Unit Plan: Healthy habits - Healthy life

Jose Manuel Gil Ardila

Mariana Palacio Vásquez

Theme: Healthy habits.

Purpose: By the end of the unit, the students will recognize the importance of healthy
habits for themselves and society through the analysis of ideas, characteristics, and
opinions expressed in written and oral productions. Thus, they will be able to construct
knowledge using simple vocabulary and structures about how to take care of their bodies
and health, regarding the current pandemic and some problematic issues in Colombia.

Audience: Fourth-grade students

Estimated time: Eight weeks - 2 hours per week.

Unit description /rationale

Healthy habits - Healthy life

This unit focuses on providing information

about healthy habits in order to create health
care awareness. Therefore, children will
learn which habits are better to strengthen
the body and will be able to give their
opinions, using the present simple tense, to
inform others around them about the
importance of self-care, both in the current
pandemic situation and in the daily and
common life in the country.

These competencies will be developed

through the presentation of some problems faced in Colombia, such as nutrition in
children, who are in a vulnerable health condition, nota physical and emotional, during
confinement. The food that is produced by our peasants will be recognized as well as their
job. At the same time, the students will acquire linguistic competencies, they will be
exposed to problematic issues, and will propose a way to solve them through the class
activities.

Children will describe their daily routines through the target language to relate daily
actions with the new vocabulary. They will recognize the habits through the language use
to make representations of what is important to do for being healthy.

So in this unit we will explore all those issues that are related to healthy habits in our
country, both in the pandemic and in social problems, both to fulfill a social and political
function, and to combat current health problems in their various presentations.

Students’ needs and interests

● Socio-affective: Fear/anxiety. Today’s society, known as the information society,

where millions of people around the world have access to and manipulate vast
amounts of data thanks to ICT (Sánchez-Torres, Jenny, et al., 2012), children do
not escape from the great corridors of social networks and media. After long
periods of confinement due to the spread of the new coronavirus, children have
absorbed a large amount of information about the virus. They know what it is,
how to protect themselves, and why to protect the elderly, and now that they can
leave [maily, for school], many do not want to, they are afraid (Ros Cubel, 2020).
“Fear is an adaptive response in the presence of danger” (Mertens, Gaëtan, et al.,
2020, p. 2). However, it is important to work on the fear to avoid anxiety, since
“anxiety is linked to a higher fear of the coronavirus” (Mertens, Gaëtan, et al.,
2020, p. 5).
● Neurological: Due to the pandemic, students' lives have changed and, within it,
the way they interact and feel others. “The health crisis has not only deprived
children of the possibility of attending school, but has also taken away something
more precious and irreplaceable: the space for recess” (Ramírez Fuquen and
Gonzáles, 2020, pp. 2). This has led kids to change the way they relate with
others. The hours spent in class and at recess enable kids to learn motor skills
while also promoting cognitive abilities and rational thinking. They aid in the
development of social and moral skills as well. Spaces for interaction and
amusement do not reflect a simplistic moment of fun in a child's psychology but
quietly shape their creativity, character, and social behavior. (Ramírez Fuquen and
Gonzáles, 2020, pp. 2, 4).
● Physical health: One of the challenges the educational system had to face during
the confinement was the continuity of the School Feeding Program (PAE). With
the closure of schools, the students' food supply was affected. It has an impact on
the educational quality, even more, if we take into account that students who are
in a vulnerable situation, the food they receive at school is maybe the most
complete and healthy food they receive at day. According to the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), “the suspension of school
feeding programs will pose a challenge to the food security and nutritional status
of many children” (pp. 3). The economic situation of many families during the
pandemic has led to the school feeding packet becoming food for their families.
But not only students in vulnerable situations have faced these problems in
regards to nutrition. Also, obesity due to the lack of physical activity has affected
students.
 ● Interests: Games. At school, play activities can help children develop their self-
esteem and sense of empowerment by allowing them mastery of objects.
Gradually, as they play, children go beyond the control of objects to mastery of
social interactions with their peers (Hughes, 1999).

Basic Learning rights

According to the DBA (Derechos Básicos de Aprendizaje, in English: Basic Learning

Rights), the linguistic components for the fourth grade in Colombia are:

● Understand the general idea and some details in a short and simple informational
text on topics known and of interest.
● Asks and answers, orally or in writing, questions related to the “who, when, and
where”, after reading or listening to a short and simple text whenever the subject
is familiar.
● Exchange simple opinions on a topic of interest, through simple and familiar
sentences.
● Compare basic characteristics of people, objects, and places in your school and
community, through simple sentences.

