Lesson Plan: Heroes

Lesson Level:     Senior 1                  Duration:  45

Lesson Title:     Modern Heroes

Grammar and Vocabulary

Words for positive/negative qualiteis in people - arising from class discussions

.

Lesson Objectives

 Students will share information about words that represent positive and negative qualities (e.g. helpful/generous and angry/unfriendly)

Students will be able to debate and defend their opinions.

Materials Required

Practical Oral English Senior 1 Autumn Term Unit 8

(Note - required texts in Note 1 below)

Preparation

Ensure students all have access to the required texts.

Procedure

1

Put students into groups of six.

Explain that today’s lesson is about what qualities make someone a good man or a hero. Explain “quality”. Explain that we are NOT Talking about superheroes. Give 2 examples of each (helpful/generous/angry/unfriendly)

2

Tell students in odd numbered groups to make a list of positive qualities and in even numbered groups to make a list of negative qualities.

3

While students do this divide the board into as many columns as is practical.

After two minutes get one student from each group to come and write words on the board.

Check scores 2 points for a good word correctly spelled, 1 point for a good word but in correct spelling, 0 for an in correct word.

Clear all except the winners in each category.

4

Refer students to texts (page 39 or on handout.)

Tell groups to read the texts and choose three words from the board to describe each person.

Get feedback from each group. Check if other groups agree. 

5.

Ask class what KIND of person can be a hero?

Try to elicit these words

Sportsman, Actor, Musician, Politician, Humanitarian, Someone you know, Other

(Accept other suggestions)

Write all suggestions on board. Explain any unfamiliar words (eg Humanitarian)

6

Tell groups that EVERY student must write down the name of someone they think is a hero. (Note - They CAN write it in Chinese if it is a Chinese person. Tell students that for this it doesn’t matter if they are not sure of the spelling.)

7

When everyone has a name tell groups that each student must tell the group who they chose and why. When all students have done this the group must choose ONE of the suggestions. They can discuss the choices and decide on an answer.

8.

Get answers from each group and write them on the board.

9. (If time)

Tell each group to look at the list of names on the board and discuss them and choose which one of them is most deserving of being called a “hero”.

Get feedback from groups.

Notes

The relevant text from the text book is as follows.

Joanna is always busy. She works hard to help others. Every day she walks to school with her friends. On the way she stops at the shop to collect a newspaper for her teacher. After school, she stops at her Auntie's house to take her dog for a walk. When she gets home she then helps her mum to cook dinner for her family.

Alex loves football. He plays football all the time. He plays football every day after school and devotes all of his spare time on practising. His mum sometimes asks him to help her with dinner, but he says no because he wants to play football.

James loves to play basketball. He is not very good at it, however he plays it every day so that he improves and becomes a good player. Each day his team loses because of him, but he won't give up. As a matter of fact, he does not lose heart because he wants to succeed no matter how long it takes him.

Adele is rich. She likes to support lots of charities and often gives money to the poor. She also likes to help her family and friends and often gives them money.

June got in trouble with her parents and was not allowed to play with her friends after dinner because she stole her brother's favourite car and hid it. Her brother was very sad because he couldn't find his car.

Lesson Plan:Bucket List - Ambitions Dreams and Goals

Lesson Level:    Senior 1                    Duration:  45

Lesson Title:     Bucket List: Ambitions, Dreams, Goals

Grammar and Vocabulary

Ambition, dream, goal, pipe dream, bucket list, kick the bucket

I’d like to, I want to, I’d try

I wouldn’t like to, I don’t want to, I wouldn’t try

 .

Lesson Objectives

 Students will be able to express their hopes for the future and distinguish between ambitions, dreams. goals (and pipe dreams)

Materials Required

Senior 1 Practical Oral English Book 1 Unit 7 

Preparation

Prepare your own five item bucket list.

Procedure

1 Put students into groups of six. Make sure every group has at least one copy of the text book. 

2 On board write Ambitions

Dreams

Goals

Go through Descriptions in the book.

Add these descriptions to boards.

Ambitions - things you want to do that are achievable and you can work for

Dreams    - things you would like to do that might be harder to achieve or even

                   impossible

Goals       - the smaller things that you need to achieve on your way to your ambition.

Add

Pipe Dream - Something you would like but which probably can’t be achieved

3

Separately on board put Kick the Bucket (and explain that it means die) and Bucket List (things you want to do in your life before you die)

4 Tell class that there was a survey, (explain survey if necessary) by a news paper in England asking people what they want to do before they die. Tell them that you have the most popular ten answers.

