Normal Service

Well, it has been a long break, hasn't it?
Rather longer than I intended thanks to circumstances far to tedious to go into.
I'm back in Baiyin - new school, new classes, new level and, of course, new lesson plans.

I'll be adding new plans here as soon as I have a chance.

Watch this space.

Gonna Be Gone

I will not be able to update my blogs again until mid August (maybe even a little later) as I will be teaching summer school at an organisation that doesn't provide me with a computer.

Not having one of my own means I will be relying on occasional visits to not-very-good internet cafes which generally have no VPNs. No VPNs - no blogger!

When I return to Baiyin I will add the few lessons missing from this year's program and start adding next year's lessons. In the meantime please feel free to use anything here that you find useful.

It is just possible that these plans may be collected into book form early next year. But that project hasn't started yet so don't tell anyone. It's a secret.

Lesson Plan: Amusement Parks

Lesson Level: Senior  Duration: 45 Minutes

Lesson Title: Amusement Parks (Senior Version)

Grammar and Vocabulary

Vocabulary for amusement parks and rides.

Lesson Objectives

Students will practice listening for specific information.

Students will practice discussion skills in a design task.

Materials Required

Audio descriptions of four amusement parks.¹

Poster of questions ²

Paper (A4) for one sheet per group.

Pens for drawing.

Preparation

Prepare resources.

Procedure

1

Tell class that lesson is about amusement parks/them parks

Elicit or give vocabulary for these words

Amusement Park

Theme Park

Haunted House

Lego

building bricks

ride

roller-coaster

parade

attraction

2

Put the questions on the board.

Play the audio.

Check answers with students.

If still some unanswered questions play again, one park at a time and elicit answers.

3

Put students into groups of 4-6.

Add this question.

Your group is going to visit one of these parks.

Talk together and choose which park to visit.

4

Elicit responses.

5.

Write on board.

Your group will make your own theme park.

What is your theme?

What can I do at your park?

What can I buy at your park?

Where is your park (what country/what city)

Why is your park the best.

Draw a picture of your park..

6

Each group describe own park.

Write main points on board.

7

Get class to vote on the best park.

Notes

1.

Tapescript

Disneyland is the most famous theme park in America. It is in California. Every year more than ten million people visit it to ride on the roller-coasters, visit the haunted house, see Cinderella's fairy-tale castle or shake hands with Mickey Mouse.

Every day there is a big parade of all the famous cartoon characters.
It was opened in 1955. Since then Disney Parks have opened in Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Legoland is a different kind of amusement park. It is in Denmark and is visited every year by about two million people. What makes it different?

Every attraction at the park is made from children's building bricks called "Lego". There are models of many famous buildings from around the world for you to look at and enjoy including the Palace Museum. Since it opened in1968 more than fifty million guests have visited the park.

Ocean Park, in Hong Kong, receives about seven and a half million guests every year. It has over eighty rides and attractions including four roller-coasters but it also has  places where you can see animals. There are pandas and Jelly Fish and even a Killer Whale. Ocean Park was opened in 1977 and more than half the visitors come from Mainland China.

The strangest theme park of all is in South Korea. It is all about toilets and WCs. It is called the Restroom Cultural Park and is in the city of Suwon. Everything there is all about toilets. There are toilet themed rides, toilet themed art galleries, a toilet museum and shops selling toilet gifts.

2. Questions.

Which park gets two million visitors a year? (Legoland)

Where can you go on rides and also see pandas? (Ocean Park)

What is the them of the park that has art galleries? (toilets)

Who can you meet at Disneyland? (Mickey Mouse)

Which park is in South Korea? (Restroom Cultural Park)

How many roller-coasters are there at Ocean Park? (4)

What is different about Legoland? (all made from childrens bricks)

Whose castle is at Disneyland? (Cinderella)
Which park was first to open? (Disneyland)
Which park has had more than 50 million visitors since  it opened in 1968?
Which park has the most Chinese visitors?
What can you see in the Restroom Cultural Park? (Toilets)

Lesson Plan: Perfect Day

Lesson Level: All levels  Duration: 45 Minutes

Lesson Title: A Perfect Day

Grammar and Vocabulary

Future tense

Lesson Objectives

Students will practice pronunciation by singing a song.

