Unit of work and lesson plan

Unit of work: Mapping

Description: This unit of work has been planned to be carried out with third grade students (children between 7 and 8 years old) in the context of a Geography lesson. In the web-based part of the lesson, learners will be asked to use Make Beliefs Comix in Activity 2, Part 2. A brief description of the website, along with a tutorial on how to use the comic strip creator, can be found here. 

Level: A2-B1 (Primary bilingual school, 3rd grade)

General objectives:

• To acquire and expand vocabulary related to maps including names of arterial roads such as street, highway, sidewalk, among others, cardinal directions (south, north, west, east) and specific notions such as symbol, landmark, legend of a map, directions, among others.

• To develop listening and reading comprehension skills through exposure to various materials such as videos, online and offline texts and authentic materials such as printed maps and online maps.

• To enhance speaking and writing skills by communicating about giving and asking for directions and describing the location of different places in a map.

• To participate in discussions about the location of various shops, parks and houses around the school.

• Close and long-distance observation.

Lesson Plan (80 minutes)

Introduction to mapping

Following Churches (2016) ideas on Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy, the use of technology has been incorporated to this lesson to facilitate learning. Nowadays, students find more engaging to acquire content when using different digital tools. In addition to this, both higher and lower thinking skills are better developed by SEN students who are visual thinkers. Delaney (2016) states that “one key indicator of dyslexia is poor working memory” (Delaney, 2016, p. 58) and that visual aids come in handy when students have to assimilate information.

Moreover, “clear instructions are essential for all students, but particularly important for those with SEN.” (Delaney, 2016, p. 16). Having the previous in mind, a timer is used so students can visualize and organize time when working on the tasks. Furthermore, when Delaney (2016) focus on students’ working memory, she also recommends giving clear and short instructions, considering that many students have problems when following a sequence of directions. The tutorial on how to use Make Beliefs Comix and the task sheet that has been created for activity Nº1 have, indeed, been designed to meet these needs. Additionally, when possible, a palette of soft colours has been incorporated in both the task sheet and the tutorial. Related to the latter, Delaney (2016) says that “some students will read more easily from certain colours of paper or certain types of colour transparencies [...], so try making photocopies on off-white paper (salmon-pink, grey, or beige)” (Delaney, 2016, pg. 59).

Ripani (2016/2017) emphasizes the importance of communication and collaboration as these contribute to self and collaborative learning. She also highlights that students should be taught to interact with responsibility, creativity, and respect for diversity. This relates with the fact that many SEN students struggle with the capacity to communicate their feelings and to understand other people’s feelings, i.e., to be more empathetic. Therefore, the whole lesson plan addresses communication considering not only each student’s own point of view, but also encouraging them to analyse information from another person’s perspective. Examples of the previous include reading and creating a map for other people to read, and giving directions, considering the other person's standpoint. So, the focus is on how students organize and produce information to construct knowledge by recognizing various ways of representation. Attention is also given to the identification and definition of questions that lead to the investigation of the students’ sociocultural context. This is done by analyzing and interpreting various manners and perspectives, and by planning and organizing different projects as a way of dealing with problem-solving skills.

Finally, when considering the European Framework (2017), it could be said that the overall function of the lesson is to provide students with different resources so they can communicate, and create content and solve problems individually and collaboratively, making a responsible use of technology. 

ADVICE: This lesson should be carried out in a computer lab with internet connection. If this is not possible, students will need to have access to digital devices that allow them to properly work on the activities. The teacher will also need to have at his/her disposal an intelligent board or other device to display information at a quite large scale.

In this case, it is assumed that the teacher and the students are working in a computer lab with internet connection, where there is also an intelligent board.

Warmer: (5 minutes)

The teacher will introduce the topic of the lesson by asking the students the following questions:

-          Do you know what a map is?

-          Have you ever used a map?

-          Do your parents use maps when travelling by car or public transport?

Web: (50 minutes)

The teacher will explain to the students that, for each task, a timer that will be set and displayed on the board. This way, they can see how much time they have available when working on the different activities.

Timer clock examples:

Activity 1: (20 minutes)

The students will watch the following video about maps and will take notes to answer the questions on the task sheet below.