Each group must think of  things that might be on the list.

While groups think write the numbers 1 -10 on the board.  Write group numbers at side of board.

5.

Ask each group in turn for an answer. If the answer is on the list (see notes) add it and give the groups points (10 points for 1, 9 for 2 etc).

If the answer is not on the list write it separately.

Go round groups three times.

Explain any answers that the class as a whole doesn’t understand. 

6

Tell students they must now work alone (I.e. NOT as a group)

Tell each student to write down FIVE things that he/she would put on their bucket list.

Tell them that at least ONE must be something NOT already on the board.

7

When students have done that tell them to tell the others (not show) the things they want to do.

Suggest phrases and vocabulary (see above) to use. Other students must agree or disagree using suggested phrases.

8.

Feedback from each group about how many people share things that are on someone else’s list.

Extension Activity

9 Tell students you have five items on your bucket list.

Elicit suggestions as to what they might be. Award an extra point to any group guessing one of them.

My list is

Publish a book of poems (Done)

Live in another country (Done)

Be interviewed on television. (Not done)

Write a novel (Not done)

Learn to play a musical instrument well (Not done)

Notes

Here is a list from a survey in the Daily Mail. I have only included things that the students are likely to know or that are easy to explain.

1. Learn another language

2. Buy a house

3. Swim with dolphins

4. Ride in a hot air balloon

5. See the pyramids

6. Climb a mountain

7. Be in a film

8. Learn to play an instrument

9. Live in a different country

10. Drive a racing car

Lesson Plan: Natural Disasters

Lesson Level:     Senior 1                   Duration: 45

Lesson Title:      Earthquakes and Disasters

Grammar and Vocabulary

Earthquake, Flood, Tsunami, Fire, Hurricane, Landslide. Drought, Volcanic Eruption

(other disaster words that arise during first activity).

Lesson Objectives

Students will be able to discuss natural disasters and follow a description of an Earthquake both answering factual questions and opinions based on it.

Materials Required

Prepared text and questions 

Preparation

Print enough copies of the text to hand out to groups in weaker classes only. 

Procedure

1 Write “Earthquakes and Natural Disasters” on board and elicit meanings.

2 Put class into groups of four or six. Ask groups to think of other kinds of natural disasters. Give only two or three minutes thinking time.

Ask students for their suggestions and write them on the board.

Elicit all meanings.

3  Hand out work sheets. These should consist of pictures relating to the eight vocabulary words and associated news headlines. Students should match the headlines, pictures and vocabulary words.

Feedback and put the answers on the board.

4 Put this questions on the board. “All of these disasters are serious. Which do you think are the most serious? Why? Is there anything we can do to help prevent any of them? Is there anything we can do if they occur?”

Groups discuss the questions.

Lead class discussion for feedback.

5. Tell the class that you will now read a news item to them. Write these questions on the board and tell the class to make a note of the answers.

Where was it?

When did it happen?

What magnitude was it?

What happened?

How many people died?

How many people were left homeless?

What was the cost of the repairs?

Hand out copies of the text and questions for class to check their answers.

Feedback answers. 

Go through new vocabulary and write meanings on board.

6  Extension Activity

Discuss groups such as Medicine sans Frontieres. International Red  Cross and OXFAM. Explain who they are and what they do. Explain that they are independent and not controlled by any Government.

Put question on the board.

DO you think that Governments should get together to create one big group to help anywhere in the world in disasters?

What would be the advantages and disadvantages of such an organisation.

Give groups time to discuss and elicit feedback.

Notes

Listening text

On March 11th, 2011 there was a giant earthquake off the south east coast of Japan. It was magnitude 9. The earthquake was under the sea bed and caused a massive tsunami which devastated the South East coast of Japan. Whole towns were destroyed and boats and cars were carried many miles inland.

It also caused damage to a nuclear power plant and radioactive contamination. At least 18,000 people were killed and more than half a million were left homeless. The estimated cost of repairs was almost three hundred billion dollars. Many countries around the world helped Japan with money and aid.

Headlines

A  Waters still rising after river banks burst

B  Thousands pray for rain as crops fail again

C  100 mph winds leave trail of devastation

D  Weeks needed to clear roads

E  Village destroyed by lava

F   Ships and boats driven miles inland

G  200 foot wall of flame kills 12 firefighters

H  Aftershocks hinder rescue attempts