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Teacher(s) Subject group and discipline Language acquisition: English

Unit title Striving for a better world! MYP year Capable level Unit duration 24 hours
(phases 3 and 4) (hrs)

Inquiry: Establishing the purpose of the unit

Key concept Related concept(s) Global context

Connection Audience, word choice Personal and cultural expression

Exploration: the ways in which we express ideas, beliefs
and values

Statement of inquiry

Creative use of language and careful word choice can improve audience engagement for effective communication of ideas, beliefs and values.

Inquiry questions
Factual
• What makes communication effective?
Conceptual
• In what ways can language engage audiences?
Debatable
• To what extent does audience engagement depend on word choice?

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Objectives Summative assessment

Objective A: Listening Outline of summative assessment task(s) Relationship between summative
i. identifies explicit and implicit information (facts, opinions, including assessment criteria: assessment task(s) and statement
messages and supporting details) of inquiry:
ii. analyses conventions Criterion A task: Listening
iii. analyses connections. A listening text focusing on mobilizing community Creative use of language and
to participate in a sustainable neighbourhood careful word choice can improve
project. audience engagement for effective
Objective B: Reading communication of ideas, beliefs and
i. identifies explicit and implicit information (facts, opinions, values.
Criterion B task: Reading
messages, and supporting details) in simple and some complex
A text on ways to make brands resonate with
authentic texts consumers.
ii. analyses conventions in simple and some complex authentic
texts Criterion C task: Speaking
iii. analyses connections in simple and some complex authentic You are part of an advertising team with the task
texts. of creating a campaign to raise people awareness
on the importance of small actions on behalf of a
global goal. You will present the proposal to the
Objective C: Speaking company board justifying how your campaign
i. uses a wide range of vocabulary supports the big idea “Creative use of language
ii. uses a wide range of grammatical structures generally and careful word choice can improve audience
accurately engagement for effective communication of ideas,
iii. uses clear pronunciation and intonation which makes the beliefs and values”.
communication easy to comprehend
The proposal needs to include the vocabulary and
iv. communicates almost all the required information clearly and
grammatical structures needed to ensure
effectively. accuracy.

Objective D: Writing Criterion D task: Writing

i. uses a wide range of vocabulary
ii. uses a wide range of grammatical structures generally
accurately
Write an article for a school magazine on how to
create a greener school, bearing in mind the
statement of inquiry: Creative use of language and
careful word choice can improve audience
engagement for effective communication of ideas,
beliefs and values.

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iii. organizes information effectively and coherently in an
appropriate format using a wide range of simple and complex
cohesive devices
iv. communicates almost all the required information with a clear
sense of audience and purpose to suit the context.
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Your article can be around 200–250 words
long. It needs to be a purposeful message
addressing the audience and persuading them
to take sustainable actions. Include the
vocabulary and grammatical structures
needed to ensure coherence and accuracy.
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Approaches to learning (ATL)

In order for students to demonstrate understanding of spoken language in multimodal texts, students must identify the linguistic message, understand the message
and interpret the message. (Thinking skills) (Critical thinking indicator) (ATL category: Thinking, ATL cluster: Critical thinking)
In order for students to interpret spoken language in multimodal texts, students must use knowledge and understanding to recognize trends and draw conclusions
from given information. (Definition of command term MYP: From principles into practices) (Critical thinking indicator) (ATL category: Thinking, ATL cluster: Critical
thinking)

In order for students to demonstrate understanding of written language in multimodal texts, students must identify and understand the message. (Critical thinking
indicator) (ATL category: Thinking, ATL cluster: Critical thinking)

In order for students to interpret written language in multimodal texts, students must use knowledge and understanding to recognize trends and draw conclusions
from given information. (Definition of command term MYP: From principles into practices) (Critical thinking indicator) (ATL category: Thinking, ATL cluster: Critical
thinking)

In order for students to demonstrate accuracy and fluency in speaking, students must plan and organize a message (thinking skills) and communicate the message
taking into account the context and audience. (ATL category: Communication, ATL cluster: Communication)

In order for students to use written language to communicate and interact with others, students must organize and formulate the message, taking into account the
context and audience. (Cognitive and linguistic skills) (ATL category: Communication, ATL cluster: Communication)

In order for students to demonstrate accurate use of grammatical structures, students must identify the appropriate grammatical structure for the occasion and
apply it to communicate the message effectively. (ATL category: Communication, ATL cluster: Communication)

In order for students to organize information and ideas in writing, students must organize and formulate the message, taking into account the context and audience.
(Cognitive and linguistic skills) (ATL category: Communication, ATL cluster: Communication)

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Action: Teaching and learning through inquiry

Learning process
Content
Learning experiences and teaching strategies Formative assessment Differentiation

Introductory performance task Process

Inquiry questions to open up
Glossary wall: scaffolding
the unit and start exploring
What makes communication effective? grammatical structures with
the concepts with the
stem sentences, visual
content chosen.
In groups. students discuss the concept using the concentric images accompanying new
Factual circle strategy. vocabulary on sustainability.

