Adapted didactic unit.

In this project we have adapted a didactic unit of a book, aimed for a 4º ESO group, dealing with the topic of arts and having the contrast between past simple and past continuous as the main grammar point. 

The reason for adapting this didactic unit is to ensure that our motto, namely, Every Child Matters, is translated into our practice. Thus, this curricular adaptations seeks to guarantee that our provision meets the needs of all our students including those with ADHD, Gifted and Talented, retaking a grade... In order to do this, our methodology provides students with different activities, dealing with all the skills, and suiting different learning styles and multiple intelligences. This is the curricular adaptation we suggest: 

1-STARTER - ICE-BREAKER: Time Ballet. 

This activity, despite not being intrinsically linked with the topic of this unit, serves a clear purpose and ensures that everyone needs are born in mind and catered for. The activity consists in tell the time in English while dancing like a ballet dancer. Thus, students need to use their left arm to point at the hours in an imaginary clock and their right arms to point at the minutes. Moreover, to make it more challenging, students must stand on their toes whenever it is an o'clock time (e.g. it's eight o'clock). Similarly, they need to perform a plié whenever it is a half-past (e.g. it's half-past seven). The activity is done with a powerpoint presentation with different times and a background ballet song, for instance that of the Swan Lake. With respect to the latter, this helps to introduce the topic of this unit, namely arts, which includes music. 

AIMS: The aims of this activity are revising prior knowledge (time), promote the use of Target Language amongst learners within the classroom (by revisiting a high-frequency topic) and introducing the topic of this unit (arts). 

It is a very engaging activity from which everyone can benefit from because it meets kinesthetic learners' needs (our ADHD especially) as it implies lots of movement, our Gifted and Talented students because there is an element of challenge (o'clock and pliés) and those retaking a grade will be able to follow the activity since it is a revision of a very basic topic.

Click here to look at an example done in Spanish. 

2- VOCABULARY: Match the words to the pictures! If you need help to identify the words, you will find the definitions below. If you have time, try to link the words with their definitions. Good luck!

Self-portrait                                Sculpture                                          Photograph

Graffiti                                         Painting                                             Statue 

-          - A picture you make of yourself.

-       -  Writings or drawings made on surfaces in public places.

-       - A picture created by putting paint on a surface

-       - A large art object, often representing a person or an animal, that is made from       a hard material, esp. stone or metal.

-       -  An image of a person, object, or view that is produced by using a camera and       film.

-       - The art of creating objects out of material such as wood, clay, metal, or stone,        or a work of art of this type.

CD                                       Video cassette                        Record Player                 

Mp3 player                           Headphones                             Dvd Player

-                       -  A device with parts that cover each ear through which you can listen to                  something, such as music, without other people hearing.

-           -   Abbreviation for compact disc (small, plastic disk with a metal surface on               which information or sound is recorded).

-           - A long, narrow, magnetic strip inside a rectangular plastic container which             records sounds and moving images that can be heard and seen on a                     television, or a recording of images and sounds.

-          -  An electronic device or a computer program for playing music that has been          stored as MP3 files.

-          -  A machine on which records can be played.

-          -  A machine that is used for playing DVDs. 

The vocabulary from this unit is dedicated to arts and music. The words chosen perfectly represent the topics that this unit deals with, being the activity optimal for all kind of students. In addition, there is not just one activity, students can find an extra activity where our gifted and talented students can show their knowledge and benefit from extra material. As well, the rest of students can complete the exercise if they feel they are prepared, thinking that the activity is a sort of challenge for them. Likewise, our ADHD students can also benefit from it because the exercise is very visual and striking. They can share their opinons with the rest of their classmates and they can move while they ask for advice.  Finally,  those retaking a grade will enjoy the activity because its a revision from last years. They can help the rest of their peers and actively participate in the class. 

3- GRAMMAR: CONTRASTING THE PAST SIMPLE AND PAST CONTINUOUS.

The grammar point of this unit is contrasting the past simple and past continuous. Since we are aware of the fact that most of our students (especially our ADHD & Gifted and Talented) would not benefit from traditional gap-filling and conjugating activities, we have decided to do something different which seeks to foster their creative thinking (Gifted students would benefit a lot from this), as well as meeting the needs of kinesthetic learners and low-achieving students. 

The activity consists in creating a story in groups about a visit to the Prado museum, thus combining grammar with the topic of this unit (art). Pupils have to roll two dices of different colours. The red one contains verbs in the infinitive form that are to be used in the past simple while the green one contains verbs that must be conjugated in the past continuous. The idea is that students create a story comparing both tenses while using the vocabulary they have learned in this unit. 

