THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR

I have designed a teaching unit for students of 2^nd Bachillerato called THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR. They are cross-curricular activities integrating language and content related to the subject of History of Spain. Its development has been established once the corresponding content has been dealt in History class. As for the general timing, this topic it is planned to be taught at the beginning of the course, during the first half of the first semester. Our main goal is to work the historical fact from its origins, revise the main characters, see consequences and compare it with the English vision.

Thus, I have created a unit which combines web resources with homemade materials. Activities are graded and appear together within the Highschool Moodle Platform. We have tried to integrate all skills, achieving a balance between them, and combining individual, pair, small groups and large group work.

 The learning objectives will be the following:

- Locate the Battle of Trafalgar chronologically and geographically.

- Explain the origins, main events and consequences of the Battle.

- Identify the key personalities of this period.

- Perceive the sequence of events that took place during the Battle.                                                                                                

- Understand the importance of the event in terms of politics.

- Assume the political consequences of the Battle.

- Compare the Spanish version with the English point of view of the                                                   event.

- Be able to grasp the importance of events that occurred in the past.

- Analyse and comment on historical texts to know other cultures.

Students will need access to laptops and data projector for in-class presentations as well as wireless internet WLAN in the classroom.

 I divided the didactic unit into six lessons, 50-minute class periods, which could be extended depending on the available teaching time in relation to the course program or syllabus, the academic progress of the students, their needs and the teacher’s decision. 

Then, on the second session, students must use online resources to search for information on the battle. In pairs, they have to prepare an oral presentation on the origins of the battle.

There is a wiki about the most important characters who took part in the Battle of Trafalgar. I decided for this tool because it motivates students, as it breaks the traditional routine, encouraging collaborative learning and the review of their own work and their classmates’. The class will be divided into 4 small groups and each one will work on certain characters. As the information is later placed on the platform, everybody could see and check results

The task ‘lesson’ in Moodle seems the perfect choice for the individual written understanding of the battle using ICT facilities. The contents appear split into small parts and the students only go forward in case of success but it can be repeated until the highest note. 

As a final task, students will have to deepen into the topic and, in small groups, prepare an oral presentation, supported by ICT resources, asserting the similarities and differences from the Spanish and English vision of historical fact. A debate will follow and some guidelines to help the class are given.

Both a self- evaluation and an oral and written evaluation sheets will be used as evaluation instruments