselves? Are you using your iPads or not?" While the Ss are working together, s/he may monitor them and help necessary. After 5 minutes, the T. asks the Ss to stop and elicits some answers from the Ss pairs. S/he doesn't give any feedback here but only listens to the Ss' answers and makes comparisons.

While-Reading (10-12 minutes) • To provide students with less challenging specific information reading tasks

The T. hands out the reading text to each student and asks the student pairs to check their questions in 2 minutes. The Ss do a scan reading exercise here. They check their answers together. The T monitors them and prevents them from doing a long reading exercise. After two minutes, the T. opens the answers on the smart board and gives feedback to the students' answers. The Ss compare their answers and the T may hold a debate if there are some conflicts and shows the answers in the text.

While-Reading #2 (5-10 minutes) • To provide students with more challenging detailed reading tasks

The T hands out Detailed Reading Activity to each student and the Ss work individually this time. They try to answer the five questions in the activity in 5 minutes. The T monitors them while they are giving answers and help if necessary. The Ss do a detailed reading exercise here. After 5 minutes, the T opens the answers on the whiteboard and the Ss check them. S/he gives feedback if necessary.

Post-Reading (8-15 minutes) • To provide with an opportunity to respond to the text and expand on what they've learned

The T rearranges the pairs in the classroom and asks them to open Lensoo Create application on their iPads. This application help student create presentation by typing, drawing and recording their voices. The T asks them just to draw and type this time. Then, s/he gives the instructions: You will prepare a presentation on the Caspian Sea and tell it to your friends before the board. You have 8 minutes for preparing your presentations. Please talk about the Caspian Sea like a teacher. And, both students will have to talk. The fastest pairs will be the winners. (S/he may puts a prize.) ICQs may be needed here. The Ss read the text again and produce an expository presentation on the Caspian Sea by using the details given in the exercise. The student pairs work together for 5-8 minutes on the same iPad and try to include as many facts as they can. After 8 minutes, the T explains that the time is up and tells that if some of the students haven't finished their presentations yet, they can finish them later and present them in the upcoming lessons. The T. calls the Ss pairs to the board and asks them to make presentations. The T gives 3-5 minutes to each student and gives feedback or notes down the errors the Ss made during their presentations to give feedback later on.

Post Reading Assignment (formative assessment) • To provide with an opportunity to respond to the text and expand on what they have learned

The T. assigns the homework on the smart board and asks the Ss to prepare their paragraphs on coloured cartoons as s/he will hang them on the bulletin boards at school. The Ss will write an expository paragraph on one of the lakes in their own countries. The T may give them the names of the lakes in the country if they can't remember. Or the Ss may work with their social science teachers.

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