GRADE 10A: Energy Investigating textual organisation

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 read and write information texts on energy sources, focussing on textual organisation; they extend their ability to talk about the future and discuss hypothetical scenarios about energy sources in the present and future.

UNIT 10A.4 9 hours

Resources
The main resources needed for this unit are: reading texts on different sources of energy (e.g. wind farms, wave power); audio or video recording of someone being interviewed about an energy project.

Expectations
By the end of the unit, most students will: recognise, understand and use a repertoire of words for this topic for listening, speaking, reading and writing; understand a range of common affixes and roots and use them to guess the meanings of unknown words; understand and respond to information in a monologue; talk about the hypothetical present and future; plan and participate in discussions, speak at length, develop ideas, give examples, ask and answer questions from the group; use meta-language to talk about learning English; independently plan and compose their own writing on a variety of topics; use the principal features of common word-processing software to independently plan, compose, edit and present their own writing. Students who progress further will: use a wide range of discourse markers to signal addition, contrast, reason, purpose, result, condition, concession; discuss possible scenarios in the future using conditional and hypothetical language and a range of future tenses. Students who make slower progress will: use discourse markers to signal addition, contrast, reason, purpose, result, condition, concession; use first and second conditional with if . and modal verbs to speculate about the future.

Key structures and functions

Discussing possible scenarios in the present and future: Unless there is a reliable source of energy industry will not develop. If industry develops there will be more jobs for local people. As a result their standard of living will increase. Signalling addition, contrast, reason, purpose, result, condition, concession: We need reliable sources of energy to sustain industry. Industry will bring more jobs. On the other hand, it might cause pollution and reduce the quality of life.

Vocabulary
Energy: solar power, nuclear energy, fossil fuels, renewable sources, natural resources, etc. Discourse markers: in spite of, despite the fact that, whereas, on the other hand, because (of), since, as, due to, caused by, as a result of, consequently, etc.

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Standards for the unit

9 hours
2 hours Reading; text organisation 1 hour Listening and note-taking 10A.2.1 3 hours Listening and writing 2 hours Role-play 1 hour Writing a discussion essay

Unit 10A.4
CORE STANDARDS Grade 10A standards
10A.1.1 Recognise, understand and use of approximately 3500 or more words for listening, speaking, reading and writing, extending and consolidating the active vocabulary words from Grades K9. Students regularly use these words throughout the year across the four skills, using topics and lexical sets to group them in meaningful, memorable contexts. Regular recycling of active words should occur throughout the year across the four skills. Recycling should include words from earlier grades, together with new personal interest and topic words. Understand elements of morphology in order to be able to guess the meanings of unknown words. Consolidate from G69 and extend ability to recognise, investigate, and spell root words with a range of affixes; generate new words and guess the meaning of unknown words from affixes, to extend vocabulary and support spelling. 11A.3.3 Follow lectures and presentations of about 15 minutes on a range of abstract and/or technical subjects.

SUPPORTING STANDARDS including Grade 9 standards

EXTENSION STANDARDS including Grade 11A standards

10A.3.2. Understand and respond to descriptions and explanations of people, places, events and processes: identify detail accurately; note detail with sufficient precision to re-use without error; note logical progression. 10A.3.4. Follow short (about 10 minute) lectures and presentations on a range of familiar but abstract and/or technical subjects: identify main and some subsidiary points; use notes to organise points into headings; select and note some relevant detail; formulate questions to seek clarification. 9.4.1 Speak accurately and at length to explain, present opinions, recount, describe and summarise events and plans, using a series of 68 clear, connected, utterances. 10A.4.1 Speak accurately, using a series of up to 10 connected, simple and complex utterances with: accurate and appropriate use of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, including appropriate stress and intonation; appropriate cohesive devices to link ideas within utterances and organise ideas at discourse level; a variety of subordinate clauses, linked with appropriate conjunctions; precise delivery of ideas backed by relevant examples and minimised use of redundancy; ability to deal with unexpected questions or comments.

11A.4.2

Speak accurately, using a series of up to 12 clear, connected, simple and complex utterances demonstrating: control of basic language structures with occasional use of advanced language structures, such as a variety of complex sentences with subordinate clauses, linked with appropriate conjunctions.

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9 hours

SUPPORTING STANDARDS including Grade 9 standards

10A.4.5

CORE STANDARDS Grade 10A standards

Interact in group, paired and more formal discussion: actively participate, contributing relevant opinions, examples and suggestions to the discussion; show independence by initiating new ideas.

EXTENSION STANDARDS including Grade 11A standards

10A.4.9

Use meta-language to talk about learning English: understand and use key concepts of language.

