4 Classroom Presentation Tool • On-screen Student Book and Workbook • Additional Activities • Class Videos: Factlix and Relect available online or o line and synched across your devices • Class Audio Teacher’s Guide • Course Overview • Teaching Notes • Audio and Video Scripts • Workbook Answer Key Teacher’s Resource Center • Teacher’s Access to Online Practice • Test Materials • Additional Teaching Resources • Class Audio and Video • Teacher’s Guide • Teacher’s Support Materials 3 1 • Sheila Dignen Teacher’s Guide Teacher’s Guide 1 Student Book Contents ii Lesson Plans Introduction iv Unit 1 What is the value of time? 4 Component Overview vii Unit 2 What do we remember? 14 Supplementary Resources viii Project Doing a class survey 24 Student Book Guided Tour ix Unit 3 How do we know what’s the best? 26 Workbook Guided Tour xviii Unit 4 How do groups work together? 36 Classroom Presentation Tool xxi Project Designing a poster 46 Online Practice with Teacher’s Resource Center xxii Unit 5 What do we need to survive? 48 Teaching with Oxford Discover Futures xxiii Unit 6 How can we live with less? 58 Assessment xxv Project Giving a presentation 68 Unit 7 What is intelligence? 70 Unit 8 How can we stay healthy? 80 Project Taking part in a class debate 90 Unit 9 Why do we tell stories? 92 Unit 10 What makes a good place to live? 102 Discover Vocabulary and Grammar Answer Key 112 Writing Workshop 116 Literature 118 Student Book Audio and Video Scripts 126 Workbook Answer Key and Audio Script 139 © Copyright Oxford University Press ii Student Book Guided Tour © Copyright Oxford University Press Student Book Guided Tour iii © Copyright Oxford University Press Introduction Welcome to Oxford Discover Futures • challenging students to think critically about topics, issues, Oxford Discover Futures is a six-level course, created to and questions address the evolving needs of secondary-level learners of • fostering competence in reading and writing English in the 21st century. Second language acquisition is • developing strategies that help students perform well in now much more than an academic pursuit. It has become academic study and examinations. an essential skill for global cooperation and problem solving.
Oxford Discover Futures is centered on the belief Lifelong Learning with the that language and literacy skills are best taught within a Oxford Discover Family framework of critical thinking and global awareness, and Oxford Discover Futures belongs to a • it aims to guide students toward the broader goals of family of Oxford courses that share the communication. same inquiry-based methodology, with Oxford Discover Futures creates a positive and motivating a focus on 21st Century Skills. These learning environment by: courses offer schools a continuous • providing content that is relevant, informative, and inquiry-based learning path, which evolves with students as educational they grow. Each course provides the right level of cognitive • allowing students to consider key concept questions that challenge to support lifelong learning and success.
For more they revisit as they gain more information information about the other courses available, please talk to your local Oxford representative. The Oxford Discover Futures Team Young people today have better access to information than ever before. As educators, one of our tasks is to ensure that our students have the tools to assimilate, interpret, and react to this information effectively and responsibly, so that they are better equipped to voice their opinions in local and global discussions about the world. The challenge we face as authors is to provide teaching materials that will enable this generation of learners to channel their inquisitive nature and knowledge.
This challenge is what first attracted us to the concept of Oxford Discover Futures. The material is driven by inquiry-based learning and critical thinking. Each unit begins with a question, such as “What is intelligence?”, “Why do people travel?”, and “What makes a hero?” Students think about and react to these big questions. We encourage them to dig deeper and consider the topics from different, less familiar perspectives.
We have learned a lot from writing Oxford Discover Futures. We have aimed to both challenge students and encourage them to question the world around them. And we hope that they enjoy using the course as much as we have enjoyed working on it! Ben Wetz and Jayne Wildman are consultants for Oxford Discover Futures and have both been involved in ELT for over 30 years. Ben started teaching English in 1987.
Since 1998, he has been a freelance teacher trainer and author. He has written several successful coursebooks for teenagers including Adventures, English Plus, and Scope. As a teacher trainer, he has traveled and given talks in numerous countries around the world. Jayne first started teaching children and teenagers in 1988.
After teaching in Spain, Italy, and the UK, Jayne spent several years in Oxford as an editor, before she began authoring her own books. Her first book was published in 2002, and since then she has written successful courses for Secondary students in countries all over the world. One of her most recent publications is Insight. iv Introduction © Copyright Oxford University Press The Key Principles of promotes global values throughout the series, with texts and activities prompting students to examine values from Oxford Discover Futures an outside and a personal perspective.
Inquiry-based Learning 5 Focus on thinking, not memorizing Inquiry-based learning maximizes student involvement, Oxford Discover Futures is based on the belief that encourages collaboration and teamwork, and promotes critical thinking is the key to better learning. While creative thinking. Students employ the four skills of listening, retention of words and structures is important for language speaking, reading, and writing as they identify and answer development, allowing students to access knowledge on questions about themselves and the world around them. a deeper level is equally important and will further Oxford Discover Futures supports an inquiry-based approach encourage effective learning in the classroom.