Maps for Kids | Learn how to read a map and other skills in this fun introduction to maps 

Activity 2: (30 minutes)

Part 1: (10 minutes)

The students will use Google Maps to virtually navigate the streets surrounding their school to select a specific destination, such as a local business, park, or bank. Then, they will have to provide directions orally to another classmate, explaining how to get from the school to the chosen destination. 

Part 2: (20 minutes)

Make Beliefs Comix is a great resource for visual thinkers, as it allows for the personalization of one’s work. It’s an excellent tool for students who struggle with emotions, as it promotes communication, collaboration, and empathy. The format is engaging and familiar, assisting students who have difficulty with abstract content and when they have to organize a sequence of events. For this task, learners have to plan the steps to move from one point to another by picturing the situation in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional spaces. Moreover, they have to be able to describe those steps in different formats so that others can understand how to navigate to a specific location. As demonstrated, this tool is beneficial for a variety of SEN students, including those with Dyslexia, ADHD, ASC and SEBD.

Students will be organised into groups of three and they will be asked to use the website MakeBeliefsComix to construct a dialogue. In this dialogue, one character will provide directions to another, guiding him/her to a location that one of the members of the group previously selected, starting from the school. E.g., turn left/right, cross X street, etc. 

First, learners will draft their dialogue in text format. They can use Microsoft Word or write it by hand. Then, they will use the dialogue to create their comic strip on Make Beliefs Comix. 

Before students start working, the teacher will tell them that they will have to submit a copy of their comic printed as a PDF. This document should also be shared through an official digital platform such as Classroom or Teams. 

Previous to the day of the lesson, the teacher will send the students a tutorial, like the one that can be found here, on how to use MakeBeliefsComix. She will do it through Classroom, Teams, or another appropriate tool. 

What’s next (20 minutes)

Activity: Students will be asked to draw a map where they will have to mark the directions of the previous activity. They will also be requested to use a legend/key, landmarks, and symbols.

The teacher can share maps in paper format, so students can access actual examples of what they are expected to produce.

Reflection (5 minutes)

The teacher will end the lesson by asking the students the following questions:

-Have you ever given directions to someone else before today?

-Did you discover a place near your school that you didn't know about before today? For example, a shop?

-How useful do you think it is to learn how to read maps and give directions?

Follow-up activity

The students will tour the streets near the school with their teacher to record different types of businesses, residences, streets, etc. Then, they will be asked to compare their results with their previous work, and discuss similarities and differences.

References

Make Beliefs Comix in https://makebeliefscomix.com/ 

Learn Bright (2020, July 22) Maps for Kids | Learn how to read a map and other skills in this fun introduction to maps [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved,  September 22, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZaTK7B0doE&ab_channel=LearnBright 

Google Maps

Classroom timer in https://www.online-stopwatch.com/classroom-timers/ 

Delaney, M. (2016) Special Educational Needs. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

Ledesma, p. (2019) Useful digital tools for the inclusive classroom.

Redecker, C. (2017) JRC SCIENCE FOR POLICY REPORT. European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators. DigCompEdu. In: https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/digcompedu_en

Ripani, F. (2016). Competencias de Educación Digital. Ministerio de Educación y Deportes. Retrieved in July 2017 from http://www.bnm.me.gov.ar/giga1/documentos/EL005452.pdf

Ripani, F. (2017). Orientaciones Pedagógicas. Ministerio de Educación y Deportes. Retrieved in July 2017 from http://www.bnm.me.gov.ar/giga1/documentos/EL005853.pdf

Sneed, O. (2020b, March 17). Integrating Technology with Bloom’s Taxonomy - Teach Online. Teach Online. https://teachonline.asu.edu/2016/05/integrating-technology-blooms-taxonomy/

Staff, T. (2022b). Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy Verbs For 21st Century Students. TeachThought. https://www.teachthought.com/critical-thinking/blooms-digital-taxonomy-verbs/

The Technology Driven Student: How to Apply Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy to the Digital Generations. (2017, March). http://jespnet.com/journals/Vol_4_No_1_March_2017/4.pdf

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