CONTEXT AND
DIVERSIFICATION:
SOCIAL SCIENCES
1 0 : 0 0 – 1 1 : 3 0
M E L I S S A T H O M S O N , V A L L A D O L I D 2 0 1 7

BY THE END OF THE SESSION
WE’LL
• Have used Quizlet.com – vocabulary game
• Have done a planet information gap activity
• Have played “shooting stars”
• Have played a recycling game “litterbug!”
• Have talked and thought about choice in the classroom
• Have used halfacrossword.com
• Have seen a lesson focusing on enquiry skills in history
While we wait for
everyone,ask a colleague:
- What activity you are
most interested in
seeing?
- Have you used any of
these websites before?

Q U I Z L E T. CO M
• https://quizlet.com/_32vi89
No log in needed for
students
User friendly
Variety of activities
Can use visuals or
Can use descriptions or
Can focus on language
Lots of sets already exist
Good for IWB, tablet, and
home

I NF O R MATI O N
G AP S
Topic: The planets – information gap activity
– ages 7-12 (depends on table used)
• I can formulate questions using key words
• I can listen to my classmates and I can formulate
full answers
• I can complete a table about the planets
(later – ages 9-12)
• I can write about the different planets, comparing
them
• I can invent a new planet, using the key words and
concepts
High motivation - movement
Real communication – a
need to speak
Speaking to learn concepts
Speaking to practice
questions
Learning from each other
Extend BICS into academic
language

SUPPORTING SPEAKING – ELICITING QUESTIONS

S H O O TI NG S TAR S
Fun!
De-stresses
Revises words and concepts
through speaking
Teacher can informally assess

L I TTE R B U G
Topic: recycling (ages 4-6)
1. Play “hide” flashcard game
(to unblock vocabulary)
2. Elicit what each colour bin
is
3. Play “litterbug”
Visual + movement + speech
= memorable
Hands on
Fun and competitive

CHOICE IN THE CLIL CLASSROOM – FOLLOW-UP
TASKS FOR LITTERBUG
Choice helps internal motivation. Providing choice in the classroom, therefore, lowers stress and
triggers the release of good brain chemicals. The brain loves choice because it can problem-
solve, work hard and be challenged.
So, for example, to demonstrate their understanding of subject content, give your CLIL learners
the choice of how they can show you what they’ve learned.
Involve them continually in classroom choices and their feeling of autonomy and ability will
increase.
Rosie Tanner & Liz Dale, 2015
http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2015/04/brain-friendly-clil-1/
TASK: With a partner, think of three follow-up activities to
“litterbug” that work on: mathematical competence, artistic
competence, and linguistic competence

A R T E F A C T P U R S U I T A N D
H A L F A C R O S S W O R D . C O M
Communicative – speaking
to learn
Movement = motivating
Hands on = memorable
Integrates language goals
and content goals
Adaptable to different topics
SUPPORTING THE SPEAKING TASK
– SCAFFOLDING THE VOCABULARY

D I S CU S S I O N
Q U E S TI O NS
What did you like about the
task they did?
What key CLIL concepts
were shown?
Is there anything you would
change?
How could you adapt this for
another subject/topic/age
group?
https://www.youtube.com/wat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe_plOatps0

CONTEXT AND
DIVERSIFICATION:
P.E.H T T P S : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W A T C H ? V = S L U W - G B A J 8 K
1 6 : 0 0 – 1 8 : 0 0

BY THE END OF THE SESSION
WE’LL
• Have used Kahoot.com – an online quiz game
• Have worked as a group to create a training programme
for becoming an astronaut
• Have used 3 roles in our groupwork
• Have talked about the importance of good instructions
• Have honed our instruction skills
While we wait for
everyone,ask a colleague:
- What activity you are
most interested in
seeing?
- Have you used any of
these websites before?

