Data Status

Biljana Pipovic
Unit PIanning
Unit planning is an important component oI adapting the curriculum to support student
achievement oI objectives.
The Iramework Ior unit planning is based on the Iollowing questions:
* What is it the students need to know or be able to demonstrate?
* How do they demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and attitudes?
* What activities, approaches, and resources help students to learn what they need to know?
Materials Needed - a Ilip chart or white board and markers or any board; or large pieces oI paper
placed on walls; handouts
1 Data Status presentation 5-10 min
2 Aget-to-know-you style icebreaker10-15min depending on the size oI the group
This game can be played individually or with two teams. To set up the game, pass out an index card
and a pen Ior each participant. Ask each person to write down something interesting they have done.
Examples include the Iollowing:
I went skydiving once.
I got arrested beIore.
I once drank three litres oI milk.
I lived in Iive diIIerent states.
I ate bugs beIore.
Try to instruct people to write a Iact that most people don`t already know the sillier (or more
unbelievable) the better. Collect all the cards (separate them into two piles iI two teams are playing).
ShuIIle the cards and then pass them back out. Each person (or team) takes turns reading aloud their
card and then the reader must guess whose Iact he or she read. AIter he or she guesses, the guessed
person simply says 'yes or 'no. II the person guesses correctly, the guessed person can brieIly
explain what they wrote (iI desired). The guessing continues until all cards are exhausted. Everyone
reveals who wrote which card at the end.
3 A Few of My Favorite Things 15-20min depending on the size oI the group
Ask the participants to share their top three Iavorite things about teaching and planning.
II you have time, go back around Ior the Ilip side: what are their three least Iavorite things? This
inIormation will be even more helpIul iI you ask them to explain why. Will your time together help to
solve any oI these issues?
Keep a list on a Ilip chart or white board and use Ior discussion.
4Strongly agree / Strongly disagree 15 min
Participants stand up and stand in a group. The teacher draws an imaginary line between the sign
Strongly agree and Strongly disagree. Participants hear the statement related to planning and move
between the line and the statement they believe in. Participants explain their point oI view.
Statements:
Planning means writing pages oI notes Ior scrutiny by someone else.
Planning in too much detail can cause inIlexibility in a programme, crippling the teacher`s
ability to respond to students.
Working on planning aIter lessons, as well as beIore, ensures that the class you are teaching
gets a balanced mixture oI diIIerent kinds oI materials, content and interaction types
throughout the course.
Regardless oI the approach taken, teachers need to plan to ensure that there is congruence
between learning objectives, assessment, activities, and resources.
Unit planning is an important component oI adapting the curriculum to support student
achievement oI objectives.
5 Unit planning Presentation 15 min
The Iramework Ior unit planning is based on the Iollowing questions:
What is it the students need to know or be able to demonstrate?
How do they demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and attitudes?
What activities, approaches, and resources help students to learn what they need to
know?
Handouts
Grade level What is grade levelIor which the unit is designed?
Unit name
Number oI lessons
planned
What is the name oI the unit?
Depending on the total number oI lessons, units number in a course
book, assessment / evaluation...
Unit goals
Content / language
competence
What are the goals Ior this unit? These represent the major concepts
that will be taught. It is expected that Irom each goal, several speciIic
objectives could be pulled out. The goals will cover the entire unit
whether it is 3 lessons or 8. Start with By the end of this Unit students
will be able to...
Language competence means the ability or knowledge to do
something by using language. We use language to do the Iollowing
things: to speak, to write, and to read what other have written or to
listen to others when they are speaking. E.g. Speech acts; Grammar;
Vocabulary; Pronunciation; Spelling; Writing;
Materials /media
Activities
SB, WB, TB; identiIy the soItware, web sites, other materials and/or
media needed to teach this lesson.
How to accomplish your goals? Reading, discussing, expressing
opinion, listening, practising grammar... Over-plan - it is always
better to have more activities than not enough!
Assessment and
evaluation
IdentiIy the methods that the teacher will use to identiIy the student
learning levels and needs. Describe when these will be used during
the unit.
To sum up:Decide what the students should learn and be able to do both in class as practice and how
they will use the skills when leaving the classroom.
Summarize what you intend the learners to know about the topic and be able to do in a Iew sentences
or a short paragraph.
Use variety in lessons, assessment, and resources - let learners experience the unit oI study through
various means.
6 Unit planning practice 45 min
Participants choose a unit Irom a textbook English in mind and working in groups oI three/Iour/Iive
(depending on the size oI a group) develop a Unit Plan Iollowing the given instructions.
Participants present the Unit Plan they have developed with a brieI discussion (written on large pieces
oI paper
7 FEEDBACK FORMS! and Seminar evaluation
UNIT PLAN example
School Grammar School
School year: 2011/12
Class second Iorm
Course material English in Mind 3 (second edition)
Unit 1 Communication
Number oI lessons planned: 4
DESIRED OUTCOME COMPETENCE
Goals
By the end oI the unit, students will be able to:
Talk about communication and diIIerent ways people communicate with an emphasis on
communication between twins, body language and the ways animals communicate
Talk about the events Irom the past which are separate Irom now (the moment oI speaking)
and have nothing to do with present
Talk about activities that start in the past and go on until present moment, ie. activities that
connect past and present
Make the diIIerence between the verbs say and tell
Write a composition about a person they have known Ior a long time.
Content
Speech acts talking about methods oI communication the students use most; talking about
the most eIIective methods oI communication; talking about something impressive the
students have done and something they did beIore that; talking about something they bought
recently, an interesting Iilm, their Iavourite place or their plans Ior the next weekend;
discussing the importance oI communication between animals
Grammar the Past Simple and the Present PerIect Simple tense
Vocabulary methods oI communication; body language; say and tell; collocations with talk
and speak
Pronunciation sentence stress
MATERIALS USED
English in Mind 3 SB, WB, TB, handouts (teacher`s resources and Internet)
ACTIVITIES
First lesson
- Reding the text and inserting the punctuation marks, handout
- Discussing diIIerent methods oI communication
- Listening to someone talking about methids oI communication, SB ex.1b
- Expressing opinion about the most eIIective method oI communication, SB ex. 1c
- Reading the article Talking without speaking and marking the statements true or Ialse, SB
ex. 2
- IdentiIying the examples oI the Past Simple and Present PerIect Simple tense in the text
Talking without speaking, SB ex.3a & 3b
- Completing the rule related to the Iorm and use oI the Past Simple and Present PerIect Simple
tense with the teacher`s presentation iI necessary or a round-up revision oI these tenses, SB ex.
3c
- Practising the Iorm and use oI the Past Simple and Present PerIect Simple, SB ex. 3d, 3e;
WB ex.1a, 1b, 1c; Homework ~ WB ex. 1d, 1e, 1I
Second lesson
- Checking homework
- Speaking about something impressive students have just done
- Introducing body language vocabulary using TPR
- Matching the words with the pictures, SB ex. 5a
- Listening to two people doing a quizz about body language and circling the correct answer,
SB ex. 5c
- Working in pairs: one student speaks about something they bought recently, an interesting
Iilm, their Iavourite place or their plans Ior the next week and the other student uses body
language to show that he is a good listener
- Homework ~ WB ex. 3a, 3b, 3c & 3d
Third lesson
- Checking homework
- Practising the diIIerence between say and tell, SB ex. 7a, 7b, 7c
- Working in pairs: students complete the questions with say and tell (student A ex8, student
B p126) and then answer each other`s personal questions
- Practising pronunciation, SB ex9, WB ex2
- Talking about the methods the animals communicate
- Reading / listening to the text Talk to animals and circling the correct anwers, SB ex10b,
10c
- Matching the words Irom the text with their meaning, SB ex10d, 10e
- Speaking about why it is important Ior animals to be able to communicate
- Reading the composition about a person Kylie has known Ior a long time and identiIying
tenses, SB ex12a, 12b; Homework ~ SB ex12c
Forth lesson
- Checking homework
- Practising vocabulary: body language, WB ex3a, 3b, 3c, 4d
- Reading the text Talking drums and marking statements true or Ialse, WB ex4
- Reading the email (WB - ex5a) and the reply; replacing the wrong phrases (WB ex5b, 5c)
Homework ~ WB ex5d
- Revising vocabulary and grammar covered ~ Unit Check
UNIT PLANNINGSEMINAR FEEDBACK FORM
The content oI this seminar was valuable and well-organized.
A Strongly agree B Agree C Disagree D Strongly disagree
The presentation oI seminarinstructor was well-prepared and responsive to mylearning needs
and interest.
A Strongly agree B Agree C Disagree D Strongly disagree
Interacting with other participants made the seminar more valuable.
A Strongly agree B Agree D Disagree D Strongly disagree
The handouts oI this seminar were clear and useIul.
A Strongly agree B Agree C Disagree D Strongly disagree
Overall, my teaching skills are improved by participating in this seminar.
A Strongly agree B Agree D Disagree D Strongly disagree
I would recommend this seminar to others.
A Strongly agree B Agree D Disagree D Strongly disagree
What elements oI this seminar do you Iind most beniIicial to your Iurther working experience?