Linguistic Competences

Linguistic competencies of the unit

General Grammatical Linguistic Sociolinguistic

 Understand general Express ideas using Link groups of Identify
ideas from the the present simple words to create characteristics from
information from tense. meaning by using a the environment
simple texts about more complex set of and relate the
interests related to Form simple phonics and
sentences and use vocabulary. course content to
health care.
basic punctuation that real-life context
Express opinions like commas and Take into account to create knowledge
and ask for opinions periods following the intonation when for providing
through simple the teachers’ speaking and have a opinions about it.
sentences in the models. clear pronunciation
present simple tense more confidently. Appropriately,
in written and oral Show communicate
ways. understanding of a
opinions and ask for
varied set of
expressions from others’ opinions.
different sources by
completing different
class activities.

Class Contents

● Healthy habits: do exercise, practice sports, eat healthy food, wash our hands,
and be happy.
● A vocabulary of body parts: hands, head, nose, mouth...
 ● A vocabulary of food: some fruits and vegetables, juice, water, salad, mango.
● Simple present: I drink, I eat, I think, I play; I wash.
● Daily routines: I wake up, I take a bath, I take breakfast...
● Some WH questions: What food do you think is healthy? Where do you think we
can go in the pandemic? When do you think we need to wash our hands?
● Giving opinions: I think mango is healthy. I think we can go to the park.

Methodology

Inquiry-Based Learning

One of the educational purposes is to prepare students for their lives in society. Reality is
a factor that cannot be ignored during this process. Beyond students learning to use the
present tense and its structure, is that the acquired knowledge can be applied to their
context and real life. In this way, English becomes a vehicle that allows students to learn
about different issues (Mendieta Aguilar, J.A, 2009).

Inquiry-based learning offers advantages regarding the contexts, the situations society
faces, and problematic phenomena. It is a space for the students to ask questions that they
think are important for their lives (Short and Burke, 2001) and reflect on them. Wells
(2002) and Comber (2001) also talked about inquiry. Wells points out the importance of
collaboration and meaning-making practices, based on Vygotsky’s and Dewey’s ideas.
He says that teachers should wisely use learners’ previous knowledge, experiences, and
concerns as possible sources of questions. This is a means to construct lifelong
knowledge.

Teacher’s role: The teacher will facilitate and promote spaces for discussion between the
students where they can share their ideas about problematic situations in regards to the
current pandemic.

Student’s role: The students have the opportunities to engage their experiences, beliefs,
and context into the school’s practices. Thus, they create questions that relate the
background knowledge to the course content in order to construct knowledge applicable
to the context.

Lesson Plan Chart

Proposes: the teachers will present their hypotheses. Scientific methods must be used
(observation, knowledge, experiments, results). The first step in the process is to give an
orientation where students are encouraged to get interested in the phenomenon.
Lesson #1 Class topic: Healthy habits - healthy body

Class purpose

The background knowledge will be considered first. Later, the children will identify what
humans have to do to take care of themselves. The idea is to present some main verbs
related to health care that will be part of the rest of the unit and will be acquired through
this.

Activity description:

In groups, the students have to make a brainstorm about what to do to take care of us in the
pandemic. They have to select those main ideas and write them in English (the teachers will
support them) in order for the teachers to collect them and write the most repeated ones on
the board. After it, in the same groups, the students will discuss, regarding those collected
ideas, what to do to care for their health (in L2 or L1). The teachers will encourage them to
use the target language vocabulary, even so, the L1 can be used to make themselves
understood in a better way. After they discuss, they will socialize with the rest of the
classroom what they think about the importance of healthy habits.

Lesson #2 Class topic: Food pyramid

Class purpose:

Students will identify healthy food for having balanced nutrition. This lesson will focus on
the food that is produced by Colombian peasants and as a way to recognize their job which
needs to be better valued. Students will construct a new food pyramid, with the teachers’
help.

Activity description:

Problem: a pyramid with different foods and their classification (sweets, fats, cereals...) is
shown when talking about good food. For this, the students will construct a food pyramid
with the teacher´s help, as a way to value and recognize the importance of the peasant's job.

The new pyramid will contain foods that commonly are produced by Colombian peasants.
This is as a way to recognize the peasants' jobs in our country and those benefits of their
work for our communities. Children then will present their pyramids using basic structures
to express their findings. (Example: Colombian peasants produce cheese. I think cheese is
delicious for breakfast).

For that, the teacher will distribute flashcards about different foods to each student (cheese,
milk, meat, apple...). The images will be related to Colombian food. Then, they are going to
classify the assigned food in a pyramid that will be on the board.
-Fat, oil, sugar, sweet.

-Meat, fish, milk, eggs.

-Fruit, vegetables.

-Bread, pasta, cereal.

Lesson #3 Class topic: Good food (dishes and

ingredients)

Class purpose:

The class will show typical dishes from our country. However, these foods have become a
privilege that not all children in Colombia can access. Children will recognize the
children’s hunger in the schools. Some vocabulary is going to be presented as well as some
grammatical patterns. This lesson will also connect the vocabulary previously presented on
the food pyramid with the common dishes. Students will explore what we can make with
the ingredients to eat good food.

Activity description:

Reading aloud (Saturday sancocho) and realia application.

