Applying project – based learning in teaching lesson 2 speaking, unit 10 nature in danger , english 11 textbook, education publish house with a view to raising students’

THANH HOA EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEPARTMENT HOANG HOA 2 HIGH SCHOOL SEMINAR ON METHODOLOGY APPLYING PROJECT - BASED LEARNING IN TEACHING LESSON 2 - SPEAKING, UNIT 10 “NATURE IN DANGER”,

THANH HOA EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEPARTMENT

HOANG HOA 2 HIGH SCHOOL

SEMINAR ON METHODOLOGY

APPLYING PROJECT - BASED LEARNING IN TEACHING LESSON 2 - SPEAKING, UNIT 10 “NATURE IN DANGER”, ENGLISH 11 TEXTBOOK, EDUCATION PUBLISH HOUSE WITH A VIEW TO RAISING STUDENTS’ AWARENESS OF

Contents Pages

I INTRODUCTION……… 2

I.1 Reasons for choosing the topic……… 2

I.2 Objectives of the study……… 2

I.3 Subjects of the study……… 2

I.4 Methods of the study……… 3

II CONTENTS OF THE STUDY……… 4

II.1 Theoretical basis……… 4

II.1.1 Environmental Education in integration with school subjects………

4 II.1.2 Definitions of PBL 4

II.1.3 Benefits of PBL ……… 5

II.1.4 Characteristics of PBL……… 5

II.1.5 Teachers’ and students’ roles in BPL……… 6

II.1.6 Steps of PBL……… 6

II.2 Situation before applying the study……… 7

II.3 Solutions to problems: Applying PBL in teaching Lesson 2 – Speaking, Unit 10, English 11 Textbook

7 II.3.1 Step 1:……… 9

II.3.2 Step 2:……… 9

II.3.3 Step 3:……… 11

II.3.4 Step 4:……… 12

II.3.5 Step 5:……… 14

II.3.6 Step 6:……… 15

II.4 The effectiveness of the study on teaching and learning…… 19

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION……… 20

BIBLIOGRAPHY……… 22

I INTRODUCTION

I.1 Reasons for choosing the topic.

Environment plays an important role in the healthy living and the existence

of life on the planet earth The Earth is home for different living species and we aredependent on the environment for food, air, water, settlement and other needs.However, since the second half of the 20th century, rapid development waswitnessed across the world which resulted in the rapid degradation of environmentsurrounding us In the quest of development, man ignored the very environmentwhich is vital for sustaining the life on the planet earth Therefore, it is high timethat something be done to protect our environment There have been numerousmeasures taken to save our earth And environmental awareness has beensignificantly enhanced among students at many schools in Viet Nam Environmenteducation has become an essential part of the curriculum as well as extracurricularprograms in all public schools, from nursery to high school levels

Besides, along with the globalization and the development of informationtechnology, English is becoming more and more popular all over the world In VietNam, the process of integration into the world has gained considerableachievements Diplomatic, business and culture relations with a large number ofcountries and international organizations have been established Therefore, usingforeign languages especially English has become a great demand In recent years,English has been taken as not only one of core subjects in the national curriculumbut also a compulsory subject in the national examinations of the school educationsystem Nevertheless, in the English classroom, teachers are mainly concerned withteaching what students have to face in the exams but nothing related to their reallife As a consequence, after graduating from high schools, students are very good

at grammar structures and vocabulary, yet unable to perform a simplecommunicative task in the real world In addition, there are numerous students whofind learning English boring, difficult and stressful because of their teachers’ineffective teaching methods or their own unsuitable learning ways

Inspired by these reasons, I have bravely chosen, studied and applied

“Project – Based Learning (PBL) to teach units in English Textbook 11, particularly in teaching Lesson 2 - Speaking, Unit 10, English 11 Textbook, Education Publish House with the aim of raising students’ awareness of protecting environment”

I.2 Objectives of the study

The study is written with the following aims:

- To emphasis the importance of Project-Based Learning

- To provide general principles for carrying out a PBL lesson

- To suggest some techniques used to integrate environment education in teachingEnglish

- To provide steps in teaching Lesson 2 – Speaking, Unit 10, English Textbook 11

by using PBL

I.3 Subjects of the study

The subjects chosen for my study and application are 11th grade students in class 11A2, 11A6 at Hoang Hoa 2 High School, Thanh Hoa Province

With the aim to improve students’ English and raise students’ awareness ofprotecting environment by using PBL, in this study, I have used the followingmethods:

- Studying and analyzing documents and data collected from books and the Internetrelated to PBL and environmental education

- Consulting with my colleagues and students at my school and other ones

- Consolidating experiences which I have had during teaching my students

- Observing PBL classrooms

- Conducting some surveys

- Studying students’ products

II.1 Theoretical basis.

