Didactic Unit Report - Aragn

DIDACTIC UNIT REPORT - ARAGN

UNIDAD 10: HEALTHY FOOD

magister

Following the Order of Announcement, passed on 29 th April 2011, part B2 of the present examination procedures
can be replaced with a report if the candidate has been working as a supply state teacher at Primary Education
level since ... Thus, this is the presentation of didactic unit number 10 corresponding to the 1 st year of Primary
Education syllabus elaborated for this examination.
This document begins with the basic data corresponding to the foundations of the unit. These foundations will be
followed by the specific elements around which this didactic unit is constructed: objectives, competences, contents,
didactic resources, learning and teaching activities, and evaluation. This document concludes with a compilation of
the essential measures to cater for students diversity, as previously identified in the syllabus.
DIDACTIC UNIT FOUNDATIONS
The syllabus designed, and consequently this didactic unit, will be implemented in an Infant and Primary Education
School located in a medium-large size town. We have recently seen a growing percentage of immigrants in the area
and the socio-cultural level of the families is middle to lower working-class. The relationship between the community
and the school is positive. The group of students addressed is comprised of 25 pupils in the 1 st year of Primary
Education. The class is multilingual and multicultural and the presence of a student with specific educational support
needs can be highlighted. It is a student that presents (explain the case selected).
In order to design this unit, the following legislation has been used: Organic Law 2/2006 of Education (LOE); RD
1513/2006, which establishes the minimum requirements for Primary Education; and the Order passed 9 th May,
2007, which lays down the Primary Education curriculum in this region.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIDACTIC UNIT
Once the unit has been grounded on contextual and legal bases, each of the elements in it included will be
identified and specified.
Basic competences:
The LOE establishes the Basic Competences (BC) as a curricular element (article 6). Competences can be defined
as capacities or abilities to carry out tasks or face diverse situations efficiently in a variety of contexts (Zabala 2007);
from a curricular standpoint, competences are a point of reference for evaluation and promotion. These capacities
or abilities are grouped around 8 nuclei in Spanish curricula (RD 1513/2006, Order passed 9 th May, 2007): Linguistic
competence (BC 1), Mathematical competence (BC 2), Knowledge about and interaction with the physical world
competence (BC 3), Treatment of information and digital competence (BC 4), Social and civic competence (BC 5),

Didactic Unit Report - Aragn

Cultural and artistic competence (BC 6), Learning to learn competence (BC 7), Autonomy and personal initiative
(BC 8). In this unit students will develop all the basic competences, but especially:

Linguistic competence by expressing likes and dislikes in speech and in writing.

Knowledge about and interaction with the natural world by becoming aware of what is and what is not healthy
food, and by understanding the importance of having a balanced diet.

Social and civic competence by respecting other peoples likes, dislikes, and preferences related to food.

Cultural and artistic competence by distinguishing and appreciating typical dishes in different countries.

Autonomy and personal initiative by making their own communicative decisions while dramatising a role play.

The rest of the competences will also be developed by means of using new technologies such as the Internet to
consolidate language, and using logical thinking to solve communication problems.
Objectives:
The proposal to be developed in the following pages aims at helping students achieve the following objectives:

To acquire vocabulary related to food.

To distinguish between healthy and unhealthy food.

To recite a food chant.

To play a game using core vocabulary and a basic grammar structure (e.g. I like who am I?).

To express likes and dislikes.

To become familiarised with Communication Technology to expand and reinforce vocabulary.

Contents:
The contents are the indispensable and specific means by which students will develop the objectives and
competences proposed:
BLOCKS 1 and 2: COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS
-

(L) Identifying specific information in simple oral texts.

(S) Exchanging information about favourite food.

(R) Scanning for specific information and reading for the main idea

- (W) Writing words from previously introduced models.

BLOCK 3: LANGUAGE AWARENESS
Linguistic knowledge
Functions and language use: Asking and expressing preferences; Participating actively in oral exchanges;

Didactic Unit Report - Aragn

Discussing the importance of having healthy habits.
Grammar: Receptive structure: present simple (affirmative and negative sentences).
Vocabulary: Food: meat, fish, omelette, cheese, spaghetti, hamburgers
Pronunciation: Relationship between the graphic representation of words and their pronunciation; Production
of correct stress on individual words and on longer stretches depending on the meaning the student wants to
convey (whether s/he likes it or not).
Reflections on learning: Development of a lively and enquiring mind; Interest in participating in group tasks.
BLOCK 4: SOCIO-CULTURAL ASPECTS AND INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS
-

Understanding of the importance of having a healthy diet.

- Recognition of traditional food and dishes in different countries.

These contents will also give students the opportunity to develop the common elements (contents that all areas
must introduce). Pupils will learn education in values (related to healthy diet, and cultural traditions), develop
reading habits, improve their oral and written skills in communication and use ICTs to consolidate knowledge.
Activities:
This didactic unit will be developed in six school days in the third term of the year, more specifically in the first two weeks
of May. This didactic unit is about food, and it will help me introduce the importance of having healthy eating habits. This
cross-curricular aspect will be dealt with in different lessons, with a wide variety of materials, and by carrying out
different communicative activities.
LESSON 1: This lesson will take place in the computer room. During the pre-listening/reading (10 approx.), I will
put a chart on the board with all my students names and different types of food. I will ask students what their
favourite food is so as to complete the chart. I will then tell my students that they are going to listen to and read
online a story about a girl whose favourite food is chocolate. In the while- listening/reading (20 approx.), I will
guide students during the listening and reading of the story The Chocolate Shock at www.candlelightstories.com.
During the first listening/reading, I will pause to support students understanding. The story includes two songs, so I
will encourage students to pay since they will be encouraged to sing later. The second listening/reading will be done
without pauses. Students will have to sing the songs. Finally, in the post-listening/reading (20 approx.): Students
will be given the worksheet of a menu and will have to find pictures of their favourite dishes on the Internet
(websites like www.mes-english.com, and www.eslflashcards.com can provide students with attractive and colourful
pictures and with the written form of food words), select, print, and glue them on their worksheet
LESSON 2: During the warm-up: (5 approx.), I will show students the menus they designed. I will ask them if they
think this food is HEALTHY or UNHEALTHY. I will write the words on the blackboard and explain their meaning with
a food pyramid. I will try talk about the importance of having healthy habits. I will tell them that we are going to work

