The unit discusses health topics to extend vocabulary related to the medical world. During this unit the students are urged to use the dictionaries effectively. Through a reading passage they learn about the heart and the heart operations. The students are learned how to ask about people's health. They also revise in this unit the conditional sentences as a grammar topic.

In this unit, students work in research groups taking on the role of doctors. They choose one of the most common health problems in Egypt (a heart disease, diabetes, a kidney failure, liver viruses, bird flu ..etc) and collect information about the disease (the causes, the symptoms, the cures and the precautions). Translating some web pages, visiting hospitals getting statistics and making interviews with patients (may be a member of their families) about each disease, will help them to determine that prevention is better than cure. Also, they know how to deals with different diseases and help others to be fit. After collecting all the information needed, each group will choose to make either a newsletter , a presentation, a wiki or a blog answering the Unit Framing Question How can I affect my community? How can information be both a weapon and a fortress? Why do some diseases spread in a certain community more than another?

Instructional Procedures
Beginning of the Year
Introduce a discussion about How can we benefit from learning English in our daily life? Talk about how the units that will be studied this year will help the class answer this Question. Introduce a publication to present the idea of projects in the English classes.

Period 1

• Begin the unit by using the assessment presentation to gauge student needs. Brainstorm possible diseases that might have appropriate data sets. Discuss and evaluate the ideas students contribute.

Hand out the project rubric and discuss. The rubric provides an overview of the project expectations for the students. Have students use the rubric to help them assess their progress and learning. Tell students that they will create a project that includes answers to the questions that was introduced . The projects are either a slideshow , a newsletter or a wiki about one of the most common diseases in their town. The project includes the causes, the cures, the symptoms and the precautions. A survey at the class or the school may help them to indicate which disease to talk about. A chart with the result of the survey is needed.
www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=CT0aC1LA3t4eoS3D0l6sBQ%3d%3d*

Period 2
Students show the survey results and discuss them. Allow students to choose team members. Membership may be formed based on disease of interest. A different disease should be explored by each team of students. Remind students to use the Unit Questions in their projects.

Period 3
Pass out the checklists (presentation, newsletter or wiki) to all students, depending on the publication format each team chooses. Review the checklists and have students use them to monitor their progress while working.

Period 3
Instruct students to begin researching their topics. Conference with students individually and as teams to answer questions, discuss their progress, and assess higher-order thinking.

Period 4
Ask students to complete the research on their topic, incorporating their biological knowledge.

Period 5
Students show the collected information of their projects and begin to draft the outline of their projects.

Period 6
Have students complete their projects. Remind students to use their checklists to review and finalize their work.

Period 4
Ask students to complete the research on their topic, incorporating their biological knowledge.

Period 7 & 8
Provide time for students to present their final projects to the class. Use the project rubric to assess students’ work.

Period 9
Give the class an essay examination by instructing students to respond to the following:

1. What are the most common diseases in Egypt ? Why are they common?
2. What are the serious symptoms of these diseases?
3. What are the precautions that people can take to be safe?
4. What can the government and the individuals do to help the patients?
5. How can school students help?

Period 10
Guide a discussion about how the project led to better learning.

Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction
Resource Student

• Repeat instructions verbally and in writing
• Check for understanding
• Allow extra time for assignment completion
• Select Internet sites and other research materials appropriate to the student’s abilities
• Set specific due dates at the beginning of the project for each component to assist the student with organization issues
• Create templates for the student to use for each role
• Assign student teams so the student with special needs works with a helpful partner
• Allow extra work completion time if needed

Weak students

• Provide visual models when possible
• Ask for translation help from more proficient students
• Allow the use of some resources in the student’s first language
• Provide suggested resources that are at an appropriate reading level
• Allow the student to work with other gifted students

Gifted Student

• Provide open-ended assignments
• Emphasize group learning skills and development
• Focus on problem solving skills and creative aspects
• Create a Web site for the projects