Template to design a CLIL Didactic Unit
Subject: SCIENCE
Teacher: Catalina Núñez Ávila
Title of the Unit: PLANTS
Course / Level 5º PRIMARY
1. Learning outcomes/
Evaluation criteria
Learning outcomes
1.
2.
3.
4.
Learn about the general characteristics of plants.
Use simple criteria to classify plants.
Understand plant nutrition: making food and obtaining energy.
Distinguish between the two types of plant reproduction: sexual and
asexual.
5. Understand the different ways plants interact with their environment.
6. Recognise the importance of plants.
7. Analyse the results of an experiment.
Evaluation criteria
1. Learn about the structure and physiology of plants. Make connections
between organs and functions.
2. Describe the characteristics that make characteristics that make it
possible to classify plants into different groups.
3. Learn the main characteristic of photosynthesis and why it is important
for living things.
4. Explain with plant sexual and asexual reproduction are and differentiate
between them.
5. Differentiate between the process of sexual reproduction in flowering
and non-flowering plants.
6. Explain how plants react to different stimuli: contact, light, etc.
7. Use an experiment to establish hypotheses regarding events that occur
naturally and those that occur when caused.
8. Communicate results orally and in writing, presenting them with visual
aids.
9. Complete a project and submit a report.
10. Use the computer to reinforce the content and procedures worked on in
class.
2. Subject Content
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Plant structure and physiology.
General characteristics of plants.
Part of a plant.
Classifying plants.
Plant nutrition.
Sexual and asexual reproduction in plants.
Interaction in plants.
 Introduction to scientific activity.
 Conducting and experiment.
 Using information and communication technologies.
3. Language Content / Communication
Vocabulary
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Nouns: air, apple, ,bee, bird, branch, bump, bush, calyx, carbon dioxide,
cell, chlorophyll, cone, corolla, female, fern, fertilization, flower, food,
fruit, grass, ground, herb, humidity, insect, land, leaf, male, mineral salts,
mixture, moss, nutrient, ovule, oxygen, petal, phloem, photosynthesis,
pistil, plant, pollen, pollination, reproduction, reproductive organs, ring,
root, seed, sepal, shape, shrub, soil, spore, stamen, stem, substance,
sunlight, tree, trunk, vessel, water, wind, gymnosperms, angiosperms,
fern, mosses and xylem.
Adjectives: aquatic, dark, dry, flexible, flowering, medium-sized, rocky,
soft, tall, thick, thin, wet and woody.
Verbs: absorb, breathe, fertilize, flow, germinate, grow, join, make food,
move around, produce, reproduce, take, transport.
Others words: slowly, quickly and without.
Structures
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Present simple.
Comparatives.
To have.
Can/ can´t.
To be.
Is it...?
Are they...?
Does it...for a long time?
There are many...
We can classify...
Compare two plants.
Plants make food from...
Plants need...to make food.
What do you know...?
Which type of plant is a …?
Discourse type
Reading, listening, speaking and writing.
Language skills
Reading, listening, speaking and writing.
4. Contextual (cultural)
element
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To connect the unit with their habits of enjoying the environment.
To respect the countryside.
To understand why plants are so important for the rest of living things.
To understand that in this area most of the people work in the
countryside planting trees and vegetables.
 To know that they live in a rural area with a lot of resources.
5. Cognitive (thinking)
processes
1.
2.
3.
4.
Interest in observation and in depth study of matters.
Reading, analysis and synthesis belonging to the subject area.
Look for, select and organise specific, significant information.
Analyse it, reach conclusions and talk about the experience, reflecting on
the process and in writing.
5. Drawing conclusions.
6. Critical and creative thinking.
6. (a) Task(s)
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Plant germination.
A report about plant germination.
A diary about our plant germination.
Our album about plants germination.
6. (b) Activities
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Warm out activities.
Listening/Reading task.
Worksheets
Online activities.
Games.
Final task…
7. Methodology
1. Previous knowledge, they should be familiar with certain concepts:
 the life functions
 the parts of a plant
2. Cooperative Learning.
3. Learning to think.
4. Introduction to scientific activity programmes.
Organization and class I will divide the work into eleven sessions:
INTRODUCTION: 1 session.
distribution / timing
CONTENTS: 5 sessions.
REVIEW: 1 session.
SKILLS: 2 sessions.
FINAL TASK: 2 sessions.
Each sessions is organized:
 Warm up.
 During the lesson.
 Wrap-up
Resources / Materials
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Flashcards.
Computer (watching and listening activities).
Crosswords and worksheets.
Online activities.
Games.
Web pages with different resources.
Different seeds and real plants.
Other materials: books, worksheets, pencils, crayons, glue, scissors...
Key Competences
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Linguistic communication. (learn about and associate the structure and
physiology of plants)
Learning to learn competence (correctly classify examples of flowering
and non-flowering plants using suitable vocabulary.
Linguistic Communication (Differences between photosynthesis and
respiration in plants.
Learning to learn Competence.(Learn how plants can reproduce
asexually)
Digital competence.(Use the computer to develop Natural Science
knowledge)
Mathematical Competence.(Understanding how plants carry out the
function of interaction)
Cultural Competence.
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Daily work (written and oral work) 40%
Test 30%
Final task 30%
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8. Evaluation (criteria
and instruments)
Feel free to use this template. Thanks for attributing the source.
A first sample of this template has been published at:
Pérez Torres, I. 2009. "Apuntes sobre los principios y características de la metodología AICLE" en V.
Pavón, J. Ávila (eds.), Aplicaciones didácticas para la enseñanza integrada de lengua y contenidos. Sevilla:
Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Andalucía-Universidad de Córdoba.171-180.
It is mainly based on the hands-on experience at designing units and on conversations with experts and
peers. The theory of the 4Cs by Do Coyle has also been taken into account. This theory has been shown
in various publications, such as: Coyle, D., Hood, P. and Marsh, D., 2010. Content and Language
Integrated Learning. Cambridge University Press.