It is a good activity for kinesthetic learners because students get to touch and manipulate objects (dice). It is very engaging for high-achieving learners because it requires higher-order thinking skills and fosters criticality. Regarding low-achieving pupils, the fact that it is a group activity narrows gaps in knowledge and supports them while doing the task. Furthermore, if needed, the teacher will provide them with vocab mats with ideas as well as linking words to contrast these two past tenses as extra support. 


4. READING: You will find some fragments around the class. Read them and write a tweet which summarises each text. This is a competition, the more fragments you read and summarise, the more points you will get. 

Music educators feel, and have observed, that student involvement in school music has a positive impact on other areas of their lives. These educators will tell you that musical involvement improves a student’s self-discipline, dexterity, coordination, self-esteem, thinking skills, listening skills, creative abilities and personal expression. Most music educators, however, are not aware of specific research that ill support these feelings and observations.

We must advocate for the arts. It is vital that we become proactive in our support of the arts. By reviewing the studies involving music we have found that participation in school music has a positive impact on areas considered outside the realm of music. As more people become aware of the research in this area, we should see increased enrollments in arts classes. The use if the arts throughout the curriculum, as a tool for better learning, is an area that will expand.

Adapted from: http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/studentdevelopment/

Mona Lisa, oil painting on a poplar wood panel by the Italian painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, and engineer Leonardo da Vinci, probably the world’s most-famous painting. It was painted sometime between 1503 and 1519, when Leonardo was living in Florence, and it now hangs in the Louvre, in Paris, where it remains an object of pilgrimage in the 21st century.

At least a dozen excellent replicas of the Mona Lisa exist, many of them by the master’s students. The proliferation of Mona Lisas reflects, at least in part, the subject’s almost immediate embodiment of the ideal woman—beautiful, enigmatic, receptive, and still just out of reach.

Adapted from: https://global.britannica.com/topic/Mona-Lisa-painting

Freddie Mercury (1946 – 1991) was a British-Indian mercurysinger-songwriter, pianist, guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Queen As a performer, he was known for his vocal abilities (four octave range) and flamboyant stage performances. He dressed in a range of extravagant costumes and was a supreme entertainer. As a songwriter, he composed many international hits, including “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Killer Queen”, “Somebody to Love”, “Don’t Stop Me Now”, “We Are the Champions” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”.

In addition to his work with Queen, he also led a solo career and was occasionally a producer and guest musician (piano or vocals) for other artists. In his second solo album Barcelona (1988) he fused both opera and pop, causing a mixture of critical responses. However, it proved a great commercial success.

Adapted from: http://www.biographyonline.net/music/freddie-mercury.html

The Moonlight Sonata was composed in the summer of 1801 in Hungary, on an estate belonging to the Brunswick family. The composition was published in 1802 and was dedicated to Beethoven’s pupil and passion, 17 years old Countess Giulietta Gucciardi.

The Sonata is one of the most popular piano sonatas from Beethoven’s creation. It is also named The Moonlight Sonata by poet Ludwig Rellstab who, in 1832, had this inspiration on a moon lit night on the banks of the Lucerna River. Some biographers make the connection between the unshared love the composer held for Giulietta Guicciardi and the sonorities of the first part. Even more so, this sonata was dedicated to Giulietta, the musical theme of the first part being borrowed from a German ballad as Wyzewa observed.

Adapted from: http://www.all-about-beethoven.com/moonsonata.html

"Art does not solve problems, but makes us aware of their existence," sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz has said. Arts education, on the other hand, does solve problems. Years of research show that it's closely linked to almost everything that we as a nation say we want for our children and demand from our schools: academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity.

Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork.

Adapted from: https://www.edutopia.org/arts-music-curriculum-child-development

Spanish artist and Surrealist icon Salvador Dalí is perhaps best known for his painting of melting clocks, The Persistence of Memory.

Salvador Dalí was born on May 11, 1904, in Figueres, Spain. From an early age, Dalí was encouraged to practice his art and would eventually go on to study at an academy in Madrid. In the 1920s, he went to Paris and began interacting with artists such as Picasso, Magritte and Miró, which led to Dalí's first Surrealist phase. He is perhaps best known for his 1931 painting The Persistence of Memory, showing melting clocks in a landscape setting. The rise of fascist leader Francisco Franco in Spain led to the artist's expulsion from the Surrealist movement, but that didn't stop him from painting. Dalí died in Figueres in 1989.

