UNIT 1 - THE BIGGEST VOLCANOES

Title: THE BIGGEST VOLCANOES (Unit 1)

Level: Third cycle (Y6)

Topic:  Volcanoes, geysers, earthquakes and tsunamis.

Didactic main aim: To extend the pupils’ communicative competence by working at a semantic field close to the children’s interest: Volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis.

Vocabulary: volcano, magma, lava, ashes, gas, vapour, steam, geyser, eruption, crater, vent, crack, pyroclastic flow, ash cloud, crystal, earthquake, landslide, wave, tsunami... // explode, melt, boil, vaporize, shake... // incandescent, red-hot, hot, hotter, hottest...

Structures: When rock melts it becomes a thick liquid called magma. / When a volcano explode it expulses lava. / When a liquid becomes into gas it is called vaporization. / Can you describe it?...

Socio-cultural aspects: The students will learn social and cultural aspects in volcanic areas of USA: Yellowstone and Hawaii Islands. They will study volcanic areas in Andalusia, Southern Spain (Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park).

Resources: Written and oral descriptions, National Geographic magazine, internet links, the written lyrics of a song, and videos.

ACTIVITIES - Timing: 7 sessions (45 minutes each one).

SESSION 1 (LISTENING)

a. Warm-up activities: Guess what it is! (6 minutes)
b. Documentary video (Listening a video about Volcanoes). (3 minutes)

c. Brainstorming: What do you know about this? (17 minutes)
d. Flashcards (Vocabulary presentation) (4 minutes)
e. Final task presentation: My favourite Volcanoes (10 minutes)
f. End of class routine: Song (Under the deep sea-Little Mermaid Parody) (5 minutes)

SESSION 2 (SPEAKING)

a. Warm-up activities: Video Intro (Listening a video about Yelowstone)  (4 minutes)

b. Brainstorming: What have you learnt? (16 minutes)
c. Invisible words (10 minutes)

d. Bets. (10 minutes)

e. End of class routine: Singing and dancing (5 minutes)

SESSION 3 (READING)

a. Warm-up activities: Picture Intro (5 minutes)

b. Guess the magical formula! (10 minutes)

c. Terrifying stories (15 minutes)

d. Dragon Hunters (10 minutes)

e. End of class routine: Singing and dancing (5 minutes)

SESSION 4 (WRITING)

a. Warm-up activities: Picture Intro (5 minutes)

b. Short Reading (10 minutes)

c. Complete the story (10 minutes)

d. Crosswords. (10 minutes)

e. End of class routine: Fill in the gaps of the lyrics (10 minutes)

SESSION 5 (4 SKILLS)

a. Warm-up activities: What's happenning there? (5 minutes)

b. Let’s Investigate as a Scientist! (20 minutes)

c. Let’s make your Volcano model (with play dough) (15 minutes) 

d. End of class routine: 30 seconds (5 minutes)

SESSION 6 (EVALUATION)

a. Warm-up activities: What's happenning there? (5 minutes)

b. WRITTEN TEST

b1. CROSSWORDS (15 minutes)

b2. PICTURE DESCRIPTION (15 minutes)

c. End of class routine: 30 seconds (5 minutes)

SESSION 7 (EVALUATION)

a. Warm-up activities: What's happenning there? (5 minutes)

b. FINAL TASK: Oral Exposition (30 minutes)

c. PORTFOLIO (5 minutes)

d. SELF EVALUATION (5 minutes)

Attention to the diversity - Reinforcement activities
Memory games (words-images), picture dictionary, picture dictation, ordering words...