UNIT 7: DESIGNING A CLIL UNIT

OUTCOMES

Analyze all the elements of a CLIL teaching unit, paying special attention to the tools,

frameworks and models that can help us to plan and design the tasks and the materials

for our own teaching unit.

1.

Create a CLIL unit applying the knowledge acquired in this course, with the help of the

models and templates studied in this unit.

2.

Assess our own CLIL Unit and those of our colleagues.3.

Share the created units and materials with our colleagues.4.

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PLANNING THE UNIT

INTRODUCTION

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is a term relating to any educational situation

where subject content is delivered to some degree via the medium of a foreign,second, or third

language.

According to Do Coyle, Philip Hood and David Marsh, "Successful CLIL practice is likely to require

teachers to engage in alternative ways of planning for effective learning (...) Connecting theoretical

ideas to changing practice requires time, patience and professional support (...)there is neither one

preferred CLIL model, nor one CLIL methodology. The CLIL approach is exible in order to take

account of a wide range of contexts (...)However, for CLIL to be effective, certain fundamental

principles must be recognized as essential- it is not the case that any kind of teaching or learning in

another language is CLIL.

As in every other field of teaching, planning for CLIL classes is a pre-condition to successful

teaching.

There are some different approaches to planning CLIL units and materials, such as the SIOP model

outlined by Echevarria, Enright and McCloskey’s model called "Integrating English"; Do Coyle's "4Cs

Framework"* model, etc.

The way we plan CLIL depends on the educational level, the context and the legal framework among

others. In the same way, we can find a big variety of models and templates that we can use to plan

CLIL units.

The approach that we are going to use to plan our CLIL unit is mainly based on the "4Cs framework"

but has also taken into account some ideas of the "Integrating English" and "the SIOP" model.

The templates that we are going to use for planning a CLIL unit and a CLIL lesson are the ones

published on the website of Conselleria d'Educacio, Servei d'ensenyament en Llengües. Anyway you

will also find some other templates and unit examples at the resources section.

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* You can find a link to Do Coyle's "4Cs Framework" in the resource section.

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Curricular Key Elements

The first

step in

planning

our CLIL

unit is to

decide:

A) The

subject

area that

we are

going to

teach in

the target

language

(English):

Art&craft;

PE; Maths;

Science;

Geography, etc.

B)Grade level: 1st Primary, 3rd ESO; Pre-school 4 years old; etc.

Later on we will correctly identify our CLIL unit by giving it a name and indicating the number of

lessons or sessions that it will require.

It is very important to pay attention to some key elements in our unit plan:

-Teaching Objectives

-Final Task

-Key competences

-Assessment Criteria

-Materials and resources

As we pointed out in the introduction, the process of planning a CLIL unit, can be done from different

perspectives, but most of them start the process by identifying the contents and skills integrated in a

final task.

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This FINAL TASK has to be relevant, embedded in social practice, interesting and motivating.

Although the elements mentioned above appear first in our template, they can be written after

deciding on the activities and exercises that will lead students to the final task.

OBJECTIVES: Specific of the subject ,cultural,cognitive and linguistic.(Usually linked to the curricula

outcomes)

ASSESSMENT: The assessment (initial, formative and final) should include the subject contents,

linguistic competence, cognitive skills and cultural content. ( We can review the section referred to

assessment before completing this part)

KEY COMPETENCES: We have to indicate the key competences worked thorough the unit.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES: They should accomodate different learning styles and and activate

different language skills so they have to be diverse. (We can review the section reffered to materials

to include some ideas)

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The four Cs Framework

Before

completing this template we can brainstorm activities that lead to the final activity and select those that

best fit the learning objectives.

According to Do Coyle, the steps will be

1) Consider the CONTENT

Include contents from different subjects that form part of an existing syllabus. Organize

learning through cross-curricular tasks.

Select the contents which best fit our CLIL setting (meaningful and real)

Give priority to the content which best develop our global goal.

Think about scaffolding for the content: Vocabulary presentation through multisensory

media,video, songs, flashcards, kinaesthetic activities, non-verbal resources etc.

2) Connect contents with COGNITION

Given an outline of the content, the next step is to analyse and select the thinking skills, problem

solving and creativity which connect with the content. This process ensures that the cognitive level of

the CLIL unit relates to the learners' own levels of development.

