Didactic Unit REPORT - Andaluca

DIDACTIC UNIT REPORT ANDALUCA

UNIT 12: HEALTHY FOOD
Following the Order of Announcement of March 2, part B2 of the present examination procedures
can be replaced with a report if the candidate has been working as a supply state teacher at Primary
Education level since October 1, 2010. Thus, this is the presentation of didactic unit number 12
corresponding to the 1st year of Primary Education syllabus elaborated for this examination.
This document begins with the basic data corresponding to the foundations of the unit. These
foundations will be followed by the specific elements around which this didactic unit is constructed,
that is, objectives, competences, contents, didactic resources, learning and teaching activities, and
evaluation. This document concludes with a compilation of the essential measures to be adopted in
order to cater for students diversity, as previously identified in the design of the elements of the
syllabus.
DIDACTIC UNIT FOUNDATIONS
The syllabus designed, and consequently this didactic unit, will be implemented in an Infant and
Primary Education School located in a medium-large size town on the outskirts of a large urban
centre. It is one of the two schools in town though, due to the growing population demands, a third
centre is under construction. The growth in population is due to the large presence of commuters
(about 50% of the total inhabitants) and to immigration from Eastern European countries and South
America. The socio-cultural level of the families is middle to lower working class. On a whole, the
relationship between the community and the school is positive, with parents showing interest in
participating in school activities and using educational and cultural resources.
The group of students addressed is comprised of 24 pupils in the 1st year of Primary Education (6-7year-old children). Although most students are Spanish-born, the classroom is both multi-ethnic and
multi-lingual, with 2 Romanian, 3 Peruvian, and 1 Moroccan student. Thus, the classroom addressed
is also multi-religious and multi-cultural. They all have the corresponding level of maturity and
knowledge for their age and school level. The presence of a student with specific educational support
needs can be highlighted. It is a student that presents (explain the case selected).
In order to elaborate this didactic unit, the following legal documents have been used: Organic Law
2/2006 (May 3) of Education (LOE); Andalucas Law of Education; RD 1513/2006, which
establishes the minimum teaching requirements for Primary Education nationwide; Order August 10,
2007, which lays down the Primary Education curriculum in this autonomous region; and other
specific legal documents that will be mentioned in the corresponding sections of this unit.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIDACTIC UNIT
Once the unit has been grounded on contextual and legal bases, each of the elements in it included
will be identified and specified.
Basic competences:
The LOE establishes the Basic Competences (BC) as a curricular element (article 6). Competences
can be defined as capacities or abilities to carry out tasks or face diverse situations efficiently in a
variety of specific contexts (Zabala 2007); from a curricular standpoint, competences are a point of
reference for evaluation and promotion. These capacities or abilities are grouped around 8 nuclei of
reference in Spanish curricula (RD 1513/2006, D 230/2007, and Order August 10, 2007): Linguistic
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Didactic Unit REPORT - Andaluca

competence (BC 1), Mathematical competence (BC 2), Knowledge about and interaction with the
physical world competence (BC 3), Treatment of information and digital competence (BC 4), Social
and civic competence (BC 5), Cultural and artistic competence (BC 6), Learning to learn competence
(BC 7), Autonomy and personal initiative (BC 8). In this didactic unit students will develop all the
basic competences, but some of them will play a particularly relevant role:

Linguistic competence will be developed through the expression of likes and dislikes, and the
dramatisation of a role play.
Mathematical competence will be practised by using logical thinking to solve communication
problems and indicating the price of food items and meals.
Knowledge about and interaction with the physical world competence by becoming aware of
the importance of developing healthy habits related to diet, and distinguishing between healthy
and unhealthy food.
Cultural and artistic competence by becoming aware of typical dishes in other cultures, and by
taking advantage of the possibilities of songs, chants, and stories in foreign language learning.
Autonomy and personal initiative by selecting the most useful strategies to search for
information and making ones own decisions for effective communication.

The rest of the competences will also be developed by means of:

Using new technologies such as the Internet to consolidate language.
Cooperating in group activities trying to peacefully solve the problems that might arise from
this type of work.
Objectives:
The proposal to be developed in the following pages aims at helping students distinguish between
healthy and unhealthy food and eating habits, express their likes, dislikes, and preferences regarding
food, and acquire vocabulary items related to this topic. Moreover, students will have to develop
other capacities and abilities, such as:

To use correct pronunciation when singing a food song.

