Course Overview
Course Overview
“Curriculum Topic: Cultivating Your Best Self: from Individuals to the World “
Key Words: critical thinking, English academic literacy, four skills of English, cognitive,
constructivist theories, communicative English
Often missing in English curricula for senior high school students is the implementation
of blended learning and the connection of students’ academic (BIC and CULP theory
based) English skills to not only their own learning but also the world outside of the
classroom. Students are rarely provided with opportunities to reflect upon their personal
motivations and attitudes towards learning, which is especially important during their
teenage years.
This curriculum allows students to acquire knowledge online and receive the synchronous
lessons with group work based on specific, individual needs. The courses center around
the idea of the “growth mindset” and, by extension, the concept of “design for change,”
so students can practice their language skills, engage in critical thinking and undergo
personal growth.
Students will examine how and why growth mindset works by working through an
example of a prominent figure, Steve Jobs, to think critically about their language and
overall learning and apply their language skills to a non-linguistic discipline. understand
themselves, Then, students will explore how individuals can make “giving back/ change
for good” and research a topic to facilitate deeper learning spur positive connection to a
real-world issue. This learning is shaped through the process of learning English and
cultivating one’s best self through engagement of course content. This unit
encompasses critical thinking skills and can that be used in conjunction with the 5 C
World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages.
Course activity is comprised of a blended language learning curriculum for senior
school students (intermediate to advanced level of language proficiency). It can be
used by teachers of blended/ hybrid/ flipped classrooms as well as language arts,
languages, art, or growth mindset studies, and by those who wants to integrate
technology into part of his or her curriculum. This curriculum is based on cognitive,
second language acquisition and social constructivist theories that balance teacher-
centered instructional assistance and student-centered learning, project-based learning
and linguistic theories, and the construction and deconstruction of written and spoken
passages. Eventually, language skill development achieved through the study of non-
linguistic topics will lead to the educational growth of students and their caring about a
cause and becoming more informed global citizens.
What key knowledge, skills, & dispositions will students acquire as a result of this
curriculum?
KNOWLEDGE = Academic Growth (contents)
Contents students will remember: Articles are constructed for a purpose. Using the
READY(5C) approach allows students to learn in terms of deconstructing academic
passages for Academic English purposes. Additionally, the 5C approach focuses on
Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities that are vital to
learning a language. English can be interpreted and created by anyone, including the
students themselves.
Assessment Overview
What evidence is used to show that students understand?
Formative (the processes of learning): READY(5C) approach, answer critical thinking
prompts on blogposts, work in pairs and share, graphic organizers.
Summative (the outcomes of learning): Create a digital product using the target
language.
Module A:
Motivate English Learners From Growth Mindsets to The Prominent Figure
(Lessons 2-5)
Targeted Essential Question: How and why do we interpret and understand the idea
of growth mindset to become more positive learners individually? How do we connect
the concept of prominent figures like Steve Jobs to serve as a successful example of
thinking differently and change our own mindsets?
Background Information and Module A Overview
To explore the concept of the “growth mindset” and how one concept can take on
various interpretations depends on where and by whom it is considered. For instance,
the concept “prominent figure” can have different interpretations depending on context
and culture. In the West, prominent figures are often regarded as authority figures that
make policies to affect societal changes. On the other hand, in Eastern countries,
prominent figures can be described as the those who are in power or control of the
world.
In this module, students will have to incorporate the four skills to complete various
activities, such as scanning and skimming for academic articles online and later in
Zoom, share information about Steve Jobs and growth mindset as it applies to
academia, communicate objectives as well as their motivation. Employing the READY
strategy, they will learn about the characteristics of academic English in the ways of
from deconstructed instruction to reconstruct their meanings. They will learn critical
thinking by means of reading about growth mindset and Steve Jobs in order to prepare
for the F2F lessons discussion where they will have to construct their own meanings
through pair works and discussions.
READY strategy- 5C
From WORLD-READINESS STANDARDS FOR LEARNING LANGUAGEs website:
Lesson Overview:
Lesson 2 (online) Growth Mindset (Part 1)
Students will read articles about the concept of the “growth mindset” and practice using
the READY strategy to recount and explain why and how the growth mindset concept
works by practicing their scanning and skimming skills processing for articles written in
academic English. A MP3 of listening skills introduces scanning and skimming
techniques and a video on the growth mindsets are available on Schoology for online
instruction and learning and serve as a quick review of the concept for lesson 3.