Adapted from: http://www.biography.com/people/salvador-dal-40389

This activity has been created to improve reading skills, but taking into account the different learning styles. On the one hand, this is a very dynamic activity which involves lots of movement so that kinesthetic learners, such as our ADHD  students, can benefit from it. It is also a different kind of reading since students do not stick to reading a text and answer some comprehension questions, but they just have to show that they have understood the general meaning of the text by means of making a really short summary. The fact that students need to come up with a summary of 140 characters prompts them to use higher-order thinking skills, thus challenging all students, included those that are Gifted and Talented. Regarding those students who are retaking the grade, they should already be acquainted with the vocabulary of this unit and so they would really enjoy the more engaging approach we suggest. This activity also makes students have to use new technologies, so that they are in contact of what they like the most. This way, this activity turns to be a really engaging activity. 

5. LISTENING: You have to complete two songs in English (no matter the variety) in the level you feel comfortable. Go to lyricstraining and enjoy!

The main aim of this activity is that pupils improve their listening skills at the same time that they enjoy, as well as the use of ICT tools. Moreover, this webpage has different levels in order to cater for all of our students’ needs. Thus, low-ability students and those retaking the grade would benefit from the beginner mode whereas our Gifted and Talented students would probably prefer to have a go at the expert mode. Our ADHD students would also find this activity very enjoyable as they need to quickly type the lyrics of a song, thus incorporating touch and movement into the learning. Regarding the assessment, when a student finishes one of the two songs, the teacher takes note of their points and they will do the same thing with the second song. At the end, the teacher provides evaluation individually so those students who need to improve, do know it privately.

PROJECT

Students will be divided into pairs. We will give each group a picture or a singer and they will have to investigate about them in order to prepare a presentation following the next steps: 

1. Answer the questions we give them. 
2. Create a text about the picture using the questions answered as a script. 
3. Create a collage with the image and some information you have found. 
4. Present your project to your mates.

Group 1

1. Who was he? 
2. Where was he from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe him? 
5. Could you name any of his songs? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like him? Why, why not?

 Group 2

1. Who was he? 
2. Where was he from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe him? 
5. Could you name any of his songs? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like him? Why, why not?

Group 3

1. Who was he? 
2. Where was he from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe him? 
5. Could you name any of his songs? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like him? Why, why not?

Group 4

1. Who was she? 
2. Where was she from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe her? 
5. Could you name any of her songs? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like her? Why, why not?

Group 5

1. Who was he? 
2. Where was he from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe him? 
5. Could you name any of his songs? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like him? Why, why not?

Group 6

1. Who was he? 
2. Where was he from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe him? 
5. Could you name any of his songs? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like him? Why, why not?

Group 7

1. Who was he? 
2. Where was he from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe him? 
5. Could you name any of his songs? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like him? Why, why not?

Group 8

1. Who was he? 
2. Where was he from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe him? 
5. Could you name any of his pictures? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like him? Why, why not?

Clue: Starry Night

Group 9

1. Who was he? 
2. Where was he from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe him? 
5. Could you name any of his pictures? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like him? Why, why not?

Clue: The Gioconda

Group 10

1. Who was he? 
2. Where was he from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe him? 
5. Could you name any of his pictures? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like him? Why, why not?

Clue: Guernica

Group 11

1. Who was he? 
2. Where was he from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe him? 
5. Could you name any of his pictures? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like him? Why, why not?

Clue: The persistence of memory

Group 12

1. Who was he? 
2. Where was he from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe him? 
5. Could you name any of his pictures? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like him? Why, why not?

Clue: The birth of day

Group 13:

1. Who was he? 
2. Where was he from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe him? 
5. Could you name any of his pictures? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like him? Why, why not?

Clue: The three graces

Group 14:

1. Who was he? 
2. Where was he from? 
3. Why was he famous? 
4. How would you describe him? 
5. Could you name any of his pictures? Which is your favourite? 
6. Do you like him? Why, why not?

Clue: Yellow-Red-Blue

Objectives
We intend that with this final project students achieve different goals:

• to put into practice the vocabulary and grammar learned in the unit.
• to promote cooperative work.
• to practise speaking in public.
• to discover more facts about the topic studied in the unit.

The fact that it implies cooperative work entails that the needs of all our students are catered for as groups will be created to ensure they are supportive, thus pairing different achieving students in one group as well as Gifted and Talented with ADHD, or grade retakers. As a result, everyone benefits from this grouping and bridges in knowledge are narrowed by means of cooperation and collaboration. 

Assessment
There is no exam in this unit, so the project is going to be evaluated. However, we are going to take into account the different activities of the whole unit. The project is going to be assessed by the teacher and also by the students. Each pair would have a grid with different aspects they have to evaluate. The teacher would use the same grid, so at the end of the presentations he/she would collect all the grids and would put the final mark taking into account the evaluation of the other students.
This is the grid we would use to evaluate the presentation and the final project.