10A.4.7

Use a variety of interactive and language repair strategies to initiate, maintain and conclude a conversation of up to 15 minutes involving a variety of linguistic and paralinguistic communication strategies: approximation use of an L2 word, which shares the essential feature of the target word; rehearsing and organising utterances before speaking; stop and restart utterances that are not clear, pause to rephrase; paraphrase use of an L2 phrase to describe a property, function, characteristic, duty, purpose or an example; appeal for assistance (either implicit or explicit); comprehension check a use of a variety of expressions to check a partners understanding; clarification request a request for repetition or explanation; use of short utterances to show participation or understanding; self-repair self-correction of mistakes; confirmation check repetition of the interlocutors statement to check understanding; pausing use of pauses or pause-fillers, for taking time to think.

9.5.5

Discuss possible scenarios in the present and the future, based on hypothesis and supposition, using first and second conditionals with if, unless, could and might:

10A.5.3

Discuss possible scenarios in the present and future, based on hypothesis and supposition: Use conditional and hypothetical language including: first, second and third conditionals; modals will, can, could, may, might, be able to, and their negative forms; connectives if, when, unless, provided (that),otherwise, suppose/supposing.

11A.5.2

Consolidate and extend ability to describe possible choices, courses of action, in the past, present or future; and weigh up options and consequences. Use hypothetical language with conditionals and appropriate modals and connectives.

10A.6.1

Independently and intensively, read texts up to 1200 words long.

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9 hours

SUPPORTING STANDARDS including Grade 9 standards

10A.7.8

CORE STANDARDS Grade 10A standards

Read a variety of discussion, debate and argument texts which present and balance arguments from differing viewpoints: understand the purpose and typical organisational features of these texts an introduction stating the question at hand, the arguments on one side, with evidence and examples to support the case, the arguments on the other side, with evidence or examples to support this case, an alternative structure may present as alternating point-by-point arguments, with each point individually set against the opposing view, a summary of the arguments leading to a conclusion with a recommendation for further action, an alternative structure may start with the conclusion, then give a summary of the arguments to support that conclusion with a recommendation for further action; recognise and understand the use of typical language features use of the present simple tense, impersonal, formal style with frequent use of passive voice and modals for objectivity and to distance the author, logical connectives (therefore, so, however) and other features of cohesion such as pronominal reference, sequencing through paragraphs, text moves from the general to the specific, lexical field related to subject matter; form a view on any conclusions or recommendations presented in the argument, relating them to own views and values, referring to evidence in the text for justification. 10A.8.2 Extend ability to plan a piece of writing in note or diagrammatic form showing the main points in sequence. 11A.7.7

EXTENSION STANDARDS including Grade 11A standards

Read a variety of discussion, debate and argument texts which discuss and balance arguments from differing viewpoints: give a reasoned and critical opinion of the text in terms of both content and style and validity.

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9 hours
10A.8.6

SUPPORTING STANDARDS including Grade 9 standards

Use common word-processing software such as Microsoft Word to plan, compose, edit and present own writing. 10A.9.5

CORE STANDARDS Grade 10A standards

Compose short essays drawing on work in another curriculum subject or an issue of topical interest, using: organisational features typical of a discussion text to balance and weigh arguments an introduction which states issues, the arguments in favour and against plus supporting evidence or examples, a conclusion which summarises and weighs the arguments, draws a conclusion or makes a recommendation; formal written English typical of the styles used in discussions and debates the present simple, predominantly for generalisation and nonspecificity, the use of general terms and zero articles, discourse markers for explicit logical organisation, complete sentences rather than elliptical forms. 11A.9.5

EXTENSION STANDARDS including Grade 11A standards

Compose essays, drawing on work in another curriculum subject or an issue of topical interest, using: organisational features typical of a discussion text to balance and weigh arguments formal written English typical of the styles used in discussions and debates

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Activities
Objectives
2 hours Reading; text organisation Students are able to: recognise, understand and use a repertoire of words for this topic for listening, speaking, reading and writing; use of a range of subordinating conjunctions for addition, contrast, reason, purpose, result, condition, concession; use meta-language to talk about learning English; understand the purpose and typical organisational features of these texts; recognise and understand the use of typical language features.

Unit 10A.4
Possible teaching activities
Introduce the topic. In groups, brainstorm sources of energy. Students use dictionaries to find unknown words. List new words on the board. Groups discuss advantages and disadvantages of each and make notes in a table. Source of energy Solar power Advantages Clean, renewable Disadvantages Expensive to set up, ..

Notes

School resources
This column is blank for schools to note their own resources (e.g. textbooks, worksheets).

