Multidimensional Unit Plan

Anne-Elizabeth Pereira

Overview of Multidimensional Unit

Grade level: 7-9

Language and level: English, Intermediate

Field of experience: Traveling Near and Far

Topics to be developed: Things to consider when traveling

How to plan a trip

Experiential goal: Create a portfolio and a poster of a desired travel destination, and present it to the class.

Steps to achieve the goal:

1. Discuss why people travel, drawing on and sharing personal travel experiences.

2. Generate travel words, including things needed to travel near and far.

3. Generate and discuss different methods of travel, including pros and cons

4. Go on a small field trip. Plan it as a class.

5. Role-Play a visit to a travel consultant.

6. Bring a travel consultant into the class.

7. Create a presentation (including a portfolio and a poster) of a desired place to travel, and present it to the class.

8. Reflect on the unit, specifically the presentations.

Objectives

Communicative/Experiential

1. Ask questions and record the answers of the travel consultant.

2. Find and record information needed for project criteria (via Internet, magazines, library, brochures etc.).

3. Make a portfolio and a poster of collected information for travel destination presentation.

4. Go on a small field trip.

5. Share travel experiences with classmates.

Cultural

1. Examine different customs, food, entertainment (traditional, modern) of a chosen travel destination (including sub-cultures).

General Language Education

1. Use learning strategies to communicate meaningfully in the role-play situations.

2. Reflect on personal and classmates travel destinations. Do you still want to go to that place? Why? Would you like to visit another place, as a result of someone else’s presentation? What was it about their presentation?

Language

1. Ask questions of the travel consultant.

2. Generate a list of key words dealing with travel.

3. Review question form (interrogative), in preparation of the travel consultant’s visit (can use the questions from role-play).

4. Role-play of visit to a travel consultant.

Lesson Plan I

Grade level: 7-9

Language: English

Length of class: 70 minutes

Step:1 "Discuss why people travel, drawing on and sharing personal travel experiences."

Materials:

Teacher

-Pictures/slides of a trip -Markers

-Souvenirs from a trip -Paper

(ideally the same trip) -Push pins

-Map of the World -Tape

-Map of Canada -Map of the USA

 

Activity:

1. Teacher will share a travel experience (any), and bring in souvenirs, pictures etc. to enrich the presentation.

(10 minutes)

2. After the teacher shares their experience, students will be divided into groups of two or three. Division will be random, initiated by students.

(1 minute)

3. In the groups students will share some of their travel experiences (near and far).

(9 minutes)

4. Students will then mix and re-divide themselves into groups of two or three.

(1 minute)

5. Students will then share some of their travel experiences again. Division will be initiated by the teacher, "group with someone you have not talked to yet today".

(9 minutes)

6. Students will then gather together and share one place they have traveled to. As each student shares, the teacher, or a volunteer will place a push pin on the place on one of the appropriate maps.

(15 minutes)

7. Students will then brainstorm and "graffiti" reasons why people travel (The teacher will already have placed large pieces of paper in a convenient area.).

(10 minutes)

8. Students will then discuss, as a class, the reasons why people travel.

(15 minutes)

 

Lesson Plan II

Grade level: 7-9

Language: English

Length of class: 70 minutes

Step: 2 "Generate travel words, including things needed to travel near and far."

Materials:

Teacher

-common travel objects -something to write on (so the whole class can see)

-crossword puzzle -appropriate writing instrument

-pictures of travel items

Student

-paper -writing instrument

Activity:

1. Students will brainstorm (on their own) travel words, including things needed to travel near and far. Students will record their ideas (English words, diagrams/pictures, native words).

(15 minutes)

2. Students will then get into pairs (the person beside them) and continue brainstorming.

This is also an opportunity for students to negotiate words into English.

(10 minutes)

3. Each group will then share to the class the words they came up with. As the students do this the teacher will record them for the whole class to see.

(7 minutes)

4. The teacher can then explain, show examples, or discuss as a class some items they find unfamiliar.

(8 minutes)

5. The teacher will then hand out a crossword puzzle of different travel words. Students will work on this by themselves (only allowed to ask for help or work in pairs after 10 minutes). (A small picture of the item should be beside each word.)

(15 minutes)

Lesson Plan III

Grade level: 7-9

Language: English

Length of class: 70 minutes

Step: 6 "Bring a travel consultant into the class."

