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This is one of a series of pages designed to illustrate how to go about developing plans for teaching the Themes. These should not be
seen as complete downloadable packages, but rather as drafts or explorations. In particular, note that Beata provides a wide range
of varied and stimulating activities and procedures. Such creative variety will keep the students actively involved, working towards
clearly-identified goals. So, please adopt whichever techniques you like, adapt them to your students' current needs, and apply them
to other materials and other aspects of the Themes.
by Beata Mirecka-Jakubowska, IB English B, Jakarta Intercultural School, Indonesia
IB English B Thematic Unit 1
Theme: Identity
Topic: Beliefs & Values
Let’s embark together on a fascinating journey into identity, beliefs & values and ponder how they impact our lives.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: to practice a wide variety of receptive and productive skills:
enhance reading comprehension skills (list, feature article, professional blog);
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practice oral communication skills (short explanation, reflection, analysis & comparison, long explanation);
practice listening comprehension skills (conversation);
flex critical thinking skills;
hone writing skills (summary, use of new vocabulary, professional blog);
expand range of vocabulary (powerful verbs);
reflect on your learning.
LIFE SKILL: to discover how to understand your own identity and that of others.
GUIDED INQUIRY: How does culture define us? How do identity, beliefs & values impact our lives?
Unit Plan
Lesson 1
Reading Comprehension: List of values
Oral Communication: Explanation based on the list of values
Listening Comprehension: “What’s in a name” 6 minutes, with exercises
HOME EXTENSION: Research own name
Lesson 2
Reading Comprehension: Feature article “Why your name matters” M. Konnikova, The New Yorker
Oral Communication: Reflection on ideas gained from article and own name
HOME EXTENSION: Writing with new vocabulary, sentences or summary
Lesson 3
Reading Comprehension: Professional blog “Name calling” M. Wallace, Psychology Today
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Critical Thinking and Oral Communication: Analysis & comparison of infographics; short oral explanation
HOME EXTENSION: writing a professional blog entry, try #1
Lesson 4
Reading Comprehension: Professional blog “Culture: What Is It, and How Does It Influence Us?” K. O’Reilly
Critical Thinking and Oral Communication: Analysis & reflection on Culture Wheel; longer explanation
HOME EXTENSION: reading a professional blog “Why Critical Thinking Is So Important” & new vocabulary
Lesson 5
Listening Comprehension: “Culture & society” Khan Academy, 3.5 minutes
Reading Comprehension: verbal & non-verbal text (cartoon)
Oral Communication: long explanation of connections
HOME EXTENSION: writing a professional blog entry try#2 with vocabulary (powerful verbs)
Lesson 6
Writing Review: Professional blog entry - own text revision/peer text editing
Critical Thinking and Oral Communication: Ponder “How does culture define us? How do identity, beliefs & values impact our
lives?”
Reflection on learning
The above unit plan intended for 6 lessons of 75 to 90 minutes (adjust according to your time frames) includes a variety of resources for practice
of receptive and productive skills. Let’s examine how these texts can be used. The focus text type is the professional blog.
Lesson 1:
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Reading Comprehension: List of values (see PDF handout below)
A simple list of values can be used as a springboard for discussion and vocabulary building. Suggested activity: pair or group work to
create a poll on Doodle poll maker and compare choices
Oral Communication: Explanation based on the list of values
A prepared short explanation of top 5-10 values with reasons for choices.
Suggested activity: divide & slide activity (two rows of students facing each other and 30-60 second) to exchange explanations, then
one row moves 2 people down the line; repeat once or twice.)
Listening Comprehension: “What’s in a name” 6 minutes, with exercises
Name trends - British Accent - 6 minutes of listening comprehension of a conversation on names. (See transcript below)
Suggested activity: students listen twice and complete one of two exercises each time: TRUE or FALSE and Fill-in-the-gaps.
HOME EXTENSION:
Research information on own name or nickname to share in class.
Handouts
Lesson 1 - List of values
Lesson 1 - 'What's in a name' transcript
Lesson 2:
Reading Comprehension: Feature article “Why your name matters” M. Konnikova, The New Yorker (handout below)
Suggested activity: jigsaw of individual work (10 paragraphs to distribute among students to digest) to summarize content in 1-2
sentences and peer teach new vocabulary, especially powerful verbs in context.
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Oral Communication: Reflection
A short reflection on ideas gained on ideas gained from article and research about own name.
Suggested activity: Flipgrid.com recordings (builds confidence with camera; use the “stickie” feature to write bullet points to facilitate
greater fluency) with recorded replies (builds empathy and establishes rapport with peers)
See also the page Oral practice with Flipgrid for further details of this technique
HOME EXTENSION:
Writing with new vocabulary: sentences or summary of article/excerpts of article4
Handout
Lesson 2 - 'Why your name matters'
Lesson 3:
Reading Comprehension: Professional blog “Name calling in middle school” C.E. Pickhard, Ph.D., PsychologyToday.com
A professional blog post on long lasting effects of name calling.
Suggested activity: jigsaw of pair work on explanation of idiomatic expressions and colloquial terminology in each paragraph.
