GRADE 11A: Inventions Describing processes, persuasive texts

About this unit

This unit is designed to guide your planning and teaching of English lessons. It provides a link between the standards for English and your lesson plans. The teaching and learning activities in this unit should help you to plan the content, pace and level of difficulty of lessons. You should adapt the ideas in the unit to meet the needs of your class. You can also supplement the ideas with appropriate activities from your schools textbooks and other resources. In this unit, students discuss their favourite inventions and read about different processes involved with inventions. They evaluate advertisements for household products.

UNIT 11A.12 9 hours

Resources
The main resources needed for this unit are: listening and reading texts related to the topic of inventions; listening text of a meeting between members of a marketing team who are discussing the launch of a new product; copies of advertisements from television or magazines.

Expectations
By the end of the unit, most students will: understand and respond to persuasive arguments; follow a discussion in a business-type meeting of about 10 minutes; describe possible scenarios in the past; actively participate in informal and more formal discussions; make clear oral presentations of processes, using the passive voice; summarise and evaluate persuasive texts; read widely for information, search the Internet, skim and scan written and screen-based texts; understand the purposes, organisation and typical language features of persuasive texts; form and present critical opinions of persuasive texts; plan and compose persuasive texts; use common word-processing software to independently plan, compose, edit and present and save their own writing. Students who progress further will: compose a persuasive text using organisational and language features typical of the genre and a wide range of structures and vocabulary. Students who make slower progress will: compose a persuasive text organised into at least three paragraphs using simple and complex sentences and a range of cohesive devices .

Key structures and functions

Discussing possible scenarios in the past: Supposing the airplane hadnt been invented we wouldnt be able to travel overseas so easily. If penicillin hadnt been discovered, people would still be dying from infections. Describing processes using the passive: An inventors right to profit from his or her invention is protected by a patent. Nearly six million patents have been granted since the US patent system was established in the late eighteenth century.

Vocabulary
Inventions: to grant a patent, a trademark, copyright, to infringe copyright, to be granted a licence, to conduct market research, protect, etc. Advertising: to launch a product, TV commercial, promote a product, etc.

271 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 11A | Unit 11A.12 | Inventions

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Standards for the unit

9 hours
3 hours Favourite inventions 3 hours The design process 3 hours Advertising

Unit 11A.12
CORE STANDARDS Grade 11A standards
11A.3.4 Follow a discussion in a business-type meeting (e.g. a planning meeting, staff meeting) of about 15 minutes noting: the progression of points arguments (e.g. from general to specific, tentative to assertive, individual to collective etc.); how turn-taking is transacted; how participants negotiate points with each other through agreeing, modifying, adding to, disagreeing, offering alternatives etc., hedging, changing the subject, distracting, fending off etc.; the use of formal and informal language to set the tone of the meeting, mark distance, status, respect, disrespect etc.; the role of the group leader or chair person; formalities of opening, introducing, summarising, concluding, thanking. Respond by taking minutes, and orally reporting back by summarising points coherently and using reported speech. 12A.3.4

SUPPORTING STANDARDS including Grade 10A standards

EXTENSION STANDARDS including Grade 12A standards

Follow a discussion in a businesstype meeting (e.g. a planning meeting, staff meeting) of about 15 minute).

10A.5.7

Prepare and present a description of a process of several steps, that is related to study in other subjects, using the passive voice.

11A.5.6

Address an audience for a variety of presentation purposes: greet, introduce the title or subject, the purpose or objective; outline the length, organisation, main parts; link ideas, move from the general to the specific; refer to visual aids; signal to end, summarise, recommend, conclude, invite questions; deal with questions and close.

11A.5.7

Prepare and make to an audience a 10-minute presentation on a topic that interests and informs (current or past events): organise the presentation with a consistent structure; use appropriate language for introducing, developing main ideas, summarising, and concluding; present arguments for and against in a balanced way, supported with evidence and examples; recommend, giving reasons as part of the conclusion; use presentation skills ; handle anticipated and unexpected questions from the audience and, where appropriate, maintain a dialogue with them.

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9 hours
11A.4.2

SUPPORTING STANDARDS including Grade 10A standards

Speak accurately, using a series of up to 12 clear, connected, simple and complex utterances. 11A.5.8

CORE STANDARDS Grade 11A standards

Prepare and present to an audience, or discuss in a simulation, a proposal that convinces or persuades: establish and develop a logical and controlled argument; consistently use common organisational structures as appropriate; include relevant and memorable evidence; use strong, positive language, short utterances for emphasis, and a friendly manner to be convincing; be prepared to address counter-arguments or listener bias. 11A.5.9 Summarise and evaluate persuasive texts and presentations, distinguishing fact from opinion, seeking clarification, giving relevant feedback, discussing merits, issues, options, preferences and proposing alternatives. 12A.5.9 12A.5.8

EXTENSION STANDARDS including Grade 12A standards

Prepare and present to an audience, or discuss in a simulation, a proposal that convinces or persuades: establish and develop a logical and controlled argument; consistently use common organisational structures; include relevant and memorable evidence. Summarise and evaluate persuasive texts and presentations, distinguishing fact from opinion, seeking clarification, giving relevant feedback, discussing merits, issues, options, preferences and proposing alternatives.