To recognise and reproduce core vocabulary and basic grammar structures in different
activities.
To become familiarised with the usefulness of Information and Communication Technologies
(ICTs) to consolidate and expand the knowledge acquired.

Contents:
The contents are the indispensable and specific means by which students will develop the objectives
and competences proposed. They are the direct object of the teaching and learning process. In this
didactic unit, students will acquire contents that belong to each of the four blocks established in the
curriculum. These contents are the following:
BLOCKS 1 and 2: COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS
- (L) Identifying specific information in simple oral texts.
- (S) Exchanging information about favourite food.
- (R) Scanning for specific information and reading for the main idea
- (W) Writing words from previously introduced models.
BLOCK 3: LANGUAGE AWARENESS
LINGUISTIC KNOWLEDGE
Functions and language use
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- Asking and expressing preferences.
- Participating actively in oral exchanges.
- Discussing the importance of having healthy habits.
Grammar
- Receptive structure: present simple (affirmative and negative sentences).

Full forms: I like He likes

Contracted forms: I dont like He doesnt like

Vocabulary
- Food: meat, fish, omelette, cheese, spaghetti, hamburgers
Pronunciation
- Relationship between the graphic representation of words and their pronunciation.
- Production of correct stress on individual words and on longer stretches depending on the meaning
the student wants to convey (whether s/he likes it or not).
REFLECTIONS ON LEARNING
- Development of a lively and enquiring mind.
- Interest in participating actively in group tasks.
BLOCK 4: SOCIO-CULTURAL ASPECTS AND INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS
- Understanding of the importance of having a healthy diet.
- Interest in using the foreign language to communicate.
These contents will also give students the opportunity to develop the common elements established in
the curriculum, that is, the contents that all areas (regardless their specific contents) must introduce.
In this particular unit, students will not only develop interest in reading, increase their knowledge on
the applications of ICT in language learning, or improve their oral and written comprehension and
expression, but will also learn education in values, more specifically they will learn the importance of
having a healthy diet, and the value of ones cultural traditions (in this case, as regards traditional
dishes).
Didactic resources:
In this didactic unit, I will take advantage of methodological, human, environmental, and material
resources:

Methodological resources such as starting from students level of development, encouraging

students capacity for learning to learn, fostering meaningful learning, and promoting students
active participation in class.
Human resources by taking advantage of different grouping techniques to carry out tasks
successfully and in a friendly and cooperative atmosphere, and by adopting different roles as a
teacher depending on the task to be performed (mediator, resource, prompter, assessor, advisor,
participant, etc.).
Material resources by making use of different printed, audiovisual, and ICT resources such as
those mentioned in the presentation of the activities of the unit.
Environmental resources like the computer room and the regular classroom, in which there is
a reading corner with books in English at different levels of difficulty and a display area where
students can place their creative projects for public display, enjoyment, and learning.

Activities:
This didactic unit will be developed in six school days in the third term of the year, more specifically
in the first two weeks of May.
LESSON 1
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This lesson will take place in the ICT room since students will have to read and listen to the story The
Chocolate Shock, which can be found at www.candlelightstories.com. The integration of Information
and Communication Technologies in the teaching and learning process is of outstanding importance.
Spanish curricula as well as European legislation (especially the Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages) highlight the importance of including the new technologies in students
education. Therefore, I will take advantage of the multiple opportunities that computer resources offer in
the EFL classroom.
Pre-listening / reading: Whats your favourite food? (10 minutes approximately).
Aim: express preferences related to food.
Group dynamics: whole class.
Language: whats your favourite food?
Materials: chart.
I will attract my students attention by putting a chart on the board with all my students names and
different types of food. I will ask each student what their favourite food is in order to complete the chart.
To make it more attractive, I can ask my students to come to the board and tick their favourite food
themselves.
Sample chart:
frui burger
t
s
Isabel
Andr
s
Mario
Alicia
Noelia
...