Critical Thinking and Oral Communication: Analysis & comparison of infographics; short oral explanation
Choose two infographics and compare them for effectiveness. Explain Why do people call others names?
Suggested activity: group or pair comparison of 3 infographics on bullying and presentation of comparisons on Google Slides. THINK
ToK – Area of Knowledge(AoK): Human Sciences (Psychology). Why is it important to support one another? Language of support vs.
language of bullying. How does language use create positive or negative emotions?
HOME EXTENSION: Writing - Professional Blog Try #1
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The 21st century is a digital age. Write a plan/outline for a professional blog entry on the topic of cyber bullying in schools. What
REGISTER would you use? Who would be your AUDIENCE? What vocabulary would create a chosen TONE for your blog entry? What
powerful verbs could you use?
Handouts
Bullying infographic #1
Bullying infographic #2
Bullying infographic #3
Lesson 4:
Reading Comprehension: Professional blog “Culture: What Is It, and How Does It Influence Us?” K. O’Reilly
A professional blog post on the definition of culture.
Suggested activity: individual examination of the culture wheel. (see PDF handout below)
Designate four of the cultures inside or outside of the wheel students most identify with (it’s helpful to answer the questions below),
then rank order them:
What do you most identify with?
What do you spend the most time thinking about?
What do you spend the most time in or doing?
What do you value or think is most important?
Critical Thinking and Oral Communication: Analysis & reflection on Culture Wheel; longer explanation
Suggested activity: 3-4 minute oral presentation on GoSoapbox.com
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HOME EXTENSION: read a professional blog “Why Critical Thinking Is So Important” by Kim O'Reilly, Ph.D., and find definitions for new
vocabulary (eg. ego-centric, socio-centric)
Handout
Culture Wheel
Lesson 5:
Listening Comprehension: “Culture & society” Khan Academy, 3.5 minutes
Suggested activities: Listen to the explanation of the relationship between culture and society. Click on FULL SCREEN to hide the
transcript. Just listen. Rewind and listen again, reading the transcript. How does listening and reading help you understand better?
Ponder the extended metaphor. What is being compared to what and how?
Reading Comprehension: verbal & non-verbal text (cartoon)
Suggested activity: Read a short professional blog entry It’s all about perspective by Kim O'Reilly, Ph.D. (about 315 words) and examine
the cartoon and the thought bubbles. (See below - you can project this using Presentation mode)
.
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.
Oral Communication: long explanation of connections
Suggested activity: 3-4 minute Flipgrid.com recordings (builds confidence with camera; use the “stickie” feature to write bullet points to
facilitate greater fluency) with recorded replies (builds understanding of cultural perspectives, practice of agreement/disagreement
structures)
HOME EXTENSION: Writing - Professional Blog Try #2
Practice Paper 1 Text type: Professional Blog entry
TOPIC: Culture & Identity / Beliefs & Values
INQUIRY QUESTION: To what extent…? How…? Why…? What…?
AUDIENCE:
REGISTER:
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Title:
Byline:
Use some of these powerful verbs: associate, expose, purport, attribute, surmise, flunk out, revert, cultivate, entail, internalize, pervade,
foster, abide, encourage, discourage, diminish.
Ensure you have a copy of the Paper 1 rubric to self-assess your performance.
Lesson 6:
Writing Review: Professional blog entry
Suggested activity: self or peer editing of professional blog entry; analysis of structure of a professional blog entry, layout of text,
potential audiences and registers.
Critical Thinking and Oral Communication: Ponder “How does culture define us? How do identity, beliefs & values impact our lives?”
Suggested activity: Harkness discussion. See Harkness Discussion in 3 easy steps for ideas on conducting this interactive form of
discussion.
Reflection on learning Unit 1
Theme: Identity
Topic: Beliefs & Values
Suggested activity: Google form with reflective questions to answer (add more if needed)
1/ To what extent have you met the lesson objectives of Unit 1? Explain.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: to practice a wide variety of receptive and productive skills:
enhance reading comprehension skills (list, feature article, professional blog);
practice oral communication skills (short explanation, reflection, analysis & comparison, long explanation);
practice listening comprehension skills (conversation);
flex critical thinking skills;
hone writing skills (summary, use of new vocabulary, professional blog);
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expand range of vocabulary (powerful verbs);
reflect on your learning.
...........................................................................................................................................
.
2/ Have you gained a life skill? How will you put it in practice?
LIFE SKILL: to discover how to understand your own identity and that of others.
.............................................................................................................................................
.
3/ Have you pondered this question? How will your new knowledge impact your life?
GUIDED INQUIRY: How does culture define us?
.................................................................................................................................................
SUGGESTED SUMMATIVE PAPER 1 PROMPT (450–600 words)
Professional Blog entry on the language of exclusion
Recently, there’s been an increase in use of language of hate and discrimination
around the world. Your school newspaper has asked you to write an entry on the
school blog about the language of exclusion and suggest ways to curb it. To gather a
variety of perspectives, you’ve decided to conduct a survey on the language students
use in face-to-face encounters and online.
.
Write a professional blog entry in which you state your opinion on the use of
language of exclusion, explain present and explain your peer survey results, and
suggest ideas for improving the situation at your school.
.
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