11A.5.11 Give an oral report based on minutes taken from a business meeting. 11A.6.5 Use common search engines to search the Internet for information related to a text. Infer information from evidence in the text, read, understand and respond to written arguments. Collate by downloading, cutting, pasting etc. to form a coherent whole. 11A.6.8 Use active comprehension strategies to derive meaning while reading by: formulating and clarifying questions; evaluating predictions made in pre-reading and making adjustments; predicting outcomes, stating reasonable generalisations, and drawing conclusions based on prior knowledge and information gained while reading; inferring attitudes, relationships and drawing generalisations from the text; comparing and contrasting different parts of the text; referring to the text for evidence of conclusions or opinions; using self-monitoring strategies while reading (e.g. pausing, rereading, consulting other sources, reading ahead, asking for help); relating the text to prior personal experiences or opinions as well as previously read print and non-print texts.

273 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 11A | Unit 11A.12 | Inventions

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9 hours
11A.8.6

SUPPORTING STANDARDS including Grade 10A standards

Consolidate use of common wordprocessing software such as Microsoft Word to plan, compose, edit and present own writing: create, open, save and close documents; find files; type, edit, find and replace; cut, copy and paste; format paragraphs, pages and full documents; check grammar and spelling; print. 11A.9.4

CORE STANDARDS Grade 11A standards

From Grade 10 Advanced, extend writing of persuasive texts. Argue for or against a particular view on an issue of topical, or personal interest, in a variety of forms: structure the argument with titles and introductory statements to capture the readers attention, a clearly articulated position, supporting arguments and elaboration, conclusions to reiterate or summarise; select persuasive language which addresses the audience directly with statements and rhetorical questions, suggests objectivity, expresses obligation and necessity using modal verbs, connects points logically, reiterates points, expresses certainty; use ICT to organise and present persuasive writing to particular audiences use formatting to capture interest and emphasise key messages, structure points and paragraphs, illustrate, compare. 11A.9.7 Make detailed notes (either hand-written or on a computer) from listening or reading. From these notes, present a coherent summary of approximately one third the length of the original, in the form of: telegraphic or pictorial notes based on key words and the main ideas from a text for personal use; written, pictorial and diagrammatic notes to summarise or explain a text to others; a formal summary in written and/or diagrammatic form, approximately one third the length of the original, and sufficiently clear and coherent for others to read unaided by the author. 12A.9.4

EXTENSION STANDARDS including Grade 12A standards

From Grade 11 Advanced, extend writing of persuasive texts. Argue for or against a particular view on an issue of topical, or personal interest: structure the argument; select persuasive language; use ICT to organise and present persuasive writing to particular audiences.

274 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 11A | Unit 11A.12 | Inventions

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Activities
Objectives
3 hours Favourite inventions Students are able to: actively participate in group discussions, contributing relevant opinions, examples and suggestions; use common search engines to search the Internet for information related to a text; infer information from evidence in a text; collate by downloading, cutting, pasting etc. to form a coherent whole; make detailed notes (hand-written or by computer) from listening or reading; use techniques (e.g. highlighting a paper text) to pick out key points and remain focused on the material; skim and scan written and screen-based texts for information; argue for or against a particular view on an issue of topical or personal interest.

Unit 11A.12
Possible teaching activities
Introduce the topic by asking students to match a list of inventors with their inventions, for example: Garrett Morgan George de Mestral William D. Coolidge An Wang Alexander Graham Bell X-ray telephone traffic light velcro computer technology

Notes

School resources

Highlight use of the definite article to talk about a concept, for example: Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Tell students that in 2002 the BBC Radio programme Today invited listeners to vote for their favourite and their least favourite invention of all time. In groups of 45, students discuss and predict ten of the inventions that appeared in the final list five for the favourite and five for the least favourite. Students give reasons for their opinions. Groups present and compare their lists and then compare with the actual results. Discuss any surprises. In the same groups, students discuss and choose the invention that they think has most changed the way we live. As soon as a group agrees on an invention, they sign it up on a list so that two groups do not choose the same invention. Tell groups they are going to prepare a presentation to convince an audience that their invention has resulted in the biggest changes to the way we live. Brainstorm research questions and discuss search strategies. Review skimming and scanning and note-taking. Discuss and agree on criteria for a good presentation. Criteria should include both language (fluency and accuracy) and content (richness of ideas, supporting arguments, etc.). In groups, students research their invention and prepare a presentation. Monitor for note-taking skills. Allow time in class for groups to rehearse. If possible, have groups present to another class. Set up a poll and have students vote for the most convincing presentation. If this is not possible, have students use the criteria discussed above to evaluate each others presentations. This website is a useful source of information on inventions: http://inventors.about.com The results of the poll can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/ archive/science_nature/inventions.shtml