II.1.1 Environmental Education in integration with school subjects.

It is possible to include Environmental Education (EE) as an independentsubject in the school curriculum as well as to integrate into formal educationsystem

With reference to EE, when it is integrated into school curriculum, itbecomes the “thread” that runs through the whole curriculum This is a popular way

of integration in curriculum, where a theme or topic is addressed through the lenses

of different subjects (Drake, 2004) In this sense, EE draws its content from thesubject specific content of each subject In doing this, EE therefore does not replace

a particular subject, but it is treated holistically through all the areas ofunderstanding and experiences (Tilbury, 1995)

English is available as one of the most relevant subjects to apply theenvironmental knowledge through this approach because there is mutualdependency relationship between the content itself and the environment Throughintegrating EE into English will help learners in developing understanding, skills,attitudes and values, which will enable them to take an active and responsible role

in conservation of the environment

EE is not a one-dimensional procedure as the case of traditional education inwhich the educational asset is offered only by means of the “frontal” teaching Onthe contrary, it possesses a three-dimensional character which is divided into threeforms:

- Environmental education about the environment

- Environmental education in or from the environment

- Environmental education for the environment

The first form EE attempts to transfer knowledge through teaching subjectswhich refer to the environment The second form off EE appears through activitiesrealized in the environment where students can experience it, its values and itsproblems directly and personally by assuming activities within it Last but not least,the third form is about our moral attitude towards the environment and it deals withshaping ecological values, attitudes and behaviors

In order to make full use of these three forms in teaching English, it isadvisory to apply Project-based learning (PBL)

II.1.2 Definitions of PBL.

Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered pedagogy that involves

a dynamic classroom approach in which it is believed that students acquire a deeperknowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges andproblems Students learn about a subject by working for an extended period of time

to investigate and respond to a complex question, challenge, or problem.It is a style

of active learning and inquiry-based learning PBL contrasts with paper-based, rotememorization, or teacher-led instruction that presents established facts or portrays asmooth path to knowledge by instead posing questions, problems or scenarios

Thomas Markham (2011) describes project-based learning (PBL) thus: “PBLintegrates knowing and doing Students learn knowledge and elements of the corecurriculum, but also apply what they know to solve authentic problems and produce

quality, collaborative products PBL refocuses education on the student, not thecurriculum - a shift mandated by the global world, which rewards intangible assetssuch as drive, passion, creativity, empathy, and resiliency These cannot be taughtout of a textbook, but must be activated through experience James G Greeno(2006) has associated project-based learning with the “situated learning”

perspective and with the constructivist theories of Jean Piaget Blumenfeld et

al elaborate on the processes of PBL: “Project-based learning is a comprehensive

perspective focused on teaching by engaging students in investigation Within thisframework, students pursue solutions to nontrivial problems by asking and refiningquestions, debating ideas, making predictions, designing plans and/or experiments,collecting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions, communicating their ideas andfindings to others, asking new questions, and creating artifacts”

Project – based learning is an instructional approach designed to give thestudents the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through engaging projectsset around challenges and problems they may face in the real world

PBL is more than just projects, with a PBL students “investigate and respond

to an authentic, engaging and complex problem or challenge”

In conclusion, the basis of PBL lies in the authenticity or real-life application

of the research Students working as a team are given a “driving question” torespond to or answer, then directed to create an artifact (or artifacts) to present theirgained knowledge Artifacts may include a variety of media such as writings, art,drawings, three-dimensional representations, videos, photography, or technology-based presentations

II.1.3 Benefits of PBL.

Traditional learning never ventures beyond the realism of the purelyacademic PBL connect students to the real world PBL prepares students to acceptand meet challenges in the real world, mirroring what professionals do everyday

Instead of short-term memorization strategies, PBL provides an opportunityfor students to engage deeply with the target content, bringing about a focus onlong-term retention

PBL improves students’ attitudes toward education, thanks to its ability tokeep students engaged The PBL structure lends itself to building intrinsicmotivation because it centers students learning around an essential central question

or problem and a meaningful outcome

Because of its focus on 21st century skills, the PBL model also enhancesstudents’ technology abilities

PBL helps students develop teamwork and problem-solving skills, along withthe ability to communicate effectively with others

II.1.4 Characteristics of PBL.