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Encourage the use of HOTs (High thinking Order skills) as well as LOTs (Low thinking

Order skills).You can use a Bloom /Gadner template or a Bloom Taxonomy's list of verbs.

(see example of this template in the resource section)

Plan activities for developing thinking skills such as those in "Thinker's keys" by Tony Ryan

(see this document in the resource section)

Present students with challenging activities and opportunities to verbalize strategies.

Use Graphic Organizers and teach students how to use them too.

3) Think about COMMUNICATION

Identifying the language needed to learn in a CLIL classroom demands systematic

analysis at the planning stage. We have to plan not only the content- obligatory

language such as key words and phrases that the students will need to participate in the

learning of the content, but also in the content-compatible language, which allows

learners to operate more fully in the content subject, such as writing a summary, explaining

an experiment,etc.

Identify the language needed to learn the subject content (key vocabulary, specific

language) and the language needed for interaction and classroom management. Content-

obligatory, content-compatible language and language through learning.

Think about scaffolding for the language and interaction: Classroom displays with key

expressions and language for each unit; labelled diagrams showing procedures; speaking

substitution tables for verbalizations and expositions; adapted texts (text with images,

diagrams, drawings, highlighted words, etc).

Once you have planned the activities, think how to make them MORE communicative.

4)Integrating CULTURE & COMMUNITY

Integrating cultural oportunities in the CLIL classroom is not an option, it is a necessity. Intercultural

experiences can be developed through different perspectives: within the ethos of the classroom,

through conections with the wider world, with other classes, the local community,etc.

Plan activities in pairs and groups to develop intercultural understanding and global

citizenship.

Foster collaborative work and parents involvement.

Community: Make connections with the local community and/or other schools (regional,

national or global) if possible.

Make reference to culture when and where possible: Their own culture and other cultures

including the target language culture

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The Lesson structure

There are numerous lesson plan formats for CLIL, variations among them can often be reduced to

different terminology and presentation styles. Regardless of format, every effective lesson plan should

be built towards the achievement of the learning objectives and connect to the final task.

We usually start creating a lesson plan with the "end" in mind, we determine what outcomes our

students will produce and how we are going to assess those outcomes.

Conselleria template for a CLIL lesson has the following structure:

- Learning Objectives (following the 4Cs

approach). We have to identify the learning

objectives regarding content, communication,

cognition and culture.

-Activities:

a)Opening activity (introduction

/revision)Setting up outcomes. What are we

going to learn? Why is it important? How are

we going to learn?

b) Warm up activities to introduce the topic, to motivate students, to engage students and catch their

interest.

c)Main activities: considering different learning styles/ input and then output/ pair work, group work

and individual work. Use multiple opportunities for practice.

-Reinforcement and extension: scaffolding for language, content and thinking skills from easy to

hard. Check for understanding. Provide opportunity for extension, using the knowledge/skills in

creative ways.

- Assessment/ reflection: Self and peer assessment. Formative assessment of student

understanding .

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- Materials and resources for the lesson: worksheets, websites, real objects, language displays...

Remember about the importance of selecting quality materials.

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Example of CLIL Unit: Supermarket

A) Supermarket unit and lesson using Conselleria's templates.

Unit_Template_Supermarket

Lesson_Template_Supermarket

B) Other templates used in this unit.

Unit supermarket using a Task based learning template (Key competences approach)

Math Task_ Supermarket role play

Math task-curricular concretion

Bloom_ Gardner template for cognition

Bloom_Gardner_for_unit_supermarket

Unit programme according to the Order 45/2011 8th June:

Unit_programme_supermarket

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Resources

These are the resources for this unit:

A) How to plan a CLIL Unit. "CLIL" by Do Coyle, Philip Hood and David Marsh (2010)

You have a link to the whole chapter 4 of this book at:

http://www.cambridge.org/servlet/file/9780521112987c04_p48-73.pdf?ITEM_ENT_ID=5633692&

COLLSPEC_ENT_ID=7

B) Templates and tools for your unit.

Conselleria templates:

http://www.cece.gva.es/ocd/sedev/val/tilc.htm

Cognition:

Thinkers_Keys_ Tony_Ryan.pdf

Bloom_Gardner_template.odt

Bloom_Verbs.pdf

Tasks and activities:

Task based template.odt

Curricular concretion.odt

C) Other examples of CLIL Units:

Conselleria_Template_example_1.pdf

Conselleria_template_example_2.pdf

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