pizz
macaroni
a

Spanish
omelette

chip
s

fis
h

vegetable chocolat
s
e

chicke
...
n

I will then tell my students that they are going to listen to and read online a story about a girl whose
favourite food is chocolate. Together, we will check how many students ticked chocolate as their
favourite food and I will tell them to be particularly attentive towards the story and what happens in it.
By doing this, I will arouse my students curiosity. All of them will be willing to know what happens in
the story because something similar might happen to those students who ticked chocolate who
knows!
While- listening / reading: The Chocolate Shock (20 minutes approximately).
Aim: get the gist of the story; sing a song.
Group dynamics: whole class.
Language: related to the story.
Materials: www.candlelightstories.com
I will guide students during the listening and reading of the story. During the first listening/reading, I will
pause whenever I consider that some explanations must be given in order to support students
understanding. I will use body language to demonstrate vocabulary and certain expressions. The story
includes two songs, so I will encourage students to pay attention to their lyrics and rhythm since they
will be encouraged to sing when the songs are repeated (these two songs are very similar and quite short,
so it should not be a problem for students to understand them and sing along).
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Didactic Unit REPORT - Andaluca

The second listening/reading will be done without pauses, to revise students understanding of the plot.
This second time, students will have to sing the songs using appropriate rhythm and intonation.
Post-listening / reading: My favourite food (20 minutes approximately).
Aim: express preferences.
Group dynamics: individual work.
Language: food (students favourite food).
Materials: worksheet.
Students will be given the worksheet of a menu (appetiser, first course, second course, dessert, and
drink). Students will have to find pictures of their favourite dishes on the Internet (websites like
www.mes-english.com, www.eslflashcards.com, and www.vocabularya-z.com can provide students not
only with attractive and colourful pictures but also with the written form of food words), select them,
print them, and glue them on their worksheet. I will monitor the process, and help learners to find the
selected pictures, to choose or modify the size of the pictures, and to print them.
Two or three students have to share a computer, so they will also develop values like cooperation and
respect when carrying out this activity. More able children will help the others. At the end, I will collect
all the menus for the following lesson.
LESSON 2
Warm-up: discussion time! (5 minutes approximately).
Aim: revise previous lesson and encourage students to express their opinions.
Group dynamics: whole class.
Language: classroom language.
Materials: menus designed in the previous lesson.
I will ask students what they remember from the previous lesson. We will revise what they said about
their favourite food, the chocolate story and I will show them the menus they designed. I will ask them if
they think this food is HEALTHY or UNHEALTHY. I will write the two words on the blackboard and
explain their meaning with the help of a food pyramid. This food pyramid will also be used to analyse
whether their favourite food and the food they wrote on their menus is healthy or unhealthy. It is very
likely that students prefer unhealthy food, so I will try to introduce the importance of having healthy
habits. I will tell them that today we are going to work on one type of healthy food: FRUIT. I will ask
how many students ticked fruit as their favourite food and how many students included fruit in their
favourite menus.

From http://erin-wnax.itmblog.com/2009/07/01/food-pyramid/
Presentation: I like fruit! (10 minutes approximately).
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Aim: introduce fruit words.
Group dynamics: whole class.
Language: fruit words: plums, oranges, apples, bananas, pears, grapes
Materials: flashcards.
The aim of this activity is to introduce fruit words. With the help of picture flashcards I will introduce the
aural form of the words. The word cards will be used to introduce their graphic representation. I will
show a picture flashcard and ask students if they know how to say the fruit in English. If they do, I will
put it on the blackboard; if they dont I will introduce the word and give them a model of pronunciation.
I will continue this process until all the picture flashcards are on the blackboard.
Then, I will introduce the graphic representation of words. I will show pupils a word card and ask them
if they can read what it says. The person who guessed right will blue tack the word card next to the
picture card on the blackboard. I will continue this process until all the picture cards have their
corresponding word card. Then, I will do a quick revision reading aloud all the words and asking
students to repeat.
Practice: Guess! (10 minutes approximately).
Aim: memorise fruit words.
Group dynamics: whole class.
Language: colours, alphabet, classroom language.
Materials: flashcards.
In order to help students memorise the vocabulary previously introduced we will play a guessing game. I
will tell students that I am going to take a fruit picture card and not let anyone see it. They will have to
guess which fruit it is. I will give them clues related to the colour, spelling, etc. Example:
It is red (wait for guesses).
It is small
It begins with S
Student: STRAWBERRY!
I will show the picture flashcard and ask the child who guessed the word to find the word card that
matches it on my desk. Both flashcards will be put on the blackboard again.
Production: My fruit book (25 minutes approximately)
Aim: create a mini book.
Group dynamics: individual work.
Language: I like; fruit words.
Material: http://www.dltk-kids.com/nutrition/fruit-book.htm
My students will make their own fruit mini books. For that purpose, I will give my students the black
and white templates downloaded from http://www.dltk-kids.com/nutrition/fruit-book.htm. To make it
more interesting, I will have eliminated the fruit words from the mini book so that students colour the
pictures and write the name of the fruit represented. The flashcards will be on the blackboard for students
to check the spelling of the words and write them correctly on their mini books. I will help them glue the
pages in the correct order. Fast finishers can add extra pages to their mini books by drawing a different
piece of fruit, colouring it, and writing the appropriate sentence under the picture.