Didactic Unit Report - Aragn

on one type of healthy food: FRUIT. In the presentation stage (10 approx.), I will introduce the aural form of the
words. I will show a picture flashcard and ask students if they know how to say the fruit in English. If they do, I will
put it on the blackboard; if they dont I will introduce the word and give them a model of pronunciation. I will continue
until all the picture flashcards are on the blackboard. Then, I will show pupils a word card and ask them if they can
read what it says. The person who guesses right will blue tack the word card next to the picture card on the
blackboard. I will continue this process until all the picture cards have their corresponding word card. In the practice
stage (10 approx.), I will tell students that I am going to take a fruit picture card and not let anyone see it. They will
have to guess which fruit it is. I will give them clues related to the colour, spelling, etc. I will show the picture
flashcard and ask the child who guesses the word to find the word card that matches it on my desk. Both flashcards
will be put on the blackboard. Finally, in the production stage (25 approx.), my students will make their own fruit
mini books. I will give my students the black and white templates downloaded from http://www.dltkkids.com/nutrition/fruit-book.htm. To make it more interesting, I will have eliminated the fruit words from the mini
book so that students colour the pictures and write the name of the fruit represented. Fast finishers can add extra
pages to their mini books by drawing a different piece of fruit and writing the appropriate sentence under the picture.
LESSON 3:
In this lesson I will introduce other healthy food: vegetables. For this purpose, this lesson will take place in the ICT
room and will include online games like the following: At http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/languagegames/easy/fruit-and-vegetables, students will have to colour fruit and vegetables in different colours using their
mouse; at http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/fun-with-english/trolley-dash, students will have 60 seconds to
collect everything on their shopping list. First they have to remember what is on the shopping list. Then, they must
get all the items on the list in less than 60 seconds. Students have to use their mouse to move their trolley.
LESSON 4: In this lesson, I will introduce junk food. I will try to raise awareness of the importance of having a
healthy diet, but I will do it in a fun way. The song Pizza and Chips will be the core of this lesson (from
http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/pizza-and-chips).
LESSON 5: Students will be required to practise the constructions Do you like? Yes, I do / No, I dont; I like
and I dont like. For this purpose, they will have to complete a questionnaire.
LESSON 6: The last lesson of this didactic unit will try to put together all the elements introduced in this didactic unit
by means of performing a role play set at a restaurant. Students will have to decide the kind of restaurant they want
to eat at, and the food they want to have.
Evaluation procedure:
The evaluation principles, techniques and instruments to be presented here are adjusted to the guidelines

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established in the Order passed 26 th November, 2007, which regulates the organisation of the evaluation of Primary
Education students learning in Aragn.
Evaluation of the learning
What to evaluate: The evaluation criteria here proposed will facilitate the evaluation of students fulfilment of
objectives and development of basic competences. The evaluation criteria selected for this unit are to be able to:

carry out communicative activities based on the information gap principle.

recognise and reproduce core vocabulary related to food.

use appropriate pronunciation features when saying a chant in English.

make a clear distinction between healthy and unhealthy food by understanding a food pyramid.

make use of Information and Communication Technologies to learn and consolidate vocabulary.

match or recognize information in an oral text in terms of students likes and dislikes.

How to evaluate: The evaluation process will be carried out by means of specific techniques and instruments.
Among the techniques are observation and analysis of tasks and periodical tests. The instruments to be used are a
control list and a classroom diary.
When to evaluate: (i) At the beginning of the didactic unit (initial evaluation): identification of students previous
knowledge. (ii) Throughout the development of the unit (formative evaluation), students daily work and mastery of
contents will be assessed.. (iii) At the end of the didactic unit (summative evaluation), students learning and
fulfilment of objectives will be assessed.
Evaluation of the teaching
The evaluation of the teaching practice will also have a formative character so as to facilitate the decision-making
process that will lead to the introduction of modifications to improve the teaching and learning process.
What to evaluate: I will establish evaluation indicators to systematise the evaluation of the teaching. These
indicators include: Were there activities to determine students previous knowledge and experiences? Were
incentives used to facilitate motivation? Were unplanned activities introduced? Was the timing adequate?...
How to evaluate: The main technique to be used is the observation of students. As evaluation instruments, fact-files
will be used to register the feedback obtained.
When to evaluate: For evaluation to have a formative character, an initial, a process, and a summative evaluation
have to be carried out. In this manner, evaluation will contribute to guarantee educational quality and efficiency.
From here on, the candidate can include sections like ATTENTION TO DIVERSITY or METHODOLOGICAL
RESOURCES used if deemed necessary.
For the elaboration of this document, apart from the previously-mentioned legal documents, I have consulted

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CUENCA ESTEBAN (2000): Cmo motivar y ensear a aprender en E. Primaria. Barcelona: CissPraxis.