This document outlines a curriculum unit on the movements of the Earth for 1st year secondary students. The unit aims to teach students to distinguish between the Earth's rotation and revolution, understand the characteristics and consequences of each, and know the reasons for the seasons and days/nights. It includes vocabulary, structures, activities such as videos, charts and self-assessment. The unit is designed to be taught over 5 sessions using active methodologies and focusing on both content and language skills.

1. Curso REA para AICLE. Octubre 2014. Victoria Troncoso Galofre
UNIT: Movements of the Earth Level: 1st ESO
1. Learning outcomes /
Evaluation criteria
• To distinguish the two movements of the Earth
• To know the main characteristics and consequences of Rotation
• To know the main characteristics and consequences of
Revolution
2. Subject Content • Rotation : definition, duration, direction of the movement,
consequences
• Revolution : definition, duration, direction of the movement,
consequences
3. Language Content /
Communication
Vocabulary General: movement, succession, day/night, seasons
(winter, spring, summer, autumn) months (June,
December, September, March), revolve, turn, itself,
around, over...
Geographical: Solstice, Equinox, Tropic of Cancer,
Tropic of Capricorn, Equator, Arctic Circle, Antarctic
Circle, Earth Axis, Revolution, Rotation, West, East,
North, South...
Structures Present Simple (3rd person) and Present Continuous
Direction: preposition to: west to east
Comparatives
Language
skills /
Discourse type
Reading, listening ans speaking
4. Contextual (cultural)
element
To know the reasons about the succession of days and nights
To know the reasons about the succession of seasons.
The different season between northern and southern hemisphere
The leap-year, why February has 29 days.
5. Methodology Active methodology: with a questionnaire and writing-audiovisual
documents, they have to make the content of the unit.
Cooperative Work Groups (for content and passive language skills) and
Work in Pairs (for content and active language skills)
6. Duration 5 sessions
7. Computer /
Audiovisuals skills
Youtube; prezi presentation; website activities (Flippity.net)
8. Pre-task and
activities (organization
and timing
distribution)
Content: Previous activity knowledge about the Earth
Language: Common mistakes (false friends) in Geography
1st Session: Pre-task: activities
1. Complete the sentences
1) The Earth is the _______ planet in the solar system
2) Its surface is made up of _____ and water
3) Life exists on the Earth because of ___________,

2. Curso REA para AICLE. Octubre 2014. Victoria Troncoso Galofre
________ and atmosphere
2. Choose the correct answer of each sentence:
a) The Earth is a(n) perfect/imperfect sphere
b) The Equator divides the Earth into two equal
poles/hemispheres
c) One reason there is life on Earth is because there is
liquid water/gas
d) The temperature/atmosphere protect us from
harmful radiation
3. Look for the dictionary de mean of:
Estación: periodo del año / edificio de un transporte
público (ferrocarril)
Traducción:
Translación:
Revolución:
9. Tasks and activities
(organization and
timing distribution)
2nd Session. Tasks: Rotation activities
4. Watch the video (www.youtube.com/watch?
v=eV4nk9or9SE) and complete the chart with the main
characteristic of the Rotation, one of the movement made
by the Earth:
ROTATION
Duration
Direction of movement
What it consist of
Consequences
3rd Session. Tasks: Revolution activities
5. Watch the video (www.youtube.com/watch?
v=eV4nk9or9SE) and look at the picture and complete the
chart with the main characteristic of the Revolution, one of
the movement made by the Earth:
REVOLUTION
Duration
Direction of movement
What it consist of
Consequences

3. Curso REA para AICLE. Octubre 2014. Victoria Troncoso Galofre
4th Session. Tasks: Seasons activities
6. Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)? Rewrite the false
sentences.
• In equinox the length of day is different than night
• Winter and autumn are solstices
• Spring begins 23rd of march
• In solstices the length of day is different than night
• In spring the Sun is directly over the Tropic of
Cancer.
• In winter the lengths of day is different than night.
• In autumn the Sun is directly over the Equator
• The solstice of summer begins 21st of June
7. Put the names from the box in the correct place at the
picture.
Summer / 23 rd September / equinox / 21st June / Winter / solstice / equinox / 21st solstice / Autumn / 22nd December / Spring
5th Session. Tasks: self-assessment
8. Do the self-assessment flashcard activity. Click here
10. Key competences - Competence in linguistic communication
- Competence in knowledge of and interaction with the physical world.
- Competence in processing information and use o ICT
- Competence in social skills
- Competence in learning to learn
- Competence in autonomy and personal initiative

4. Curso REA para AICLE. Octubre 2014. Victoria Troncoso Galofre
11. Evaluation criteria - To distinguish between Rotation and Revolution
- To know the definition of Rotation and Revolution
- To identify the direction of the Earth in the two movement
- To describe the Rotation and Revolution consequences
- To know the name of the seasons, heir date at the difference between
equinox and solstice
12. Evaluation
instruments
Continuous assessment: homework, correcting activities at the
smarthboard. Oral questions, written test...
Behavior: positive attitude, want to work, collaborating behavior...
All the resources, answers and explanations about this unit are in this link:
A first sample of this template has been published at:
Pérez Torres, I. 2009. "Apuntes sobre los principios y características de la metodología AICLE" en V. Pavón, J. Ávila
(eds.), Aplicaciones didácticas para la enseñanza integrada de lengua y contenidos. Sevilla: Consejería de Educación de
la Junta de Andalucía-Universidad de Córdoba.171-180.
It is mainly based on the hands-on experience at designing units and on conversations with experts and peers. The
theory of the 4Cs by Do Coyle has also been taken into account. This theory has been shown in various publications,
such as: Coyle, D., Hood, P. and Marsh, D., 2010. Content and Language Integrated Learning. Cambridge University
Press.