Feed in key vocabulary as necessary, for example: renewable sources, fossil fuels, natural resources Give students a text of approximately 500600 words about the advantages and problems associated with one source of energy (e.g. wind farms or wave power). The text should be divided into paragraphs with clear topic sentences. One supporting sentence should be removed from each sentence. However, a gap should not appear in the text. Students read the text quickly to identify and underline the topic sentence for each paragraph. Students read the text again and identify where the supporting sentences belong in the text. Students discuss the strategies they used to insert the supporting sentences into the text. Students complete true/false questions about the text to demonstrate comprehension. Students discuss the conclusion or recommendations presented by the writer and express agreement or disagreement. They refer to evidence in the text or use their own knowledge to justify their views. Students identify the structure of the text from a list of possible choices such as those outlined below. 1 The text starts with an introduction stating the question at hand, then presents the arguments on one side, with evidence and examples to support the case, followed by the arguments on the other side, with evidence or examples to support this case. It concludes by giving a summary of the arguments leading to a conclusion with a recommendation for further action. 2 The text starts with an introduction stating the question at hand, then presents alternating point-by-point arguments, with each point individually set against the opposing view. It concludes by giving a summary of the arguments leading to a conclusion with a recommendation for further action. 3 The text starts with the conclusion, then gives a summary of the arguments to support that conclusion. It concludes with a recommendation for further action. Websites belonging to green organisations (e.g. Friends of the Earth) are good sources of listening and reading texts about energy sources. Prepare a worksheet listing the supporting sentences that have been removed from the text. The sentences must not be listed in the sequence that they appear in the text.

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Objectives

Possible teaching activities

Students enter the steps into a framework and record typical language features for each step with an example from the text. Stage Introduction Typical language features General; impersonal, formal style with frequent use of passive voice moves from the general to the specific; uses cohesive devices to show connections Example Oil has been used for .

Notes

School resources

Argument for

therefore, so, however

Give each pair of students a set of cut up sentences. They read and match the sentence parts. Students identify the function of each conjunction, for example: to show contrast; to signal a reason; etc. Students complete an exercise to practise the use of subordinating conjunctions (e.g. selecting the correct conjunction to fill a gap).

Identify 78 sentences from the text that use discourse markers to signal addition, contrast, reason, purpose, result, condition, concession, etc. Copy the sentences onto card and cut in two. Examples of discourse markers include: in addition, moreover; however, although, even though, in spite of or despite the fact that, whereas, on the other hand; because (of), since, as, due to, caused by, as a result of, led to, brought about by; consequently, nevertheless, nonetheless.

Display the prepared sentences. Students discuss the relationship between the sentences using their own knowledge of the subject and their understanding of the text and join them to make compound sentences. Encourage students to use terms like cause, effect, result, etc. to explain the relationship between the sentences, When they have finished they compare their paragraph with the original text. Draw attention to words with roots and affixes: in the text from the discussion at the start of this unit. Examples include: renewable, exhaust, replenish, etc. Identify the root then discuss the meaning of prefixes and suffixes, for example: re- means again, -able means can, so renewable means something that can be made new again, or replaced. Encourage students to guess the meaning of unknown words and to make new words by investigating affixes.

Break one of the paragraphs from the reading text down into a series of simple sentences by removing all the coordinating conjunctions.

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Objectives
1 hour Listening and note-taking Students are able to: follow short (about 10 minute) lectures and presentations on a range of familiar but abstract and/or technical subjects. 3 hours Listening and writing Students are able to: identify detail sufficient precision to re-use without error; use the organisational features typical of a discussion text to balance and weigh arguments, and draw a conclusion; use ICT to organise and present the text; use meta-language to talk about learning English. 2 hours Role-play Students are able to: discuss possible scenarios in the present and the future, based on hypothesis and supposition, using first and second conditionals and variations with unless, provided (that), can, could, may and might; participate in paired and group discussions on topics that interest and inform; [continued]