275 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 11A | Unit 11A.12 | Inventions

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Objectives

Possible teaching activities

Tell students they are going to write an essay of approximately 350 words to explain their choice of favourite invention. Before they begin, revise features of a persuasive text, for example: use of titles and introductory statements to capture the readers attention and win sympathy for the arguments; articulation of a clear position in an introduction; supporting arguments (e.g. as points plus elaboration); personal views, anecdotes and evidence as appropriate; a conclusion that reiterates or summarises; Students use ICT to organise and present their writing. They check the first draft using a grammar and spell checker. They redraft and write a final essay.

Notes

School resources

3 hours The design process Students are able to: prepare and present a description of a process of several steps using the passive voice; identify main ideas and details in a listening text.

Students watch a short excerpt from a video showing an unusual invention (e.g. Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers). They prepare and present a description of the invention, explaining what it does and how it works, using the passive voice. They use illustrations to enhance their presentation. Alternatively, students look at a picture of a machine and explain how it works. Students read a text about the design of new products. They identify the main ideas and give the article a title. They identify details and respond to multiple-choice or true/false statements. Highlight and practise use of passive for describing processes.

The Wallace and Gromit video Soccomatic can be downloaded from the Internet (for free) from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/ entertainment/02/wallace_and_gromit/ the_console/html/playerset.html Designs for a happy life can be found at: http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/ 4432317.stm. Stories of creativity and information about inventions, patents, etc. can be found at www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ ahrpa/opa/kids/special/kidstory.html

Students listen to an interview with someone talking about an aspect of the design process (e.g. how to patent an invention, carrying out market research). They demonstrate comprehension by sequencing a list of steps, completing a flowchart or responding to true/false statements.

Information about patents can be found at: http://colitz.com/site/flow.htm

276 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 11A | Unit 11A.12 | Inventions

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Objectives
3 hours Advertising Students are able to: follow a discussion in a business-type meeting and respond by orally reporting to a third party, using reported speech. evaluate persuasive texts; prepare and present to an audience an opinion or point of view intended to convince or persuade, in a series of complete utterances.

Possible teaching activities

Tell students that they are going to listen to a meeting in which members of a marketing team discuss how to launch a new product. Students listen and complete activities focusing on: the overall progression of points in the discussion; how turn-taking is transacted; the use of formal and informal language to set the tone of the meeting, mark distance, status, respect, disrespect etc.; the formalities of opening, introducing, summarising, concluding and thanking. As they listen, students record minutes of the meeting using a familiar template. If this task is very difficult for students, provide incomplete minutes and have them fill the gaps. In pairs, students compare their minutes. They listen again to check information or get further information. Students orally prepare a report of the meeting, covering major options discussed and the final decisions made. They use the minutes for support. Students study a range of advertisements from magazines and television to promote new household products (e.g. vacuum cleaners, cookers, food mixers). In each case, they discuss the target group, use of language, images, colour, etc. Set up a simulation: students work for an advertising company which is about to launch a new specialised product (e.g. a jar opener for elderly people, a treadmill to exercise dogs, an antisnoring device). Students work in teams of four and design a poster or short TV commercial for the product. They prepare to present their ideas to the rest of the class. Identify one student to take on the role of chairperson. He or she should manage the meeting, addressing the group, explaining proceedings, inviting questions, etc.

Notes
Prepare a listening text of a group of people discussing different options for advertising a product (e.g. magazine advertisements, TV commercials).

School resources

277 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 11A | Unit 11A.12 | Inventions

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Assessment
Examples of assessment tasks and questions
Listening Students listen to a description of a process and demonstrate comprehension by completing a flowchart. In groups of 34, students discuss and evaluate a range of advertisements, demonstrating their ability to ask for and give opinions, take turns and maintain conversation. Students read a text on a topic related to inventions and respond to true/false statements or multiple-choice questions. Students write two or more paragraphs about the most useful gadget in their kitchen.

Unit 11A.12
Notes
Listening carries approximately 20% of the assessment weighting for this grade Speaking carries approximately 30% of the assessment weighting for this grade. Reading carries approximately 20% of the assessment weighting for this grade Writing carries approximately 30% of the assessment weighting for this grade.

School resources

Speaking

Reading

Writing

278 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 11A | Unit 11A.12 | Inventions

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