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