Lesson Plan from Mairi Karolina Rogkakou

Introduction to the Two Task-Based-Learning Lesson Plans CreatedThe TBL lesson plan Task Cycle was created with the following criteria in mind:

-the opportunity for the learners to study a topic in a variety of ways and thoughts,-the cultivation of the students’ strengths and positive characteristics,-the integration of subject areas so that students can see connections on learning and acquire a global view of what they learn,andGardner’s theory of multiple intelligence which presents the variety of ways people perceive and understand the world in mind.

The lesson plan was designed for a sixth grade class of EFL learners in a Greek public school in Athens at the end of the first trimester, right before the Christmas holidays, and, thus, Christmas content was incorporated into a thematic lesson on bullying with a preview of grammatical contexts to be introduced in the next two chapters of the course book after the holidays.

An Outline of the Lesson PlanName of teacher: Mairi Karolina RogkakouDate: Academic year 2014-2015, end of first trimester.School: The 4th Primary School of ZographouClass and Level: Sixth grade EFL of varying English language levels, mostly from A1 to B2Number of students in class: 16 (mostly Greek, two Albanian of which one is the top student)Time available: two sessions of approximately 45 minutes eachMaterial to be used: Christmas song, Emotional Intelligence worksheet, Photocopied visual of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer Monologue Sheet, related article for teacher’s reading on the 50th

anniversary of the Christmas story on television, relevant vocabulary and grammar sheet, and a combined peer and group assessment form.Methods to be used: inductive, task-based learning, learner-centeredOverall theme or topic planned: discussion of bullying acts and ways to deal with a bullyOverall teaching aims:

a) to invite students to explore the topic of bullyingb) to encourage group work. Students work in groups on two worksheetsc) To practice speaking and listening skills d) To practice new grammatical structures introducede) To practice narrative writing the student takes on a character in a monologue

Overall learning objectives:a)to arouse students’ emotions while they voice their opinions on bullying andpossibly speak of related personal experiencesb)to promote listening and speaking skills using new vocabulary and reporting findings to the class

Pre-Task: (First Lesson) Students are asked about their familiarity with the Christmas song, “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer”. The following questions can be addressed:

What do you know about Rudolph, the reindeer? What problem exists at the beginning of the story? How do the other reindeer behave towards him? Why do you think they act this way? What do you know about bullying?

How does Rudolph’s special characteristic help him in the end? What could have happened if Santa did not ask him for help? How could Rudolph manage this problem on his own? Have you ever been bullied? How did you feel?

The teacher receives feedback encouraging students to participate in the discussion and express their point of views. The teacher distributes handouts of the song to activate the students’ memories of the story, and they all sing along together. (10 minutes)

Task Cycle

Task 1: (Planning) The teacher distributes the Emotional Intelligence Worksheet on Bullying Acts and clarifies the meaning of the three types: social, emotional, and physical. She also goes over the list of examples given and asks the students to work in three separate groups in order to categorize the examples under the correct type of bullying act. Each group is assigned one of the three types of bullying to plan to report back to the class. The teacher walks around the room and acts as facilitator. (10 minutes)

Task 2: (Report)The teacher asks the three groups to report back to the rest while she draws three columns for the three types on the board and fills the in the answers from each group. She acts as facilitator in the students’ speech as each group reports its findings. (15 minutes, 5 minutes for each group)Task 3: The teacher begins a discussion asking what can be done under certain bullying circumstances and goes over the ways to deal with such acts presented in the second half of the already distributed EI worksheet. A class discussion ensues. Before the end of the first lesson, the teacher hands out a photocopy of a visual of Rudolph and assigns the students to take on the persona of the reindeer and write a monologue/ diary entry for homework, Task 4, on how feels and how he thinks he should deal with the bullying acts of the other reindeer.Task 5: (2nd lesson) The teacher calls on volunteers to read their narratives in front of the class and both teacher and students comment on them. She then collects them to assess later and asks the students to take out their saved copies of the song and return to their groups from the previous lesson.(10 minutes)Task 6: Focus on Vocabulary Students are asked to find the five adjectives in the song, “red-nosed”, “shiny”, “poor” (as it is used in this context), “foggy”, and “bright”, and write them down in the first exercise of the worksheet. They discuss their meanings together, and then a discussion ensues with the teacher as she writes them on the board and clarifies their answers by using examples. The vocabulary word “glee” is also explained.(10 minutes)Task 7: Focus on Grammar 1 Introduction of the Simple Past Tense verbs, 6 irregular and 1 regular, in the song. Students are asked to find all the verbs in the song and write them down in the second exercise on their worksheets. The teacher asks for replies as she writes them on the board. She draws two columns and writes the answers in the second column. Together they discuss them and fill in the first column with the infinitive form equivalent of each verb found: “have-had”, “see-saw”, “will-would”,”let-let”, “come-came”, “love-loved”, and “shout-shouted”, in the order presented in the song. (10 minutes)