Lesson 2 Objectives:
Learning Objectives Students’ Needs Assessment READY strategy based on 5C
(click the link to see details) standards (Goal Areas)
#1: Academic English and
skills; #2: Communicative
English; #3 Good
motivations
Lesson 3 Objectives:
Learning Objectives Needs Assessment (click the READY strategy based on 5C
link to see details) standards (Goal Areas)
#1: Academic English and
skills; #2: Communicative
English; #3 Good
motivations
List the attributes of a #1 Reinforce: learners build,
growth mindset. reinforce, and expand their
knowledge of other disciplines
while using the language to
develop critical thinking.
(in Connections goal area)
Lesson 4 Objectives:
Learning Objectives Students’ Needs Assessment READY strategy based on 5C
(click the link to see details) standards (Goal Areas)
#1: Academic English and
skills; #2: Communicative
English; #3 Good
motivations
Advancement:
learners use the language to
investigate, explain, and
reflect on the relationship
between the practices and
perspectives of the cultures
studied.
(in Culture goal area)
Lesson 5 objectives:
Learning Objectives Students’ Needs Assessment READY strategy based on 5C
(click the link to see details) standards (Goal Areas)
#1: Academic English and
skills; #2: Communicative
English; #3 Good
motivations
Y Yearns towards... Learners set goals using their knowledge of the growth
(in Community goal area) mindset concept and yearn towards the development of
a growth action plan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Module B: Expanding individuals’ growth from "giving back to Design
for Good in the society (Lessons 6-9)
Will having students work on a language project about giving back lead to their being
more charitable in their personal lives?
Does providing opportunities for a flipped classroom encourage critical thinking about a
cultural or societal problem while also showing the impact that communicating about a
theme can have? Will having students do extensive research on a cause provide
opportunities for them to care about the cause and, by extension, grow as a person?
Background Information:
Students will perform cultural comparison and develop critical thinking skills through
problem-solving activities. They will apply previously-learned languages skills
(skimming, scanning, and refuting) to research content. Process information to identify
the benefits and obstacles of different solutions. Analyze an issue on a deeper level by
explaining it to a partner. Identify ways that a topic relates to their society, culture, and
the world. Synthesize language, communication and analysis to prepare a presentation
for Lesson 10.
Lesson 6 objectives:
Learning Objectives Students’ Needs Assessment READY strategy based on 5C
(click the link to see details) standards (Goal Areas)
#1: Academic English and
skills; #2: Communicative
English; #3 Good
motivations
Identify and explain the #1, #2, #3 Reinforce: learners access and
meaning of phrasal verbs evaluate information and
related to the topic of “giving diverse perspectives that are
back.” available through the language
and its cultures.
(in Connections goal area)
Lesson 7 objectives:
Learning Objectives Students’ Needs Assessment READY strategy based on 5C
(click the link to see details) standards (Goal Areas)
#1: Academic English and
skills; #2: Communicative
English; #3 Good
motivations
Problem
Cultural Significance
Personal Opinion
Solution
Lesson 9 objectives
Learning Objectives Students’ Needs Assessment READY strategy based on 5C
(click the link to see details) standards (Goal Areas)
#1: Academic English and
skills; #2: Communicative
English; #3 Good
motivations
Y Yearns towards... Learners set goals using their knowledge of the concept
(in Community goal area) of giving back / change for good and yearn towards the
development of a blog post on a subtopic on the theme:
the world’s waste problem.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summative Assessment and Final Project--- Exposing to the society by the use
of language to make a change
Final Presentation Showcase
Lesson Overview:
Lesson 10: In this module, students will present a digital product. This can take many
forms and allows students choice in completion of their final project. They can make a
website, podcast, digital story or comic, etc. in order for students to be creative with
their product and choose a medium that they feel comfortable with and/or are interested
in learning more about. Students should use their resources from all modules to plan,
create, and share their final project. Students are able to share their work with students,
as well with their community or the world. The chart below shows helpful sites for
creating digital products.
Students can also post links to their projects via a class Schoology. That way they can
view each other’s work and give peer feedback, which is essential for improving their
projects, fostering learning and meaningful interaction, and reinforcing the important
concepts that were weaved throughout the curricula.