What makes communication

effective?

Vocabulary on Strategy: Think–Puzzle–Explore

sustainability What is sustainability?

The class is divided into two groups and watches two different
videos or ads about sustainability and the students complete
visual graphic organizer using Think–Puzzle–Explore, routine.

The aim is to identify the main idea and brainstorm supporting

ideas.

The teacher elicits new vocabulary from this exercise and

students start a vocabulary wall on sustainability, which will
grow as the unit moves on, to show grammatical structures to
give opinions and to persuade.

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In what ways can language The groups exchange videos and this time they compare and Formative task 1 criterion A: Differentiation by process
engage audiences? contrast them using a Venn diagram to discuss them in activities about the video Students who are
relation to the SOI. experiencing difficulties
Use of: developing some skills will
• conditionals • In what ways can language engage audiences? be supported by the
• modal verbs scaffolding of the skills. For
• comparatives. The discussion addressing the SOI will drive the unit example, to develop
exploration, and students start exploring the concepts in the interpretative skills the
SOI: connection, audience, word choice and communication of teacher scaffolds tasks,
ideas, beliefs and values. helping students to classify
and categorize information
• What language has been used in the videos to encourage using a visual graphic, or
people to be more sustainable? decoding the meaning of a
piece of information as
The teacher gives a question to each group to discuss it in these are subskills of
relation to the videos and add vocabulary and grammatical interpretation.
structures to the wall.

a. The teacher introduces the discussion of how messages

are communicated and invites students to identify
techniques used to engage the audience by watching the
previous videos again. Students list their ideas in a
graphic organizer.

b. The teacher reviews techniques used to engage the

audience and some grammatical structures and
vocabulary.
For example:
• Use of simple present to express universal truths,
habits.
Cause and effect/consequences statements with
conditionals.
• Use of statistics to reinforce the message:
“A million sea animals are entrapped and die.”
• Use of infinitive to show purpose
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Learning process
Content
Learning experiences and teaching strategies Formative assessment Differentiation

c. Students compare their lists to the new techniques and,

through the Think–Pair–Share routine, propose a few
purposeful messages that would address the videos
incorporating new vocabulary and grammatical
structures. Students share them in a graffiti wall.

In what ways can language Concepts of audience and word choice are explored. Work on listening task criterion A Process
engage audiences? Scaffolding strategies are
The teacher introduces the issue of living in the countryside provided to help students
and city to start a discussion on how messages need to take address the listening
into account the audiences. comprehension text such as
skimming and scanning,
First task: In groups, students compare and contrast both main idea visual organizers.
ways of living, in general first and then in relation to
sustainability.

Students work with a multimodal texts about life in the city

versus countryside and write down the arguments in favour
and against city versus country lives using a graphic organizer.

Students can watch videos about city and country life.

Students discuss the word choice used in the video and their
audience and consider how their previous messages could
change if addressed to people living in the city/country.

Learning experience (criterion B) Students work on visual texts Product

(criterion B). Students can either write
Students read a text on sustainable neighbourhoods. posters or infographics
(more advanced students).

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Learning process
Content
Learning experiences and teaching strategies Formative assessment Differentiation

How can we support sustainable development? Criterion D: students write Process

purposeful messages in posters
After working with the text, students create a diagram with persuading people in the
ideas that could apply to their school or community and with country/the city to take sustainable
actions that can support sustainability through the routine, actions. Ensure they take into
“Perceive, know about, care about”. account audience and share it on a
gallery wall.
Provide sentence stems to
support students to give
their opinions and influence
others through persuasion.

Then students read the United Nations text: “Sustainable Criterion C: in groups, students are Content
cities: Why they matter”. invited to discuss how word choice in Students choose the ads
ads (visual text/videos) about that they are more
sustainability helps to connect the interested in within the
audience. topic of sustainability.
Students present their videos/texts
orally, justifying why they are a good
example of engaging language that
can be used to connect and
encourage diverse audiences to
strive for a sustainable world.