Task 8: Focus on Grammar 2 The teacher discusses the importance of learning the correct forms of verbs in the past tense and tells the students that this is a preview of the grammar of the next unit in the course book, Unit 3, which they will begin after the holidays. She refers them to an appendix in the back of the course book which has a list of irregular verbs that the students can begin to learn during the holidays. She then asks the students to find the phrase “used to” in the song. Once a student locates it, “ All of the other reindeer/ Used to laugh and call him names”, the teacher can explain the structure “used to” as a phrase to use for a habit of the past and give examples for the students’ clear understanding of it. She asks them to give examples of something they used to do in the past and facilitates their speaking. She tells them that this is a preview of the grammar focus in Unit 4 of the course book. She assigns the third exercise on the worksheet for which the students write several sentences using this structure, and the students answer in turns. Time permitting, as extra grammar practice from examples in the song, the teacher may note the structure, “ to let (or not let)someone do something “, (with an emphasis on the bare infinitive of the verb following the verb “let”, the use of a Direct and Reported Speech, and the two phrases, “to call someone names” , and “to go down in history”.(15 minutes)Task 9: The teacher assigns an assessment worksheet for the students to evaluate peer and group work done in the entire task cycle for homework.

Song

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer : Lyrics

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw him, you would even say it glows

All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve Santa came to say: "Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then all the reindeer loved him as they shouted out with glee, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, you'll go down in history!

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Lyrics

http://www.carols.org.uk/rudolf_the_red_nosed_reindeer.htm

Link to article for Teachers Link to article for Teachers http://www.wkrg.com/story/27572347/the-story-of-rudolph-the-red- nosed-reindeer-shines-bright-for-50-years

It’s NOT oK to do that to me….” Worksheet

Link to Emotional Intelligence Booklet Worksheet, p. 9 http://www.ong.ohio.gov/frg/FRGresources/emotional_intellegence_11-12.pdf

A bully is someone who unfairly uses his or her power, socially, emotionally or physically, to hurt someone else over and over.

Can you identify bullying acts? Write the following words under the correct heading:

kicking, dirty looks, embarrassing, hitting, insults, gossiping, shoving, name calling, teasing, hurting friendship of others, breaking things, holding nose, cliques, making fun of someone’s clothes

Acts of Bullying:

Social

Emotional

Physical

How to Deal with a Bully:

The best way to deal with a bully is to use the power of your mind and emotions and take away the bully’s power. 1. Make friends. Be kind and friendly. Most bullies feel angry and hurt. 2. Refuse to fight and walk away. Decide if fighting solves anything. Walking away takes 3. Agree or stand up to the bully. Surprise the bully. If you show that the bully’s words don’t hurt you, you’re taking away the bully’s power. 4. Use Authority. You are showing the bully you are not afraid to call on someone who is more powerful than the bully to help you.

Notes

http://www.dreamstime.com/free-photos-images/rudolph.html

Rudolph’s Diary

Vocabulary and Grammar Worksheet on the Song: “Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer”1)Find the five adjectives in the song and write them below:

a)b)c)d)e)

2) Find the 6 irregular verbs and one regular verb in the simple past tense. Write them next to the infinitive form of the verbs below:

a)have -b)see -c)will -d)let -e)come-f)love -g)shout-

M.K.Rogkakou

Worksheet continued…

3) Examine the structure: “used to do something” and write 5 sentences of things YOU used to do in the past that you do not do now.

a)

b)

c)

d)

e)

M.K.Rogkakou.

http://www.dailyteachingtools.com/cooperative-learning-evaluate.html