teacher workbook: unit planning, lesson planning, and effective evaluation

7/27/2019 Teacher Workbook: Unit Planning, Lesson Planning, and Effective Evaluation

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English Immersion Program on San Andrés and Providencia

2013

Unit Planning,

Lesson Planning,and Effective EvaluationA workbook for English teachers

Emily Fiocco and Jessica Hom, Peace Corps Colombia



Table of Contents

Section I: Unit Planning

Organizing the Year into Units .................................................................................................................. 3

Sample Unit Plan ....................................................................................................................................... 5

Unit Planning Form ................................................................................................................................... 7

Section II: Lesson Planning

The “I-We-You” Model.............................................................................................................................. 9

Sample Lesson Plan ................................................................................................................................. 13

Lesson Planning Form ............................................................................................................................. 15

Section III: Effective Evaluation

Period-Long Evaluation Plans .................................................................................................................. 17

Sample Evaluation Plan.................................................................................................................. 18

Evaluation Plan Form ..................................................................................................................... 19

Types of Evaluation ................................................................................................................................. 20

Writing a Rubric ...................................................................................................................................... 23

Sample Rubric ................................................................................................................................ 24

Rubric Form .................................................................................................................................... 25




Organizing the Year into Units

3

Periods and Units

A great way to plan the year is to divide it into smaller units, and then decide what we’re going

to teach in each unit.

Each period is 10 weeks long. Let’s say that each period will have 2 units, and let’s plan for each

unit to be 4 weeks long. This gives us 2 extra weeks to compensate for missed class,

recuperaciones, etc.

We know that the first month of school is very disorganized, but we can plan to take advantage

of that time. Unit 1 can be four weeks of reviewing the most important parts of last year’s

material and establishing class rules. Unit 2 can start the new material for the year.

What are our next steps? Using the “Unit Planning Form” (pages 11-12)…

1. Look at the materials you have (including a book, if you have one). Decide what content

is most important and realistic for our students.

2. Choose the grammar and functions for each unit.

3. Choose a theme and learning objectives for each unit.

4. Choose the vocabulary and the types of evaluation (specifically, the conversation topic

and the type of creative work) for each unit.

5. Review to make sure that all of important content for the year is included in our plan.

You will need one copy of the “Unit Planning Form” for each unit—eight total!

Later, you will add: Quizzes and exams

Rubrics for the conversations and creative work

Vocabulary lists

Materials, exercises, flash cards, talleres, etc.

Lesson plans (with ideas for activities, etc.)

Year

Period1

Unit1

Unit2

Period2

Unit3

Unit4

Period3

Unit5

Unit6

Period4

Unit7

Unit8




Organizing the Year into Units

4

Some important notes:

It is perfectly fine to write in Spanish! Sometimes it is easier to think and create in

Spanish, and one goal of this project is to make teachers’ lives easier. Also, if the

curriculum is in Spanish, then it can be shared with the coordinadores, rector , etc.

Stay organized!

Keep records of all the work you do. Next year, you can use the same material instead

of reinventing the wheel.

Collaborate with other teachers. Two heads are better than one.

Conversations and Creative Work

The goal of conversations and creative work is to get students to practice the content (grammar,

functions, and vocabulary) for that unit in an interesting way.

Conversations do not always need to be two friends talking to each other. That would be

boring. There are many fun ways to get students to speak and write. Some examples for

conversations, role plays, and written (creative) work:

An interaction between a shop owner and customers

An interview between a journalist and a famous person

A police officer interviewing crime scene witnesses (good for past tense)

Someone calling a radio program to ask for advice (good for should/shouldn’t)

A job interview between an employer and potential employees (good for professions

and occupations, can/can’t)

Tour guide and tourists (good for city places)

Someone selling a house to potential buyers (good for places of the house and for

descriptions)

A lost tourist asking for directions (good for giving directions)

Models and commentators at a fashion show (good for physical appearance and

clothes)

A commercial (on the radio or television) for a new product

Writing horoscopes for the newspaper (good for future tense)

Writing other types of newspaper articles (good for past tense)

Drawing Facebook profiles (good for likes/dislikes)

Doing a weather report on a television program (good for weather and future tense)

There are many more possibilities!