Formative assessment: reading

task 2

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Learning process
Content
Learning experiences and teaching strategies Formative assessment Differentiation

Persuasive texts Different forms of sustainable actions are introduced within

the format of speeches.
Speech writing: figurative
speech Students watch the video in groups and identify the
arguments presented in a persuasive text graphic organizer
and share it with the strategy “stop/look/listen”.
Debatable question:
More techniques for persuasive texts are taught and Discuss with students Dr King's “I have a dream” speech
To what extent does exemplified through the “I have a dream speech” by Martin dream for the US, and ask why provided in two formats so
audience engagement Luther King Jr. people might consider the speech that students choose to read
depend on word choice? great. Ask students to think about it or listen to it.
Students learn the conventions of a speech (necessary for the their own dreams for the future and,
summative). using Dr King’s speech as a template,
they write in pairs their own “I have
Dr Martin Luther King Jr used several common writing a dream” speech, including some of
techniques in his famous speech. Identify an example of each the figurative language learned.
of the following writing techniques from the "I have a dream"
speech. You can refer to the full text of the speech for review.
• Simile
• Repetition/anaphora
• Analogy
• Quotes/allusions
• Metaphor

Using figurative language, Dr King identifies clear, concrete

goals that he hopes this speech will help achieve. Identify at
least one of those goals.

Students discuss the debatable question in relation to the

speeches.

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Learning process
Content
Learning experiences and teaching strategies Formative assessment Differentiation

In groups, students identify elements of speech, vocabulary on Criteria C and D Content

sustainability, target audience and purposefulness, and assess Having assessed the strengths and Students choose a topic on
them through the routine “Compass”. limitations of the video, students are sustainability based on their
invited to develop a speech outline. own interest.

The teacher provides examples and A template for speech

students develop their own outlines writing is provided, and
in pairs. students who need more
support can follow closely
Role, Audience, Format, Topic while others can use it as a
(RAFT): As members of an general guidance.
advertising agency, students produce
in pairs an environmental persuasive The teacher also gives
speech outline where they present guidance for developing a
their arguments to strive for video for a campaign.
sustainable neighbourhoods. They
can choose between producing an
oral (criterion C) or written (criterion
D) text, but for both they need to
hand in an outline of the text with
arguments for an ideal sustainable
neighbourhood.

Positive, Minus, Interesting

Peer assessment: students assess the
presentations using Positive, Minus,
Interesting (PMI) and the teacher
provides final feedback.

Individually, each student writes a

five-point action plan to improve
their work.

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Learning process
Content
Learning experiences and teaching strategies Formative assessment Differentiation

If he can do it, you can too! Criterion A activity

See example of task for criterion A.
Students read about a young indigenous environmental
activist and are introduced to a video.

In small groups, students express their views with the routine

“The 4 Cs” (connections/challenges/concepts/changes).

In what ways can language Criteria C and D Differentiation by product

engage audiences? The teacher invites students to Students will be given the
consider what actions would opportunity to develop a
To what extent does improve the sustainability of their magazine article, blog or
audience engagement immediate environment and think of editorial for the school
depend on word choice? a school campaign to generate that magazine.
change. Students write a draft of an
awareness campaign speech to
persuade people to strive for a
greener school.

Students need to write at least 200–

250 words and be prepared to
interact with an audience for 5–8
minutes.

This task can become a service for

action performance task.

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Resources

Listening comprehension supporting materials

• Learning Strategies For Ell's. Using The Concentric Circle in the Classroom. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
https://learningstrategieseng491.weebly.com/concentric-circles.html
• Sustainable Neighborhood Network. 2015. City of Lakewood Sustainable Neighborhoods Program. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
https://www.sustainableneighborhoodnetwork.org/sustainable-neighborhoods-lakewood
• Lakewood Colorado. 2015. Lakewood's Sustainable Neighborhoods Program - TV Version. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=108&v=KVBinIEmMd4
• UN CC: Learn. Promoting Education for Sustainable Development. United Nations Institute for Training and Research. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available
from: http://www.unitar.org/promoting-education-sustainable-development
• Arena, C. 2013. 6 Ways To Make Brand Sustainability Resonate With Consumers. Fast Company. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
https://www.fastcompany.com/3015902/6-ways-to-make-brand-sustainability-resonate-with-consumers
• The Josh Speaks. City Life vs. Country Life: Which is Better? (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6oYO_W7cM0
• BuzzFeedVideo. Country Vs. City. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orqgsTFcoos
• Natividad, A. 2016. A Real Estate Development in Miami Just Got Ads Suited to a Highbrow Fashion Campaign: Welcome to Brickell City Centre. Adweek.
(Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: http://www.adweek.com/creativity/real-estate-development-miami-just-got-ads-suited-highbrow-fashion-
campaign-174656/
• ING. 2014. Groundbreaking and sustainable real estate project. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
https://www.ing.com/Newsroom/News/Features/Feature/Groundbreaking-and-sustainable-real-estate-project.htm
• United States Environmental Protection Agency. Recycling Basics. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics
• Consciousness [r]evolution. 2009. it takes a child…. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: https://theconsciousnessrevolution.wordpress.com/tag/the-
skyfish-project/
• Martin Luther King, Jr. 1963. I Have a Dream. Available from: (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm
• Harvard Project Zero: http://www.pz.harvard.edu/resources/think-puzzle-explore
• Voigt, M. Vocabulary wall: Word Wall. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: http://mavoigt.weebly.com/word-wall.html
• United Nations. 2018. Sustainable Cities: Why They Matter. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities.
(Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Goal-11.pdf