Problem: Children’s hunger is a common issue in Colombia's schools, so this activity will
inform about food that can be made up by peasants and provided in schools to deal with
their hunger.

The students will identify some ingredients from the read-aloud story. Then, they will form
groups to discuss the following question: what can we prepare using these ingredients?
After it, they will create a little poster where they need to draw the dish they think they can
prepare and will write those specific ingredients, using some patterns such as “we think we
can prepare…,” “the ingredients are…,” “in the school, we can eat [the dish name].” Next,
they will paste the poster on the classroom’s wall as a message for the children’s hunger.

Lesson #4 Class topic: Sports and exercises

Class purpose:

Linking the new topic to the previous information, the students will recognize that good
exercises are a result of good eating. Sports are going to be the focus of this lesson.
Students will relate what they learn in the Physical Education course to the English
language. Thus, vocabulary can be acquired easily and it will be meaningful for them as
well.
Activity description:

Creation of a healthy routine.

Problem: Healthy exercises are only effective if they are accompanied by a good diet, so it
is necessary to recognize the healthy foods that we can find in the context

Children will create a healthy routine thinking about the healthy eating style (related to the
already explored food) and those activities they do in the Physical Education course. For
this routine, they will provide opinions about what they think is important to do to be
healthy.

The guide is: they will divide the day into morning, afternoon, and night. Within this, they
will explain what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Besides, they will specify what
activities we can do in the day to be healthy (In the morning, I walk. In the afternoon, I play
a sport. At night, I sleep early). And then, they will socialize their findings and motivate
others to do what they think is important to do.

Evaluation

● Craft exposition (purpose): Children create a craft (health kit) and expose what
they think are healthy habits to deal with the pandemic. Children will imagine
they are specialists on health matters and their goal is to present opinions about
how to take care of their health.
● Health kit and roleplay: Students
will create a craft (health kit) that will include
elements they consider are necessary to take
care of their classmates' health. Children will
imagine they are specialists on health matters
and their goal is to present opinions about
how to take care of their classmate´s health
regarding the pandemic (example: I think
soap is important to wash our hands).

References:

● Sánchez-Torres, Jenny & González-Zabala, Mayda & Sánchez, M.. (2012). La

Sociedad de la Información: génesis, iniciativas, concepto y relación con las TIC.
Revista UIS Ingenierías. 11.
● Mertens, Gaëtan & Gerritsen, Lotte & Duijndam, Stefanie & Salemink, Elske &
Engelhard, Iris. (2020). Fear of the coronavirus (COVID-19): Predictors in an online
study conducted in March 2020. 10.31234/osf.io/2p57j.
 ● Ros Cubel, N., 2020. El miedo en niños y adolescentes en tiempos de coronavirus.
[online] Dide. Available at: http://educaryaprender.es/miedo-ansiedad-en-ninos-
adolescentes/
● Gonzáles, D. and Ramírez Fuquen, I., 2020. Del recreo a la soledad: las secuelas
emocionales de los niños que se quedaron sin colegio. [online] Salud con lupa.
Available at: https://saludconlupa.com/series/cuando-la-realidad-se-quebro/del-
recreo-a-la-soledad-las-secuelas-emocionales-de-los-ninos-que-se-quedaron-sin-
colegio/
● Das, Krishanu. (2017). A Theoretical Approach to Define and Analyze Emotions.
International journal of emergency mental health. 19. 14. 10.4172/1522-
4821.1000374.
● Hughes, F. P. (1999). Children, play, and development (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn and
Bacon.
● Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2021).FAO warns of the
impact of COVID-19 on school feeding in Latin America and the Caribbean.
http://www.fao.org/americas/noticias/ver/en/c/1266855/
● Short, K and Burke, C (2001). Curriculum and inquiry. In S. Boran & B. Comber
(Ed), Critiquing Whole Language and Classroom Inquiry. IL: National Council of
Teachers of English.
● Mendieta Aguilar, J.A, (2009). Inquiry as an opportunity to make things differently in
the language classroom. Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas.
● Wells, G. (2002). Learning and teaching for understanding: The key role of
collaborative language teaching. Social Constructivist Teaching, Vol 9. Elsevier
Science, pp. 1-41.
● Comber, B. Ed (2001). Critical inquiry or safe literacies: Who is allowed to ask which
questions? In S. Boran & B. Comber (Eds), Critiquing Whole Language and
Classroom Inquiry. (pp 81-102). National Council of Teachers of English: IL.

Appendixes:

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=7Z7Kn4LbXHs&ab_channel=JuegaCantayAprendeconMiss.NatyJuegaCantayApre
ndeconMiss.Naty
● Evaluation rubric

Craft How well developed was the craft.

Language use A certain amount of words are used to express the

opinions of the evaluation.

Communicative competence Clarity of the message. Structures are used to make the
message better understandable.

Performance of students in The pairs assume the role of the specialists and make a
the role well-developed role of it.