Materials:

Teacher

-travel consultant

Student

-writing instrument

- paper

Activity:

1. Students will generate two questions to ask the travel consultant. They can be related to their project.

(10 minutes)

2. Students will then share their questions to the class. The teacher will write them down and post them.

(10 minutes)

3. The travel consultant will then share tips and information about traveling (planning as well as when on a trip).

(20 minutes)

4. Students will then ask the travel consultant their questions and record (point form) the response.

(30 minutes)

Criteria for Experiential Goal (Criteria for Travel Project Presentation)

You can choose any place you would like to travel to, near or far. Someone may want to go to Egypt, another person may want to go to Halifax Nova Scotia. Choose a place that interests you.

Portfolio

Research and create a portfolio of information from the following questions. All of the information will be organized in a duotang, a minimum of one page per question, single sided. You can include pictures, brochures, and helpful web sites as well.

1. If money was not a problem, where is one place you would really like to travel and visit?

2. When is the best time to go to that place? (Eg. May-July, August is drought season)

3. What is the best way to get there? (Eg. boat, train, walking)

4. How much will it cost (including travel, accommodations, food, spending/fun money)?

5. What should you take? (Eg. winter clothes, pick, snowshoes, backpack)

6. Will you need any travel tools? (Eg. passport, schedule, ticket, vaccinations, translation dictionary)

7. What are the best, or good, places to visit (3)? Give information on each of the three places.

8. What is a specialty dish or food from that place?

9. Are there any cultural customs we should be aware of? Describe.

10. Where are some places people from the area like to go? What are some activities they like to do?

 

Poster

Make a poster of your travel destination. The poster should include the name of the place you would like to go (country and/or city), and a pocket to hold your portfolio. Your name should be on the back of the poster. Decorate your poster. You could us a map, pictures of places to see, show different methods of travel you could take to get there etc. Be creative. Posters will be displayed in the classroom.

Presentation

Present your travel destination to the class. This can be done in a variety of ways. You can give an oral presentation, using your poster and portfolio(You may want to dress up as if going to that place. Clothes should be appropriate for school.) You can make a commercial of the travel destination, including important information. You can video tape your oral presentation or commercial and bring it to class. You can write a song about your travel destination (including important information). You can make a projector or slide presentation to help describe your destination. If you have another idea please check it out with me first.

Reflection

Reflections will occur after everyone has presented. We will reflect as a class, in a discussion setting. Each person will share if they would still like to travel to that place. Including why, or why not. Everyone will also share if they would like to visit another place because of a classmates presentation. To close the reflection time, everyone will share one piece of information or one thing they learned as a result of their presentation, or a classmates.

 

Assessment

Assessment will be based on the completion and presentation of the "Criteria for Travel Project Presentation". Assessment will also include participation during the reflection exercise.

The teacher will make an evaluation sheet for each student. The teacher will comment (answer) on the following questions in relation to the student’s presentation and work.

Communication of the Message

1. Was the student’s message communicated;

-in an effective and appropriate manner?

-but the effectiveness and/or accuracy must be improved.

-but not effectively.

Diagnostic Analysis

Rated; poor, good, very good, very very good, excellent (no "perfect").

1. Articulation: (pronunciation, intonation, flow)

2. Ease of speech: (vocabulary—accuracy & variety, communicative strategies)

3. Grammar: (grammatical accuracy, cohesion of speech)

 

Fulfillment of Travel Project Requirements

1. Did the student answer all of the questions (applicable) given in the project outline?

2. Did the student organize the information into a portfolio as directed?

3. Did the student make a poster including all of the requirements given in the project outline?

4. Did the student present their project in an appropriate manner?

Fulfillment of Reflection Requirements

1. Did the student share their decision as to whether they would still like to visit their specified travel destination and why/why not?

2. Did the student share whether or not a fellow classmates project inspired them to want to visit another place?

3. Did the student share at least one piece of information they learned as a result of their project or someone else’s?

 

References

Richard-Amato, Patricia A. (1996). Making It Happen. White Plains: Addison-Wesley Publishing Group.

Glisan & Shurm. (1994). Teachers Handbook (pp. 48-50, 120-121).

Maritime Provinces Education Foundation. (1992). Maritime Oral Communication Assessment Portfolio.

Nutrition Multidimensional Unit Plan

Second Language Bulletin. (June 1990). National Core French Study Summary Report.

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