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Lesson preparation ideas

Speech analysis
• Education World. 2019. Ten Writing Prompts for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. (Accessed 20 August 2019). http://www.educationworld.com/teachers/ten-
writing-prompts-martin-luther-king-jr-day
• Yalen, T. 2019. Lesson plan: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech as visual text. Available from: (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/lessons-plans/i-have-a-dream-as-a-visionary-text-martin-luther-king-jr/
• Visible Thinking. 2019. Stop Look Listen: A routine for clarifying claims and sources. Harvard Project Zero. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03f_TruthRoutines/StopLookListen/SpotLooklisten_Routine.html
• Martin Luther King, Jr. 1963. I Have a Dream. Available from: (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm
• Lamb, B. 2019. Analysing Persuasive Language. Learning Bucker. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: http://lessonbucket.com/english/year-9-
english/persuasive-language/analysing-persuasive-language/
• BBC. 2019. Writing a speech. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/english/speaking_listening/speaking/revision/3/
• Quizlet. 2019. English speech conventions. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: https://quizlet.com/84702825/english-speech-conventions-flash-cards/
• Nebo Literature. Persuasive Speech. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: http://nebo-lit.com/language/text-types/Language-of-Speeches.html
• Education World. 2011. Write Your Own "I Have a Dream" Speech. Available from: (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp248-04.shtml
• Severn Suzuki. The girl who silenced the world for 5 minutes. Uploaded by Kim Seong Lee. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmz6Rbpnu0
• Prince Ea. 2015. Dear Future Generations: Sorry. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRLJscAlk1M
• Earth Guardians. Earth Guardians Youth Director Xiuhtezcatl Martinez. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
https://www.earthguardians.org/xiuhtezcatl/

Speech outline
• Visible Thinking. 2019. Compass Points: A routine for examining propositions. Harvard Project Zero. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03c_Core_routines/CompassPoints/CompassPoints_Routine.html
• Six Minutes. 2008. Speech Preparation #3: Don’t Skip the Speech Outline. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-
preparation-3-outline-examples/
• Template.net. 29+ Speech Outline Templates – PDF, DOC. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: https://www.template.net/business/outline-
templates/speech-outline-template/
• Central Michigan University. Example of Informative Speech Outline. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
https://www.cmich.edu/ess/CBTC/Documents/SAMPLEOUTLINES.pdf#search=sample%20outlines

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• Teacher Nuha. 2012. Speech Writing – Format. EnglishForward.com. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
https://www.englishforums.com/English/SpeechWritingFormat/brndjn/post.htm

Speech writing
• Scholastic. Tips from the Pro. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/speech/tips.htm
• Ginger Public Speaking. 2019. The balanced way to structure a speech, talk or presentation. (Accessed 3 November 2019). Available from:
https://www.gingerpublicspeaking.com/article/the-balanced-way-to-structure-a-speech-talk-or-presentation
• Visible Thinking. 2019. Thinking Routines. Harvard Project Zero. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03a_ThinkingRoutines.html
• Learning English. 2016. If You Learn Conditionals, You'll Be Glad You Did! (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from:
https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/if-you-learn-conditionals-be-glad/3173342.html
• Learning English. 2017. Common Ways to Express Purpose. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/common-ways-
to-express-purpose/3836668.html
• Facing History and Ourselves. Graffiti Boards. (Accessed 20 August 2019). Available from: https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-
strategies/graffiti-boards

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Reflection: Considering the planning, process and impact of the inquiry

Prior to teaching the unit During teaching After teaching the unit

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