Sample Unit Plan

6

Vocabulary List

Illnesses

To have…

Cold

CoughFever

Flu

Headache

Pain

Nausea

Nosebleed

Runny nose

Sting

Sore throat

Stomachache

Adjectives to

describe pain

Burning

DullSharp

Tingling

Throbbing

Remedies

To drink…

- Herbal tea

- Tea- Cough syrup

To get an

injection

To go to…

- The doctor

- The hospital

- The clinic

To rest

To take a pill

Letter-writing

phrases

Dear

SincerelyLove

Modals

Can

Must

ShouldHave to

Had better

Reading Comprehension Text

An article about home remedies (remedios caseros) from another culture. For example, “People

in China believe that you should… if you have a cold.” The article will talk about remedies and

use the modal should/shouldn’t. Students can then write home remedies from Colombia.




Unit Planning Form

7

Period: __________ Unit: __________ Theme: ________________________________

Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, students will be able to…

Grammar and Functions

Vocabulary

Evaluation

1. Vocabulary quiz

2. Conversation

What kind of conversation or role play will the students do? How will it use the grammar/functions

and vocab from this unit?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

3. Creative work

What kind of creative work or poster will the students do? How will it use the grammar/functions

and vocab from this unit?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________




Unit Planning Form

8

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

4. Exam

5. Homework and/or taller

Vocabulary list:

Other notes:




The “I-We-You” Model

9

We can use a very simple and effective model of lesson planning: I-We-You. In this model, a lesson has

three parts:

I: “I” is the teacher. In the first part of the lesson, the teacher presents the material. The teacher

explains new material or reviews old material, and gives many examples for students. Students listen,

take notes, and ask questions. This is typically the shortest part of the lesson.

We: “We” is the teacher and the students together. In the second part of the lesson, the teacher and

the students practice the material together as a class.

You: “You” is the students. In the third part of the lesson, the students practice the material

independently. The teacher walks around the classroom to check that students are using the language

correctly and to answer questions.

I

• teacher presents material and gives examples

• students listen and ask questions

We

• teacher and students practice materialtogether as a class

You• students practice material independently• teacher checks students' work





10

Warm-Ups and Exit Tickets

In addition to the “I-We-You model ”, we have two more important elements of lesson planning: warm-

ups and exit tickets.

Warm-ups: A warm-up is a very short activity at the beginning of class that prepares students for the

lesson. It takes about five minutes. It is usually a review of the previous lesson’s material. All students

should participate.

Here are some examples of warm-ups:

Make a list of all the colors you know in English

You can substitute any relevant vocabulary

Write three sentences using “to be” in the present tense

You can substitute any other kind of grammar

In pairs, students ask and answer two questions in English

Make a “word map” related to a topic

Exit tickets: An exit ticket is a type of informal evaluation at the end of class. An exit ticket is something

that students have to show or do in order to leave the class at the end of the hour. The students will

learn to do their work during class because (obviously) they want to leave.

If there are many errors in the students’ work, then the teacher knows that the students do not

understand and that the class needs more review of the material.

Here are some examples of exit tickets: To leave, students must show the four sentences in the past tense that they wrote during class

To leave, students must say (or read) one sentence in English based on the material from class

To leave, students must read (in pairs) the conversation that they wrote

To leave, students must show that they copied the notes and examples in their notebooks

warm-up

I We Youexit

ticket





11

Individual vs. Group Work

Our lessons should use a variety of strategies: individual work, pair work, group work, and class work.

Advantages Potential problems

Whole class

For example: the

teacher explains

grammar

- Can be good for presenting new material

- Allows the teacher to give examples

- Students may be listening and

copying, but they probably aren’t

practicing English

- Can be boring

Pairs

For example: pairs

of students practice

a conversation

- Many students can practice at the same

time

- Students feel less pressure

- Stronger students can help others

- Students may get distracted

- Can get noisy

- If someone’s partner is absent,

there may be a problem

Groups

For example: groups

of four students

create posters about

a tienda

- Students learn to work together

- Can be more fun, especially for creative

work

- Stronger students can help others

- If you are working on projects, then the

teacher will have fewer presentations to

grade


- Can get noisy

- If someone’s partner is absent,

there may be a problem

- Moving chairs can be noisy

Individual

For example:

students work

individually on a

taller/worksheet

- Each student can work at his or her own

pace

- Teacher can give individual help to

students who need it the most


- Students may make errors

without realizing it

Here are some important recommendations to make any kind of lesson successful: Plan your lessons. Think about your lesson objectives and decide how the class is going to work

ahead of time.

Give clear instructions. Tell the students what you expect them to do, and how much time they

have. Write important information on the board. Model the activity for your students.

Choose appropriate activities. Some activities are better for groups; others are better for

individuals.