Didactic Unit REPORT - Andaluca

LESSON 3:
In this lesson I will introduce other healthy food: vegetables. I will try to make this lesson attractive for
students so that they develop a liking towards vegetables, which they usually hate. For this purpose, this
lesson will take place in the ICT room and will include online games like the following:
-

At
http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/language-games/easy/fruit-and-vegetables,
students will have to colour fruit and vegetables in different colours using their mouse.

At http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/fun-with-english/trolley-dash, students will

play a game. Students have 60 seconds to collect everything on their shopping list. First they
have to remember what is on the shopping list. Then, they must get all the items on the list in
less than 60 seconds. Students have to use their mouse to move their trolley left or right. They
click on the item they want to buy. If they are right, it will fall into their trolley. If students
cant remember what they need to buy, they click on the shopping list to read it again and
continue playing.

LESSON 4:
In this lesson, I will introduce junk food. Most children love junk food and some do not know that it is
very unhealthy. I will try to raise awareness of the importance of having a healthy diet, but I will do it in
a fun way. The song Pizza and Chips (http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/pizza-and7

Didactic Unit REPORT - Andaluca

chips) will be the centre around which this lesson will be constructed.

LESSON 5:
Students will be required to practise the constructions Do you like? Yes, I do / No, I dont; I like and
I dont like. For this purpose, they will have to complete a questionnaire.
LESSON 6:
The last lesson of this didactic unit will try to put together all the elements introduced in this didactic unit
by means of performing a role play set at a restaurant. Students will have to decide the kind of restaurant
they want to eat at, and the food they want to have.
Evaluation procedure:
The evaluation principles, techniques and instruments to be presented here are adjusted to the guidelines
established in Order August 10, 2007, which regulates the organisation of the evaluation of Primary
Education students learning in the autonomous region of Andaluca, and the instructions passed
December 17, 2007 by the General Management of Educational Organisation and Evaluation, which
complements the existing regulations on the evaluation of Primary Education learners.
Evaluation of the learning
Evaluation is a continuous, systematic, flexible, formative, criterial, and personal process which
manifests itself in self-, co-, and hetero-evaluation situations.
-

What to evaluate
The evaluation criteria here proposed will facilitate the evaluation of students fulfilment of
objectives and development of basic competences. The evaluation criteria selected for this unit
are:
1.
2.
3.
4.

To be able to carry out communicative activities based on the information gap principle.
To be able to recognise and reproduce core vocabulary related to food.
To be able to use appropriate pronunciation features when saying a chant in English.
To be able to make a clear distinction between healthy and unhealthy food by understanding
the information presented in a food pyramid.
5. To be able to make use of Information and Communication Technologies to learn and
consolidate vocabulary.
-

How to evaluate
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Didactic Unit REPORT - Andaluca

The evaluation process will be carried out by means of specific techniques and instruments.
Among the techniques to be used, the following can be highlighted: observation and analysis of
tasks and periodical tests. The instruments to be used are a control list and a classroom diary. The
control list will register the acquisition of conceptual and procedural contents, and the classroom
diary will register any activity, incident, etc. that will take place during the sessions.
-

When to evaluate
a) At the beginning of the didactic unit (initial evaluation), a review of students previous
knowledge will be carried out.
b) Throughout the development of the unit (formative evaluation). All along the unit,
students daily work and mastery of contents will be assessed. This type of evaluation will
enable the adjustment of all the aspects of the didactic unit to students learning process.
c) At the end of the didactic unit (summative evaluation). Finally, students learning
progression and fulfilment of objectives will be assessed in a global way. Students will
also evaluate their own learning by means of a self-assessment questionnaire.