• https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/ec54ce6a-4db4-40c0-b814-c1ce459fe895

G I V I NG R O L E S I N
G R O U P WO R K
• GIVING ROLES IN GROUP
WORK = MAXIMISING L1,
MAXIMISING OUTPUT
• Have you ever given roles to
learners when you’ve done
group work in class?
• If so, what roles?
• If not, tell us why not/tell us
what roles could be useful?
More English spoken with a
defined role each
More output, because it’s
more organized
Everyone participates
Teacher can choose roles to
provide differentiation

TASK: radio show
Your task is to create a podcast for
“Nasa Radio”.
Today’s topic is:
“How to become as fit as an
astronaut”

group work radio show
– the research stage
ICT investigator
tinyurl.com/jncohcc

- the sharing stage: speaking to learn
In The Role of Talk in Learning, John Clegg
(University of Nottingham- Bilingual Dept)
writes that '... talking about something which one
is learning is important, because
it is when we express a new concept linguistically
that we gradually develop it.‘
Talk is good! When we talk with others about our
subject, we move our thinking
and language forward.

- the rehearsal stage: helping with language

- After recording - the self-assessment stage
Answer these questions with a partner
- Did you perform your role well today? Why/why not?
- Next time, would you prefer a different role? Why?
- Are you happy with the work that your group has done?
- Were you happy with your language today?
- Do you now know enough to write an information sheet
about roles in group work? What would the headings
be?

Instructions!
Make an A – Z of good instructions
Tell the teacher about using the
bomb countdown!
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/bomb-count

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS?
What I’d like you to do in a minute, if you could just listen to
me for a second, I’d like you to look at this worksheet (T
distributes worksheet) and look at the sentences like ‘find
someone who can do a handstand’, then stand up and ask
everyone if they can do a handstand, then if they do, write
their name and if they don’t ask someone else, then ask
different people different questions and try to find someone
for each sentence, all right? Ask questions and find the
people… Stand up, you’ve got 5 minutes. Yes Peio, stand up
and ask questions… Oh and ask other questions about it if
they answer yes too.

What makes these instructions better?
T writes on board:
Find someone who … can do a handstand. ___________________
T – ‘What’s the question?’
Ss – ‘Can you do a handstand?’
T – ‘Good, Sara, Can you do a handstand?
Sara – ‘No, I can’t’
T – ‘Unax, Can you do a handstand?’
Unax – ‘No, I can’t’
T – ‘Gorka, Can you do a handstand?’
Gorka – ‘Yes, I do’
T: yes I do, or yes I….
Gorka: Yes I can
T – ‘Oh, how long can you stay still for?’
Gorka– ‘Sometimes for 5 seconds!’
T: Great- ok, I’ll write your name. Now, what do I do?

Practice time!
Step 1: form groups of 5 and take a game from Melissa
Step 2: read and understand your game.
Step 3: plan fantastic, watertight, foolproof instructions for
that game!
Step 4: Melissa will split up the group
Step 5: with your new group, teach that activity
Step 6: give each other feedback on the instructions –could
they be improved?

E X I T TAS K : TI CK E T
O U T TH E D O O R
Short but everyone
participates
Teacher can see what was
learnt
Learners think about what
was learnt
Quiet link between lessons
And later…
Can be used to connect to
the next lesson

R E F L E C T I O N :
H O W C O U L D Y O U U S E
T H E R A D I O S H O W T A S K ,
O R A N E X I T S L I P I N
Y O U R C L A S S ?

BY THE END OF THIS SHORT
SESSION WE’LL
• Have done an activity called “onion rings”
• Looked at key CLIL competencies
• Talked about the last task, and the next task
• Done “the toiletroll revision”activity
• Looked at some revision activities

ACTI V I TY : O NI O N
R I NG S
• SPEAKING AND
COMMUNICATING TO LEARN
• Answer the questions
• TEACHER will comment or
correct when appropriate
- Lots of speaking
- Real communication
- Movement- but very
controlled
- Everyone participates
- Teacher can informally
assess their content
knowledge
- Teacher can help with
language

ACTI V I TY : TO I L E T
R O L L R E V I S I O N
• REVISING CONCEPTS, SELF
ASSESSING
- Fun!
- Everyone participates
- Everyone gets to see what
everyone else has written
- Teacher can informally
assess their content
knowledge
- Teachers can see what
interestedthem most

TASKS
Ask a colleague:
Have you done the first task yet?
If so, what did you do it on? If not, what are you going to do it on?
The second task will be the same as the first, but using something from
today’s sessions.
What will you choose? What have you found useful today?
Remember that this can either be an activity exactly as used today,
an activity adapted to your topic or age group, or an activity borne
from a discussion in the session.

REVISION ACTIVITIES
- LOOK AT THE ACTIVITIES STUCK
AROUND THE ROOM. WHICH
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY? WHY?