Teaching Science through [CLIL]
Considerations when planning a CLIL science lesson
Challenges in CLIL
Overcoming challenges as a teacher
Applying CLIL to a science lesson
Activating prior knowledge
Input and output
Wait time
Collaborative tasks
Cognitive challenge
Developing thinking skills
Challenges for the teachers
Challenges for the learners
Use of L1
Lack of materials
Assessment
What can teachers do?
How can teachers plan for CLIL?
What helps learners learn?
Appropriate task types
The human skeleton
Structure and function of the skeleton
Investigating whether long bones break more easily than short bones
Variables
Recording data
Conclusions
Self-evaluation
Plenary
What do learners already know? Brainstorming both in L1 and L2
Teachers need a plan
longer than usual
involve learners in producing key subject-specific vocabulary and structures in meaningful pair/group work activities
challenging material from the beginning on, communicating in academic language, scaffolding
what, when, where, which questions -> encourage lower order thinking skills & also higher order thinking skills -> why & how
explain concepts clearly & accuratey
appropriate classroom language
feel confident about subject
widen knowledge of science vocabulary
need support
may need differentiation of input, task, support
code-switching
L1 used in interactions when clarifying teachers' instructions, developing ideas for curricular content, encouraging peers, off-task social comments
teachers should avoid using L1 as much as possible
formative & summative
performance assessment, learners demonstrate knowledge of content & language
explain & describe
subject teachers: online dictionaries, grammar reference books to practice producing questions which involve high order thinking skills
language teachers: online sources & subject-related books, highlight specific vocabulary, practice delivery of science materials
plan together
Learning outcomes and objectives
subject content
communication
Thinking and learning skills
Tasks
Language support
Materials and resources
Cross-curricular links
Assessment
worksheets, diagrams, explanations, games, pictures
explain subject content & include experimental learning
domino games, jigsaw map, gap-fill, word searches and web searches, PowerPoint presentations,...
Learning outcomes -> review, understand, investigate & Activate prior knowledge -> what is a forcemeter & building a scientific glossary (terms) & scientific vocabulary
introduces learners main bones in the skeleton and their functions, checking understanding (asking learners to point out ribs, asking about similarities and differences in an effective way to encourage higher order thinking skills)
will help the learners develop scientific enquiry skills, outline steps of an enquiry
take enough materials so the groups can do the experiment in class, a practical approach is memorable, collaborative and meaningful
language support
introducing term before the experiment, all other variables should be kept the same
result tables, communicating data clearly
short, answers directly the question that was being investigated
how much do they trust their results, how confident are they in their conclusion, many learners will need language support
bringing learners together and discuss
use and consolidate new vocabulary, some learners may code-switch -> accept this and encourage them to try again and help them communicate in English only