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- DIDACTIC GUIDELINES -

General guidelines for teachers

"Edinburgh" is part of the "English Speaking cities" projects. These projects can be done either following a pre-established order or without following it. There are activities to do individually, in pairs or in groups of 2 / 3 people. Teamwork is really important in this series of projects because they have to work collaboratively to produce the challenge of each of the projects. If you wish to read a liitle bit more about the importance of teaching your students teamwork, click on the following link: importance of teamwork.

Cockburn street
Marc Climent. Cockburn street (CC BY)

Each unit is student-centred and has several points of interest:

  • In each project, students have to accomplish a task, which is different in each project. There is a visit to an English-speaking city in every project and each session of work is designed to happen in a famous landmark of the city.
  • There is also a challenge, where they have to collaboratively design Google Sites with information about each of the cities they are visiting. They are expected to actively work with information and communication technologies. They have to complete a Google Site with certain information about the city that students have to search on the Internet.
  • Students also have to complete a learning diary, using a personal blog where they have to reflect on the different contents they are working on, they have to upload the different audios and videos they produce, and they have to share the link to the Google Site of their project.

Apart from this project-based approach, each unit is also focused on different vocabulary, grammar structures and text types. There are several tasks to work on the different skills: listening, writing, reading and speaking to satisfactorily achieve every goal from a linguistic point of view.

To sum it up, they are going to work on all the contents of the syllabus of their level with a project-based learning orientation.

All the sections published in this guide for teachers are referred to the "Edinburgh" project.

Assessment

For assessment, both you as a teacher, and your students, are expected to use this rubric: 'Assessment rubric Edinburgh'.

Question mark in Esbjerg
Alexander Henning Drach. Question mark in Esbjerg (CC BY-SA)

This project is designed to be assessed following this pattern:

  • The teacher will evaluate the challenge and the Google Site Project following the rubric. It will be 30 % of the final score.
  • The partners will carry out peer assessment on the Google Site Project work and grade about how their teamwork has worked. It will be 15% of the final score. The students can generate the different criteria or items to be assessed.
  • Students will self-assess the final task using the rubric. It will be 15% of the final score.
  • There will be another 20% for all the in-between activities (oral activities, monologues, short texts, videos & audios) and all the activities that have to be done in the learning diary. They all can be assessed with the rubrics next to each activity.

The final score will also include a 20% for the teacher to evaluate how the students have been involved in the project or tackled the different activities.

Both teachers and students are suggested to use the available rubrics to assess both the process and the outcomes.

Timing

The Edinburgh Project is designed to be worked in at least ten different sessions, taking into account that some of them may take a little bit longer. Each session takes place in a different landmark of the city of Edinburgh.

Bahnsteiguhr.jpg
Sese Ingolstadt. Bahnsteiguhr.jpg (CC BY-SA)

Sometimes, it can be prepared in advance by students following the flipped classroom approach: students can watch some of the videos, listen to a recording, search some information at home and the tasks can be done in class with teachers and students discussing and solving questions.

The timing is obviously approximate. It will depend on the learning pace of the students and of their interests and the activities done in class.

Mind map of "Edinburgh"

Edinburgh_mindmap

Key Competences

At the end of the project the student will have worked and developed specific competences:

  • knowing and using vocabulary regarding different ways of entertainment and free time for teenagers.
  • revising the use of the present simple to write an article of opinion.
  • revising the use of adverbs of frequency and question words.
  • making conversations to answer and ask for opinions.
  • working collaboratively in groups.
  • evaluating their own work and their partners', giving opinions and feedback.
  • Social and civic competence.

Students will also develop different ICT competences:

  • sharing and working using Google Sites.
  • recording a video of their dialogues and editting it with an online tool.
  • starting running a blog which they are going to use as a portfolio.

Contents: Edinburgh

At the end of the unit, students will have worked on:

  • Present Continuous and its forms.
  • Comparison between Present Simple and Present Continuous.
  • Adverbs of possibility.
  • Relative Pronouns.
  • Asking and answering questions.
  • Compose a digital poster about sports and hobbies.
  • Reading activities about sports.
  • Listening activities about sports.
  • Vocabulary: sports, hobbies and free time.

Learning Standards (LOMCE)

All the Learning Standards of the curriculum of Secundary Education are published at the BOE (January 3rd 2015), pages 424 - 427

Bloque 1. Comprensión de textos orales

1. Capta los puntos principales y detalles relevantes de indicaciones, anuncios, mensajes y comunicados breves y articulados de manera lenta y clara (p. e. cambio de puerta de embarque en un aeropuerto, información sobre actividades en un campamento de verano, o en el contestador automático de un cine), siempre que las condiciones acústicas sean buenas y el sonido no esté distorsionado.

2. Comprende, en una conversación informal en la que participa, descripciones, narraciones, puntos de vista y opiniones sobre asuntos prácticos de la vida diaria y sobre temas de su interés, cuando se le habla con claridad, despacio y directamente y si el interlocutor está dispuesto a repetir o reformular lo dicho.

3. Comprende, en una conversación formal, o entrevista (p. e. en centros de estudios o de trabajo) en la que participa lo que se le pregunta sobre asuntos personales, educativos, ocupacionales o de su interés, así como comentarios sencillos y predecibles relacionados con los mismos, siempre que pueda pedir que se le repita, aclare o elabore algo de lo que se le ha dicho.

4. Distingue, con el apoyo de la imagen, las ideas principales e información relevante en presentaciones sobre temas educativos, ocupacionales o de su interés (p. e., sobre un tema curricular, o una charla para organizar el trabajo en equipo).

Bloque 2. Producción de textos orales: expresión e interacción

1. Hace presentaciones breves y ensayadas, bien estructuradas y con apoyo visual (p. e. transparencias o PowerPoint), sobre aspectos concretos de temas de su interés o relacionados con sus estudios u ocupación, y responde a preguntas breves y sencillas de los oyentes sobre el contenido de las mismas.

2. Se desenvuelve correctamente en gestiones y transacciones cotidianas, como son los viajes, el alojamiento, el transporte, las compras y el ocio, siguiendo normas de cortesía básicas (saludo y tratamiento). 

Bloque 3: Comprensión de textos escritos

1. Entiende los puntos principales de anuncios y material publicitario de revistas o Internet formulados de manera simple y clara, y relacionados con asuntos de su interés, en los ámbitos personal, académico y ocupacional.

2. Entiende información específica esencial en páginas Web y otros materiales de referencia o consulta claramente estructurados sobre temas relativos a materias académicas, asuntos ocupacionales, o de su interés (p. e. sobre un tema curricular, un programa informático, una ciudad, un deporte o el medio ambiente), siempre que pueda releer las secciones difíciles.

Bloque 4. Producción de textos escritos: expresión e interacción

1. Escribe notas, anuncios y mensajes breves (p. e. en Twitter o Facebook) relacionados con actividades y situaciones de la vida cotidiana, de su interés personal o sobre temas de actualidad, respetando las convenciones y normas de cortesía y de la etiqueta.

2. Escribe informes muy breves en formato convencional con información sencilla y relevante sobre hechos habituales y los motivos de ciertas acciones, en los ámbitos académico y ocupacional, describiendo de manera sencilla situaciones, personas, objetos y lugares y señalando los principales acontecimientos de forma esquemática.