Although definitions and project parameters may vary from school to schooland PBL is sometimes used interchangeably with “experiential learning” or

“discovery learning”, the characteristics of PBL are clear and constant

In essence, The PBL lesson consists of these seven characteristics

- Focusing the students on a big open-ended question, challenge or problem toresearch and respond to and solve

- Bringing what students should academically know, understand and be able to dointo the equation

- Being inquiry-based

- Using 21st – century skills such as critical thinking, communicating, collaboratingand creativity, the use of technology

- Building students’ choice into the process

- Providing opportunities for feedback and revision of the plan and the project

- Requiring students to present their problems, research process methods and results

II.1.5 Teachers’ and students’ roles in PBL.

In a PBL lesson, students are explorers, critical thinkers, project designersand problem solvers who are intrinsically motivated to learn more, rather thanrecipients of knowledge fed to them

When using the project-based learning strategy, the teacher's role is to serve

as facilitator and coach, guiding students to use a variety of resources, employ astrategy that is fun and motivating, and uncover content with depth and breadth

II.1.6 Steps of PBL.

The process of project development is an on-going process undertaken by thestudents with support from teachers There are four steps of PBL as summarized byFoster and Master, 1996; Markham et al, 2003; Moss and Van Duzer, 1998; Ribeand Vidal, 1993; Stanley, 2000

Each PBL generally consists of four main following steps

- Step 1: Starting the project

This stage involves selecting the topic that is of interest, being related to thecurriculum and relevance to the students The teacher can create guiding questions

so that students have an idea of what to do and are encouraged to study or develop.Students then establish the project outline and plan the method of development, thefinal outcomes and assign individuals’ responsibilities The project should bechallenging and motivating so that students can develop and have flexibility to work

at their own level, while team member within the group offer advice and assistance.This is an important feature because it contributes to a successful outcome

- Step 2: Developing the project

This stage involves the research undertaken by all group members eitherindividually, in pairs, or in groups The method of working should be decided andagreed upon before the project starts During this stage, students search for theanswers to the driving/guiding questions, note down the results they achieve, anyproblems they encounter and suggest solutions This is an efficient process that can

be used to improve the project as it progresses

- Step 3: Reporting the project

This stage involves presenting to the class and receiving feedback from otherstudents on the progress of improvements to the project The steps occurringthroughout the project are assessed to make sure that students comprehend theproblems and apply skills and concepts necessary to complete the project

- Step 4: Evaluating the project

The final product can be evaluated by an individual student, students as agroup, a teacher or external audience This stage allows students to apply and

present what they have learned Students are given an opportunity to express theirfeelings after taking part in the project.

II.2 Situation before applying the study

Internationally, environmental education gained recognition when the UNConference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972,declared environmental education must be used as a tool to address globalenvironmental problems Many teachers have been integrating environmenteducation into the content of the subjects they’re teaching such as Biography,Geography, History, Civic Education Environmental education has been combined

in teaching English, but it hasn’t been effectively integrated for many reasons Unit

10 focuses on the topic “nature in danger”, but it has been taught in a traditionalway up to now

English is a compulsory subject at school and in the GCSE exam but manystudents feel stressful to learn English They have lots of difficulties in learningEnglish They find learning English very boring They usually consider learningEnglish as learning isolated skills and find nothing in learning English related to thereal world They also have trouble in using English outside classroom becauseduring learning process, they only pay attention to what they have to face in theexam Even they can’t find out any suitable methods to follow when they want toconcentrate on learning English Therefore, they often ignore learning English orthey are in bad mood learning English

Moreover, the present English textbooks for high school students are based designs Each unit is relevant to a certain topic and focuses on isolated skills.They were written over 10 years ago, so it doesn’t meet the demand of the real life

theme-In addition, many teachers of English at high schools don’t spend enoughtime on the 21st century skills They focus on grammar and vocabulary only or theyuse ineffective methods when teaching English They get students to learn Englishpassively The completing tasks which they are giving to their students do not helpstudents learn how to take initiative and responsibility, build their confidence, solveproblems, work in teams, and communicate ideas Students don’t have a chance tobuild important skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration,communication and presentation Students aren’t connected to communities and thereal world with teachers’ old teaching methods Even some teachers dominateEnglish classrooms, forget students’ centered roles

