Uruguay Bachillerato Diversificado - Humanities > Social-Humanistic

This course integrates social and emotional learning (SEL) within the English as a Foreign Language curriculum, focusing on developing self-management and responsible decision-making skills. The "Human Values" thematic unit is designed for 6th-grade students in the Social-Humanistic track, preparing them for university studies in law, teaching, or related fields. The course utilizes communicative language teaching (CLT) principles, emphasizing learner-centered activities and incorporating neuroscience and positive psychology concepts.

Thematic Unit: Human Values

This unit aims to increase students' awareness of their personality traits and develop conflict resolution skills. The unit incorporates activities designed to help students understand and describe their personalities, analyze situations, evaluate options, and make responsible decisions.

Weekly Breakdown:

• Week 1: Introductions and Greetings: Focuses on building a friendly classroom atmosphere, practicing greetings and body language, and promoting metacognitive skills. Activities include sharing personal information, analyzing greeting styles, and reflecting on classroom interactions.
• Week 2: Mindful Breathing and Collaboration: Introduces mindful breathing techniques to promote relaxation and focus. Students work collaboratively to identify main ideas in articles and negotiate greeting rituals for the class. Self-assessment and reflection on group work are emphasized.
• Week 3: Emotions and Self-Awareness: Explores emotions and their connection to personal experiences. Activities involve expressing emotions through body language, identifying personal characteristics, and recognizing cognates and false cognates. A "Good Moments Jar" activity promotes positive emotions and reflection.
• Week 4: Behavior Codes and Problem-Solving: Introduces the concept of behavior codes and their application in different contexts. Students analyze articles about communication and misinterpretations, practice everyday expressions, and develop strategies for rating and solving problems. A video example of a discussion is provided for review.
• Week 5: Stress Management and Decision-Making: Focuses on identifying and managing stress through the tapping technique. Students practice discussion skills, negotiate a rubric for assessment, and engage in group discussions about conflict resolution using resolution wheels. Gratitude cards promote positive relationships.

Assessment:

Assessment includes a variety of methods, such as observation forms, learning journals, interviews, rubrics for group discussions, and teacher self-reflection tools. These tools are designed to evaluate both language proficiency and the development of SEL competencies.

This comprehensive approach to language learning aims to foster not only language skills but also crucial social and emotional competencies, preparing students for success in their academic and personal lives.