COMMENTS (would be most appreciated)

Thank you for your time' Hope you enfoyed' See you soon' Biljana
UNIT PLANNINGSEMINAR FEEDBACK FORM
The content oI this seminar was valuable and well-organized.
A Strongly agree B Agree C Disagree D Strongly disagree
The presentation oI seminar instructor was well-prepared and responsive to my learning needs
and interest.
A Strongly agree B Agree C Disagree D Strongly disagree
Interacting with other participants made the seminar more valuable.
A Strongly agree B Agree D Disagree D Strongly disagree
The handouts oI this seminar were clear and useIul.
A Strongly agree B Agree C Disagree D Strongly disagree
Overall, my teaching skills are improved by participating in this seminar.
A Strongly agree B Agree D Disagree D Strongly disagree
I would recommend this seminar to others.
A Strongly agree B Agree D Disagree D Strongly disagree
What elements oI this seminar do you Iind most beniIicial to your Iurther working experience?

COMMENTS (would be most appreciated)

Thank you for your time' Hope you enfoyed' See you soon' Biljana
BiljanaPipovic is an English teacher, born in Leskovac, studied in Nis, employed at
Gimnazija `StevanJakoljevic` in Vlasotince with working experience oI 14 years. She has also
been working as a language instructor in private schools Ior seven years teaching teenagers
and adults oI all language levels, both general and Business English. She has held several
workshops trying to make teachers change their approach to teaching, showing them that
variety is the spice oI ELT. Her present interests include classroom interaction and
international school projects.