The critical to learning English. Each unit in Oxford Discover Futures thinking activities in Oxford Discover Futures help students revolves around a unifying question, which is broad, open- make sense of the information presented to them, ultimately ended, and thought-provoking, appealing to students’ leading to greater understanding and retention. Throughout the process of inquiry-based 6 Build strong student–teacher relationships learning, students play an active role in their own education. While maintaining class discipline, it is important to develop Teachers facilitate this learning by guiding students to ask a mutual relationship of trust and open communication with questions, gather information, and find answers.
As students students. In this way, students begin to look at themselves work together and share information, they build essential as partners in learning with their teacher. This gives them a skills in communication and collaboration. sense of shared responsibility, creating a dynamic and highly The following guidelines will help teachers create the most motivating learning environment.
effective classroom environment for Oxford Discover Futures, ensuring maximum student participation and learning. 7 Take time to reflect Oxford Discover Futures actively promotes student reflection 1 Facilitate student-centered learning by incorporating “Reflect” activities into the page content, Student-centered learning gives students an active role in but reflection does not have to be limited to these shaping their own learning paths, fostering their confidence waypoints. Lessons can begin by asking students to recall and autonomy. The teacher acts as facilitator, guiding the key points from the previous lesson or from the unit so far.
learning and ensuring that everyone has a voice. Students End lessons by facilitating a student-led recap of the main work both individually and with each other to achieve learning points from the day. The answers can encompass the goals they have set for the lessons. As a result, student not only content, but reflections on classroom dynamics and participation and dialogue are maximized in the classroom.
For example: But learning should not begin and end in the classroom. The “Discover more: search online” feature in the Student • How was teamwork organized today? Book prompts students to independently research a topic • Could it be improved? on the internet, representing one of the ways in which • Which activity was the most successful or beneficial? Oxford Discover Futures sets out to develop students into As students become more aware of how they learn, they autonomous lifelong learners. become more confident and efficient in their learning. 2 Wonder out loud 8 Make connections Curious students are inquirers, ready to look beyond the Deep learning occurs when students can connect new information on a page.
Curiosity can be developed in your knowledge with prior knowledge and personal experiences. students if you are curious, too. As new ideas, stories, or topics Give your students opportunities to make connections. are encountered, encourage students to think out loud: For example: • I wonder why / how.
• We learned about why sleep is important for our health. • I wonder what happens when / if. • Do you find it easy to sleep well? • What stops you from sleeping well? 3 Let student inquiry lead the lesson • What other things do you think are important for good When students are presented with a topic, invite them to health? ask their own questions about it. In doing so, they are more motivated to seek answers to those questions.
In addition, By making such connections, students will be able to as students find answers, they take on the added role of understand new vocabulary and grammar input in a teacher to inform others in the class. contextualized way and retain language and content knowledge. 4 Explore global values 9 Cooperate instead of compete Students need to understand the importance of values from an early age. Taking an inquiry-based approach Competitive activities may create temporary motivation, but means that they are encouraged to think about different often leave some students feeling less confident or valued.
situations and the effect that particular behavior has within By contrast, cooperative activities build teamwork and those situations. In doing so, students nurture and become class unity while boosting communication skills. Confident more aware of their own values and the importance of students serve as a support to those who need extra help. contributing in a positive way to the community, society, All students learn the value of working together.
Cooperative and the world around them. Oxford Discover Futures activities provide win–win opportunities for the entire class. Introduction v © Copyright Oxford University Press II. 21st Century Skills and Global Skills 5 Global Skills We live in an age of rapid change.
Advances in Global Skills encompass a broad selection of skills necessary communication and information technology continue to for success in a globalized world. They embrace the skills create new opportunities and challenges for the future. needed for lifelong learning and well-being, and help As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, today’s students develop as well-rounded citizens. In addition students must develop strong skills in critical thinking, global to 21st Century Skills, Global Skills also include: communication, collaboration, and creativity.
In addition, • intercultural competence and citizenship students must develop life and career skills, information, • emotional self-regulation and well-being media, and technology skills, as well as an appreciation • digital literacies. and concern for the health of our planet and cross-cultural The digital materials, Life skills lessons, Project lessons, and understanding. Oxford Discover Futures strives to help other activities throughout Oxford Discover Futures, support students build each of these skills in order to succeed in the Global Skills. Students’ performance in these skills is assessed through the Project lessons.
Rubrics for these assessments are available on the Teacher’s Resource Center. Integrated Language Support 1 Vocabulary 1 Critical Thinking • Oxford Discover Futures presents a rich and challenging Students in the 21st century need to do more than acquire vocabulary. Words are introduced in context with video, information. They need to be able to make sense of the audio, and reading texts in each unit.
