the calla model

The CALLA Model: Strategies for ELL Student Success©2005 Chamot&Robbins

Camila Barrera – Lissete Gajardo – Milenka Gutiérrez – Alejandro Moreno

PLAN CONTENT & LANGUAGE COMPONENTS OF A CALLA LESSON

Directions: In this activity you will work with your group to develop language

activities based on your grade-level content text for the textbook language

analysis. Use the guidelines below.

Include language activities in which students practice two or moreof the

following language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing,

vocabularyand grammar.

CALLA INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE GUIDELINES

Theme/Topic: Life in Other Countries

Grade/Language Level: 8th grade/ Basic English

Standards:www.mineduc.cl English Program of the Ministry of Education (page

63 – 74)

1. Content Objectives:

Identify the different cultures of some countries like Italy, Brazil, Japan, England

and Spain.

Recognize sentence structures of comparatives and superlatives.

Adapt the information needed to complete the chart.

Explain orally the information in the chart.

How assessed?

Oral presentation of the groups explaining the information indicated on the sheet

http://www.mineduc.cl/



2. Language Objectives:

1. The students will recognize thematic vocabulary and key words, like the name of

the countries, the costumes and any important information about the life in other

countries.

2. Identifying and using structures about comparisons and superlatives, like ‘Brazil

is bigger than Peru’.

3. Reading in loud voice with fluency and appropriate pronunciation when the

students will have to present the information of the country.

4. Using very short and simple sentences and phrases to describe the different

countries or give another kind of information. For example: ‘The capital city of

Brazil is Brasilia’.

5. Applying the lexical unit, for example superlative adjectives (the bigger, the most

expensive, etc.) or frequency adverbs (usually, often, rarely, etc.)

6. Applying spelling items like dots and capital letters, for example: all the names of

the countries are written in capital letter.

How assessed?

Usethe information sheet about countries and also the activities given by the

teacher.

3. Learning Strategies Objectives: (to be added later in workshop)

Materials: Videos, information sheet and self-evaluation sheet.



PROCEDURES

Preparation: How will I find out what my students already know about this content topic and what

related prior experiences they have had? How will I find out what language skills they already know

for this type of task? What vocabulary needs to be taught?

Through previous knowledge passed in the last class about comparative adjectives, adverbs like

slowly, dangerously, softly, etc.

Also, in the previous classes, the students applied language skills like listening with exercises, oral

skills, for example: giving opinion and written skills for example: create dialogues.

Some new vocabulary relatedto the unit, for example country names, nationalities, country places,

customs, languages, etc.

Presentation: What is the best way to present this content so that students understand the

concepts? What language skills will they use?

-The best way to present this content is through a video in which explain the different countries with

their pronunciation. So, they can watch and at the same time, listen how the word is pronounced. So

they can associate the image with the sound.

-They use listening, writing and speaking skills.

Practice: What kind of activities will help my students apply the new information? What language



skills will they be practicing?

Complete the chart, reading aloud, writing sentences (apply or use vocabulary).

They practice speaking, writing and reading skills.

Self-evaluation: What is the best way for my students to assess their own learning of language and

content?

Self-evaluation sheet and fill the check list.

Expansion: How can I connect the topic of this lesson to students’ own lives, culture, and

language? How does this topic connect to other content areas? How can parents become involved?

How can I help students transfer what they have learned to new situations?

-We can connect the topic of the lesson (Life in other countries) through the following examples: the

television (TV programs like discovery channel or TV news where show different places of the world)

and the Internet (in this instrument there are information with different languages).

-This topic is connected with History and Geography subject (through maps and other kinds of

information about other countries).

-The students will bring for the next class adornment to decorate the classroom which will be

prepared in their houses.

-Internalizing the contents: if the students learn to use the contents in the class, they could use it in

new situations. For example: the students have to use the new vocabulary in class telling what

country they like more and why, and then they could use to speak with other people outside of class.



Activity Introduction Script.

Sentences orally given by the teacher (Identifying comparative adjectives, adverbs and vocabulary):

1. Mary is taller than Barbara.2. Chile is the most beautiful country than Cuba.3. The driver drives very slowly.4. Argentina is cheaper than Chile. 5. The train is more quickly than a bus.

Pronunciation of the name of countries and nationalities (video):

1. Argentina/Argentinean.2. Venezuela/Venezuelan.3. Ecuador/Ecuadorian.4. Mexico/Mexican.5. Cuba/Cuban.6. Chile/Chilean.7. Uruguay/Uruguayan.8. Bolivia/Bolivian.9. Paraguay/Paraguayan.10. Colombia/Colombian.11. Peru/Peruvian.



Information Sheet

Names:

Date:

Country’s Information Answers

Country

Capital City

Location

Language

Typical Food

Typical Dance

Typical Games

National Flag (draw it)

Country’s Information Answers

Most Expensive than

Cheapest than

Bigger than

Opinion of the Group about the country



Videos

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BluOmUYbY4o (Introduction activity)

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Uvh6ra1gbjc&feature=related (Body activity).

Self-evaluation sheet.

Names Gave ideas

Good Behavior

Spoke in English

Participated

actively

Respect to the

classmates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvh6ra1gbjc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvh6ra1gbjc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BluOmUYbY4o



Score: 1 to 5 each point.

Teacher’s assessment of the students learning

Points

Criteria

Excellent3

Regular2

Need improve1

Total

InformationThe information is complete and

correct

The information is not totally complete or

incorrect

The information is

wrong and incomplete



Oral use of the English

Students explain the information in English and use a correct pronunciation

Students don’t explain all the information in

English and the pronunciation is

not good

Students don’t explain the

information in English

OrganizationThe information is explained by each student of

the group according to the order given in

the chart

The information is explained by the majority of the students of

the group.

The information is given by a few students of the

group

Then the teacher assessment students with a rubric, the teacher will review

the students´ notebooks.

Points Marks

3 2.7

4 3.2

5 3.8

Points Marks

6 4.5

7 5.3

8 6.2

9 7.0