Make sure the level is appropriate. If the activity is too easy or too difficult, then the lesson

won’t be successful.

Fix problems before they get out of control. If a group doesn’t work well together, then change

the group. If students are talking to each other instead of paying attention, then make the

students move chairs. If students don’t understand the material, then stop,go back, and reviewuntil it is clear.





12

A Checklist for Good Lessons

Does the lesson have a clear and appropriate objective?

Does every student have to practice English?

Does the lesson build on what the students already know?

I (teacher):

Does the teacher explain the material clearly?

Does the teacher model how to use the English material?

We (teacher and students together):

Do students practice the material with the teacher’s guidance?

Does the teacher provide positive feedback?

Does the teacher correct students’ mistakes in an encouraging way?

You (students):

Do the students have clear directions about what they have to do?

Does the teacher walk around the classroom and help students?

Is there a warm-up to prepare students for the lesson?

Is there an exit ticket to check students’ understanding?




Sample Lesson Plan

13

This is a sample lesson plan for an 8th

-grade class studying modals, illnesses, and giving advice. The

students have already studied the vocabulary, and they know some simple verbs. There are 40 students

in the class.

Period: 2 Unit: 4 Topic: using modals to give advice

Lesson objectives: Students will be able to…

Use should and shouldn’t to give advice for health and personal problems

Analyze everyday problems and make recommendations

Materials needed: whiteboard, markers, papel periódico, tape, list of examples (prepared before class)

Warm-up

How will the students

review and prepare for the lesson?

Time: 7 minutes

In their notebooks, students make a list of all the vocabulary they remember

about modals and illnesses. (4 minutes)

Teacher asks students how many words they remembered. (“Raise your handif you have 5 or more words. Raise your hand if you have 10 or more words.”

Etc.)

The student who has the most words reads them out loud. Other students

can add additional words that were not mentioned. Teacher reinforces

correct pronunciation. (3 minutes)

I

How will the teacher present the material?

Time: 8 minutes

Teacher presents the modals should and shouldn’t . Teacher explains the

grammar for these modals—using Spanish, if necessary.

Teacher gives several examples of sentences usingshould and shouldn’t ,

building on English that students already know. For example:

David has a biology exam tomorrow. He should study.

Susan is very tired. She should sleep.

Anna has the flu. She shouldn’t go to school.

Students copy examples in their notebooks. (8 minutes)

We

How will the teacher

and students practice

the material together

as a class?

Time: 10 minutes

Teacher writes two columns on the board. In one column, a list of situations;

in another column, a list of recommendations. Students must match the

situation to the recommendation. (5 minutes)

Teacher asks students for correct answers. Students read the sentences out

loud (to practice speaking). (5 minutes)

Teacher answers any questions.




Sample Lesson Plan

14

You

How will students

practice the material

independently?

Time: 25 minutes

Teacher tapes eight pieces of papel periódico on the wall. Each piece has a

different situation. Some situations are health problems, other are personal

problems. For example:

1. Danny has no money.

2. Nancy is sick. She has a stomachache.

3. Gustavo lost his cédula.

Teacher divides the students into eight groups. Each group stands next to one

piece of paper. The students must read the situation and write one

recommendation (using should or shouldn’t ).

Every five minutes, the students rotate around the room (in groups), visiting

each piece of papel periódico. For each situation, they read what the other

groups wrote, then add another recommendation.

It’s okay if there is not time for every group to visit every piece of paper. (20

minutes)

When there are five minutes left of class, the teacher asks one person from

each group to read all the recommendations written for that situation. (5

minutes)

Exit ticket

What must students do

to show that they

understand the

material before leaving

the class?

Students must copy, in their notebooks, one of the situations, and at least one

positive recommendation (should ) and one negative (shouldn’t ).

Teacher’s notes:

Written by: Jessica Date: December 18, 2012




Lesson Planning Form

15

Period: _____ Unit: _____ Topic: _______________________________________________

Lesson objectives: Students will be able to…

Materials needed:

Warm-up

How will the studentsreview and prepare for

the lesson?

Time: _____ minutes

I


present the material?

Time: _____ minutes

We


and students practice

the material together

as a class?

Time: _____ minutes




Lesson Planning Form

16

You

How will students

practice the material

independently?

Time: _____ minutes

Exit ticket

What must students do

to show that they

understand the

material before leaving

the class?