Evaluation of the teaching

Just like in the evaluation of the learning, the evaluation of the teaching practice will have a formative
character so as to facilitate the decision-making process that will lead to the introduction of those
modifications to the planning that might be necessary to improve the teaching and learning process.
-

What to evaluate
I will establish evaluation indicators so as to systematise the evaluation of the teaching and
make it objective. These indicators include questions like:
o
o
o
o
o

Were there activities to determine students previous knowledge and experiences?

Were incentives used to facilitate their motivation?
Were initially unplanned activities introduced?
Was the timing of activities adequate?
Were students interested in collaboration? If so, in what kind of activities?

How to evaluate
The main technique to be used is the observation of students while they carry out the tasks
proposed since their behaviour and reactions will provide interesting and valuable information
about the teaching process. Moreover, an analysis of the content taught will also be performed.
As evaluation instruments, fact-files will be used to register the feedback obtained.

When to evaluate
For evaluation to have a formative character, an initial, a process, and a summative evaluation
have to be carried out. Thus, the teaching practice will be assessed before, during, and after the
learning process.

In this manner, evaluation will contribute to guarantee educational quality and efficiency, something
which explains why an evaluation of the assessment process itself is also necessary. From all the
information obtained, some conclusions will be extracted regarding the quantity and presentation of
contents, the adequacy of material resources, techniques, etc. The evaluation of the teaching practice
will enable the adaptation of some elements of the planning to the conditions that are encountered
during the practice. This will bring about an improvement in the design and implementation of other
didactic units.
Attention to diversity
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Didactic Unit REPORT - Andaluca

General measures
The objectives proposed in the didactic planning are the main point of reference for all the students in
the group. Thus, the changes and adaptations for those students who show a slower rhythm of
acquisition of contents may materialise in procedures of the following type:
-

Change of the material resources with which the contents are presented.
Positive reinforcement of students successes.
Exemplification, by the teacher or other classmates, of the functional value of the contents dealt
with.
Creation in the classroom of an atmosphere in which the student has no fear to express his/her
difficulties.
Stress procedural contents that are the working tools for the student.

The system of continuous evaluation makes it possible to adapt the work of those students who show a
faster rhythm of acquisition than the rest of their classmates. In such cases I will adopt the following
measures:
-

Suggest activities that enable them to deepen in the concepts, procedures and attitudes dealt with.
Invite learners to decide in which fields they want to deepen.
Implication in programmes of tutorial action with classmates that have shown retardment in their
learning processes (this contributes to the development of their affective and cognitive capacity,
because the action of having to show something to another person requires setting in order the
teachers own ideas).

The presence of students from other cultures makes it necessary to adopt specific measures such as
the promotion of these students contribution in relation to the contents being developed (typical dishes,
diet, climate, sayings and proverbs from their countries of origin, etc.); thus, an intercultural approach
will be fostered from a pluralistic standpoint. The work to be developed will offer clear possibilities to
promote participation, even if just providing specific information.
Measures to attend to students with specific educational support needs
As previously mentioned, in the group there is a student with... In order to cater for his/her needs, the
following measures will be adopted (you should summarise the needs that this child offers and how you
will attend to them).
To conclude, I would like to stress the emphasis that I am going to place on students understanding of
the importance of having healthy eating habits, and to their ability to distinguish between healthy and
unhealthy food. Moreover, I intend to make students aware of different traditions related to typical
dishes and mealtimes in different countries, but especially in English-speaking countries. To these ends,
I have designed the objectives or capacities that students will have to fulfil, the competences they will
have to develop, the contents that will guide the activities, and a varied selection of methodological and
material resources to be used in class.
For the elaboration of this document, a great variety of sources have been considered. Apart from the
previously-mentioned legal documents, the following are the most significant bibliographical and
webgraphical sources consulted:
CUENCA ESTEBAN (2000): Cmo motivar y ensear a aprender en E. Primaria. Barcelona:
CissPraxis.
RGEZ. MORENO, M LUISA (2008): Revista Espaola De Orientacin y Psicopedagoga, Vol. 19
n 2.
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www.juntadeandalucia.es,
www.andalucia.org,
www.in-andalucia.com,

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