Possible teaching activities

Discuss strategies that students can use to help them follow and understand a lecture, for example, listening for signposts from the speaker about the organisation of the talk, making simple notes to summarise the main points, etc. Ask some questions to raise interest in the topic. Students follow the lecture. As they listen they select headings and notes from a given list to make a summary. In pairs, they use the notes to summarise the text orally. They formulate questions to seek clarification as necessary. Students read the prepared text about an aspect of energy (e.g. the benefits and drawbacks of introducing electricity to a remote African village) and answer some comprehension questions. They identify which sentences do not belong, giving reasons to support their answers. Discuss with students what they already know about a controversial energy project (e.g. The Three Gorges Dam in China). Students listen to the recording and respond to a series of true/false statements. They use the framework discussed earlier to make notes about the content. Students compare notes and then listen a second time to check or complete their notes. Using their notes and the framework, students draft a discussion essay of approximately 250 words about the topic. Students edit each others work, pointing out or suggesting possible improvements with a focus on topic and supporting sentences and the use of subordinating conjunctions. They use computer software to plan, compose, edit and present their writing. Divide the class into two groups. Students listen to the text again: one group notes special features and language used by the speaker, the other group notes those used by the interviewer. Elicit ideas and list on the board. Ideas might include the following. Speaker: starting a sentence and then hesitating and restarting; pausing to think (uh , er); clarifying points by repeating and rephrasing (e.g. what I mean is ); reiterating ideas for emphasis or to make sure that a point has been understood (e.g. in other words ...); emphasising opinion (my point is , what Im trying to say is); logical order may be missing (to go back to my earlier point, as I said earlier ). Interviewer: using short utterances to show participation or understanding (uh huh, I see, right); asking for clarification (So do you mean that ? Are you saying that ?); body language (nodding to show agreement).

Notes
Prepare a recording of a lecture of approximately 10 minutes on a topic related to energy.

School resources

Prepare a text of 45 paragraphs each with a clearly identifiable topic. In each paragraph add a sentence that is relevant to the topic but does not belong in that paragraph. Prepare an audio or video recording of an interview about the project. The interviewee should discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with the project, and end by drawing a clear conclusion.

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Objectives
[continued] use a variety of interactive and language repair strategies to initiate, maintain and conclude a conversation.

Possible teaching activities

Students compare features of spoken texts with those of written texts and discuss the reasons for the difference. Students prepare to research a controversial energy project by framing research questions, such as: Where is the project? Who are the stakeholders? What are the potential benefits of the project? What are the potential drawbacks? Using the information collected from their research and their own knowledge of the subject, students make predictions about the changes the project will cause and how it will effect peoples lives using first and second conditionals and variations with unless, provided (that), can, could, may and might. They discuss the impact under different headings (e.g. industry, the environment, local residents) and give reasons to support their ideas. For example: Industry Unless there is a reliable source of energy industry will not develop. Industry will increase because there will be a better source of energy. This will mean more jobs for local people and so their standard of living will increase. On the other hand, it might cause pollution and so their quality of life will deteriorate. Local communities Local communities will be displaced. Fish wont be able to get to their breeding grounds. In groups, students take on the roles of different stakeholders in the project (e.g. government, local businesses, local residents, environmentalists, construction companies). There should be a balance between those in favour of the project and those against. Students work in groups to prepare their roles and organise and rehearse what they want to say. Students act out their roles in groups in which a representative of each stakeholder is present. Remind them to use the interactive and language repair strategies investigated earlier to initiate, maintain and conclude their conversation.

Notes

School resources

Controversial projects might include development of a nuclear power plant, or the construction of a hydroelectric dam. Curriculum links with geography and science.

Role-play provides fluency practice. The teacher should not interrupt the role-play to correct students. Rather, he or she should record common mistakes or mistakes in areas of special focus (in this case, use of future tenses and modals to speculate about the future) and deal with them in a whole class situation after the role-play.

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Objectives
1 hour Writing a discussion essay Students are able to: compose a short essay, drawing on work in another curriculum subject or an issue of topical interest. use the organisational features typical of a discussion text to balance and weigh arguments, and draw a conclusion

Possible teaching activities

Elicit an outline for the essay exploring the advantages and disadvantages of the project researched above. Revise organisational and language features typical of a discussion text. Students make notes under headings relevant to the topic and issues (e.g. introduction, advantages, disadvantages and conclusion). Individually, students write a discussion essay. They weigh both sides of the argument and draw a conclusion. Students use ICT to organise and present their work. They make use of the spell checker to check for and correct spelling mistakes.

Notes
The teacher should monitor closely at the planning stage, providing extra support for weaker students.

School resources

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Assessment
Examples of assessment tasks and questions
Listening Students listen to two people discussing an energy-related issue and answer multiple choice questions or true/false questions to demonstrate comprehension.

Unit 10A.4
Notes
Listening carries approximately 20% of the assessment weighting for this grade. Questions should be designed to assess the comprehension of gist and details. Speaking carries approximately 30% of the assessment weighting for this grade. Assessment scales should include both accuracy and fluency criteria. 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

Students discuss advantages and disadvantages of a range of energy sources and make recommendations for providing electricity to a remote community (e.g. to an oasis community or a remote Alaskan settlement). Students read a text and demonstrate comprehension by identifying sentences that dont belong in the text. Students reorganise sentences adding subordinating conjunctions to produce a coherent paragraph presenting a balanced viewpoint on a topical issue.

Reading

Writing

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