Teacher’s notes:

Written by: ________________________________________ Date: ___________________________




Period-Long Evaluation Plans

17

It’s important to decide how we will evaluate students over an entire period. Here are some

important questions to consider:

1. How will you evaluate your students?

2. How frequently will you evaluate your students?

3. When will you evaluate your students?

Answering these questions, we can develop a period-long evaluation plan.

An evaluation plan can look like this:

Week Grades

1 Homework (5 pts) Class participation (5 pts)

2 Project (5pts) Class participation (5 pts)


4 Test (5 pts) Class participation (5 pts)

5 Class participation (5 pts)6 Homework (5 pts) Class participation (5 pts)

7 Test (5 pts) Class participation (5 pts)


9 Project (5 pts) Class participation (5 pts)

10 Homework (5 pts) Test (5 pts) Class participation (5 pts)

Total number of grades: 20 Total number of points: 100

It tells us what kind of grades there will be, how many there will be, and when they will be

taken. For example, using this calendar, we see that:

There are 3 grades for tests, and they are in weeks 4, 7, and 10. There are 4 grades for homework, and they are in weeks 1, 3, 6, and 8.

Why use a period-long evaluation plan?

Make sure you have enough grades at the end of the period. If you follow your evaluation

plan, you will have enough grades to give every student a final grade for the period.

Tell students what to expect. You can tell the students exactly how they will be evaluated. The

students will be able to prepare for projects and tests, and they will be more motivated.

Monitor students’ progress throughout the period. Don’t wait until the end of the period to

discover that students are having difficulty. If you take several grades throughout the period,

you will know when there are problems.

It is easy to calculate final grades. Each assignment and test is worth a certain amount of points.

Compare the total number of points that students receive with the total amount of points

possible to easily and effectively determine grades.




Sample Evaluation Plan

18

Let’s imagine that there is an English teacher named Diego. He uses these three questions to

develop a period-long evaluation plan:





Diego decides he will evaluate his students

using the four following strategies:

2. How frequently will you evaluate your

students?

Diego decides how many grades he will take for

each type of evaluation in one period (10 weeks).

Homework/talleres 5 grades for homework

Tests/quizzes 3 grades for tests

Projects and conversations 2 grades for projects

Participation in class 10 grades for participation in class


Diego uses a calendar to decide when he take each grade. Using this calendar, he knows that at

the end of the period (10 weeks), he will have all the grades he needs. Each student can receive a

maximum

Week Grades

1 Homework Class participation

2 Project Class participation


4 Test Class participation5 Class participation


7 Test Class participation


9 Project Class participation

10 Homework Test Class participation




Evaluation Plan Form

19

Grade: ___________________ Period: _____________________________


List the types of evaluation you will use.

(For example: exams, homework, etc.)


Write a number next to each type of evaluation to

indicate how many grades you will take each

semester.


Use this calendar to decide when you will use each type of evaluation.

Week Grades

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10




Types of Evaluation

20

Students demonstrate their learning in many ways: talking, interacting (in conversations or role

plays), describing, creating, drawing, writing, reading…

Similarly, we can evaluate students in many different ways. Effective evaluation gives students

an opportunity to show us what they have learned. It tests multiple skills. It is fair and

objective. And it tests the material that we have taught the students.

In this section, we will explain some different types of formal evaluation, including:

Homework

Talleres

Vocabulary Quizzes

Exams

In the next section, we will explain rubrics, a way to evaluate projects and presentations.

What is the best format for exams and other evaluations?

Always test students in the same way that you taught them. The test questions should

be similar to the exercises that the students practiced in class.

For example, if the students did an exercise in class where they looked at a picture and

answered questions about it, then the test should have a similar section.

If the students did an exercise in class where they read a short biography and answered

questions about it, then the test should have a similar section.

By testing students in the same way that we taught them, we can prepare students for success.




Types of Evaluation

21

Homework and Talleres

Students need as much practice using English as possible. Homework and talleres are good

because they give the students more practice. Homework and talleres often include:

Grammar exercises

Vocabulary exercises

Listening activities

Reading activities

We may choose to evaluate homework and talleres based on effort, instead of on correctness.

(For example, if the student completed 100% of the taller and worked hard in class, then he/she

gets a 10, even if there are some errors.)

Why? Students need low-pressure opportunities to practice English. When we learn a new

language, we make mistakes. Homework/talleres should allow students to make mistakes (and

correct them!) without penalty. Then students will be more prepared for formal evaluation, like

exams and projects.

If we assign homework, will the students do it?