PBL bearing many good points can bring teachers and students a new change

in teaching and learning Therefore, I forcedly used PBL in teaching many units ofwhich Lesson 2 - Speaking, Unit 10, English 11 Textbook, Education PublishHouse brought my students as well as my teaching much joyful experience and corevalue

II.3 Solutions to problems: Applying PBL in teaching Lesson 2- Speaking, Unit 10 – Nature in danger, English 11 Textbook, Education Publish House.

Before carrying out the project, I made a clear lesson plan in which I showedwhat my students might gain after the lesson, modified the teacher’s activities,students’ activities and predicted which problems my students might have duringthe project

LESSON PLAN The 62 nd period: UNIT 10 – NATURE IN DANGER

Lesson 2: Speaking

A Overview:

I Objectives:

1 Knowledge: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

- Topic: Get more information about environment problems and solutions toprotect environment

- Vocabulary: Know and use words related to environment

- Grammar: Use the present simple, past simple and present perfect fluently

2 Skills: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to develop the followingskills:

- Searching for information related to the topic

- Presenting the results

- Assessing and self – assessing

- Time management skill

3 Attitudes:

- Love the nature, surrounding environment, the country

- Know what to do to protect environment

- Live in harmony with the nature

- Appreciate the role of the nature in life

II Methods:

- Integrated methods and mainly PBL

III Individuals’ responsibilities

IV Aids:

- Posters, pictures, power points

V Schedule:

- A week to carrying out the project

- 45 minutes for presenting project and evaluation

VI Lesson outcome:

B Procedures:

I Problem analysis

- Answer driving questions

II Problem solving

- Investigate, collect information, drawing…

III Project report

- Oral presentation, posters

IV Evaluation

However, the process of PBL can be varied, depending on the real situation

in terms of students’ ability and the feature of each class From my experience inteaching and learning English, I successfully studied and applied PBL in teaching

Lesson 2-Speaking, Unit 10, English 11 Textbook, Education Publish House in the

following steps

Unit 10: Nature in danger Lesson 2: Speaking (English 11 Textbook, Education Publish House)

1 Project: Work in groups of 10

- Find out possible information about environmental problems, then

choose one of the most serious problems

- Find out photos or draw pictures to present the situation, the causes,

the effects and the solutions

- Write the slogan and the core value of your project

2 Prepare and give your presentation to your class

3 Time: A week

II.3.1 Step 1: Discovering real situation related to the content of the lesson.

In this stage, as a classroom teacher, I could powerfully activate students’need to know the content be launching the lesson in a way that interests and initiatesquestioning This could take the form of a discussion

Also, in this stage, I gave out many driving questions to my students Gooddriving questions capture the heart of the project in clear, compelling language,giving students a sense of purpose and challenge The question should beprovocative, open-ended, complex and link to the core value of what the teacherwants students to learn It could be abstract, concrete or focuses on solvingproblems

Below are driving questions which I gave to my students:

1 What is the name of the problem you are going to introduce?

2 How serious is it?

3 What are the causes?

4 What are the effects?

5 What are the solutions?

I also give my students some suggestions on environmental problems such asdeforestation, using chemicals

II.3.2 Step 2: Negotiating the criteria for evaluation

In this stage, I and my students discussed and decided that the project should

be assessed by fulfilling the questions in rubrics including self assessment rubric,assessment rubric and teacher assessment rubric With the clear criteria, studentsrealized that they might have to be modified in the future

After negotiating with my students, I gave my students the following markingscheme

SAMPLE 1 – FOR STUDENTS

MARKING SCHEME PAPER Group: ………

Time (band 20)

Fluency (band 20)

Interaction (band 20) Total

Assessment

Group Pictures

(band 20) Information (band 20) (band 20) Time (band 20) Fluency Interaction (band 20) Total

SAMPLE 2 – FOR TEACHERS

MARKING SCHEME PAPER Assessment

III.3.3 Step 3: Deploying projects.

- Dividing groups: I divided my class into groups of 10 and appointed thegroup leader

( Students work in groups of 10)

( Students work in groups of 10)