Yes. If the teacher assigns homework and then rewards students who do it (with a good grade

or in another way), then the students will learn to do their homework. If the teacher assigns

homework and then forgets about it, or doesn’t give the students any incentive, then the

students will not do their homework.

Start by giving small, easy homework assignments. Check the homework on the day it is due.

Review the correct answers. Praise the students who do their work. Homework is ahabit that

we must teach students.




Types of Evaluation

22

Vocabulary Quizzes

The vocabulary quiz should be near the beginning of the unit. The quiz will motivate students

to learn the vocabulary so they can use it in class during the rest of the unit. It is important to

focus on the words from the unit’s vocabulary list (so students know what to study). Finally, we

must try to ask questions that put the vocabulary in context so that it is meaningful for students.

The vocab quiz may include a word bank to help the students. It may also include a listening

section to test whether students recognize how words sound.

Ideas for a vocabulary quiz:

Matching: students match a word with its English or Spanish definition

Matching: students match a word with a picture

Dictation: teacher reads a word or phrase, and students write

Which doesn’t belong? : students have to choose which word does not belong in the

group (for example, in the group of words “flu, headache, pill, cough,” the word “pill”

does not belong because it is a remedy, not an illness)

Fill in the Blank : students read a phrase, sentence or definition and write the correct

word

List : ask the students to list five words in a category (for example, write five illnesses)

Exams

The final exam should be at the end of the unit. It should test students on the material and

skills that they learned and practiced during the unit.

Common ideas for a final exam:

A listening section, preferably similar to a listening activity that the students have

already done

A reading section, preferably similar to a reading activity that the students have already

done

A vocabulary section, preferably similar to a vocabulary activity that the students have

already done

A grammar/functions section, preferably similar to a grammar/function activity that the

students have already done

An exam should not have exclusively multiple-choice questions. There should be “freeresponse” questions, where the students have to produce their own answers/sentences in

English.

Remember: Always test students in the same way that you taught them. The test

questions should be similar to the exercises that the students practiced in class.




Writing a Rubric

23

What is a rubric?

Rubrics are a tool to motivate students by communicating exactly what we expect of them.

Rubrics make grading clearer, fairer, and more objective. We can use rubrics for many things,

including creative work and conversations.

How to write and use a rubric:

1. Make a list of what you want your students to practice with this activity.

Example: My students are going to do a conversation. One person will call a radio program,

asking for help with a problem. The other person will give advice. I want the students to

practice pronunciation, fluency, “should,” and vocabulary related to illnesses.

2. Decide exactly what the students must do for the assignment. Be as specific as

possible. Include numbers if you can.

Example:

Pronunciation: students must speak clearly enough that all the words are easily

understandable

Fluency: students must speak with a natural pace and intonation, without reading from

a paper

Grammar: students must use “should” two times. Use “shouldn’t” two times. Use

“should” in a question two times. (Six uses in total.)

Vocabulary: students must use three vocabulary words related to illnesses. Use three

vocabulary words related to remedies. (Six words in total.)

3. Decide the requirements for grades. What do students need to do to get a 10? What

do they need to do to get an 8? Etc.

4. Share the rubric with your students before they start working. Tell them that every

student can earn 10. Encourage them to refer to the rubric.

5. Use the rubric to evaluate students’ work

On the next page, you will find a sample rubric.




Sample Rubric

24

Below you will see a sample rubric for a conversation that students do:

One person will call a radio program, asking for help with a problem. The other person

will give advice. I want the students to practice pronunciation, fluency, “should,” and

vocabulary related to illnesses.

This rubric is for a school that grades from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

→ Grades

↓ Categories

2 3 4 5

Pronunciation Less than 50%

correct; hard to

understand

50-70% correct;

some parts are

hard to

understand

70-90% correct;

easy to

understand

90-100% correct;

very easy to

understand

Fluency Many awkward

pauses; less than

70% memorized

Sounds natural

most of the time;

70-90%

memorized

Sounds natural;

some pauses;

90% memorized

Sounds natural;

no long pauses;

100% memorized

Grammar Uses “should”

fewer than 4

times, with

several errors

Uses “should” 4-5

times, but with 1-

3 errors

Uses “should” 6

times, but with 1-

2 errors

Uses “should”

correctly 6 times

(+, -, ?)

Vocabulary Uses fewer than 4

vocab words

Uses 4 vocab

words

Uses 5 vocab

words

Uses 6 vocab

words (remedies

and illnesses)




Rubric Form

25

Assignment:

→ Grades

↓ Categories

teacher workbook: unit planning, lesson planning, and effective evaluation

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