Students will practice talking about future plans.

Materials Required

Recording of song.

(In previous lessons I have used Lou Reed's “Oh Perfect Day”. For this lesson I substituted a song that I have written myself - “Tomorrow's Gonna Be A Perfect Day.”

You will need to make a recording of this song. If you can play a guitar then record it that way. If not try recording it using http://thevirtualpiano.com/.

Song sheets – enough copies for class to share one between two.

Preparation

Prepare a tape of whichever song you want to use or, if you are confident enough on guitar learn the very easy chords and song.

Procedure

1

Write Lesson Title on Board (Use title of whichever song you are using)

2

Hand out songsheets

YOU MUST TELL CLASS NOT TO WRITE ON THEM!!!

Class can read and then ask about any words they do not know.

Go through words on board

3

Play verse 1

Practice verse 1 line by line with class.

4

Play whole song and sing along

5

Elicit from class the things from the song's perfect day. – write on board

(Stronger classes – ask about last verse and the meaning of the song)

6

Play song again and listen to check.

7

Collect song sheets

8

Put class in groups. Each group must plan a perfect day for the weekend.

THEY CANNOT SAY "GO TO SCHOOL" or "DO HOMEWORK"

Notes

1

This version of the lesson uses my own song – Tomorrow's Gonna Be a Perfect Day

E A B

Tomorrow's gonna be a perfect day.

E A B

We'll have breakfast at our favourite café.

E B

You'll have waffles, I'll have eggs.

F#m E

We'll drink our coffee to the dregs.

E A B E

Tomorrow's gonna be a perfect day.

Tomorrow's gonna be a perfect day.

After breakfast we'll go walking on our way.

Window shopping on the Strand

As we're walking hand in hand.

Tomorrow's gonna be a perfect day.

Tomorrow's gonna be a perfect day.

Even if the skies turn dull and grey.

It will not even matter

If the raindrops pitter-patter.

Tomorrow's gonna be a perfect day.

Tomorrow's gonna be a perfect day.

Nothing will be standing in our way.

We'll go playing in the park.

We can stay till after dark.

Tomorrow's gonna be a perfect day.

Tomorrow's gonna be a perfect day

In the evening we can go to see a play.

When it's done we'll have a drink.

You know I really think.

Tomorrow's gonna be a perfect day.

Tomorrow's gonna be a perfect day

Every night that's what I always say.

But no prayer or fantasy

Will ever bring you back to me..

Tomorrow's gonna be a perfect day.

The chords (Key of E) are shown on verse 1 and are the same for all verses except the last chord of the song which replaces E with C#m.

It is possible to arrange the lesson around Lou Reed's Perfect Day instead though some of the vocabulary may not be as suitable.

Time is Short and the Noise Level Rises

It's amazing how short forty-five minutes can be.

When that's the length of your lesson, time mangement is important. You need to watch the clock carefully and be prepared to curtail activities quickly so that you can move on. Throw out activities altogether if things are going slowly.

You also need to think about how long things are going to take for YOU.

Do you have a list of twenty questions that you need to write on the board?

Perhaps you are intending to get the class to sing a song and need to show the words.

Maybe you want to draw a map of the UK to show where the main cities are.

These things take time - a lot of time. No matter how fast you can write legibly on the board, it won't be fast enough. Writing twenty questions can take five minutes or more. Not only is that five minutes you can't spare, it's five minutes when the noise level rises, students have nothing to do, inattentiveness soars and discipline flies out of the window.

The solution to all of these problems is simple.

If you have something long to write or something complicated to draw do it before the lesson. Put it on a poster. It takes two seconds to pin up a poster that you have already prepared. Moreover it will be legible, can use as many colours as you like and the class find it more interesting.

I also  recommend reinforcing the edges with tape so that it is more durable. You might want to use it in twenty classes. 

It might seem like more effort to go to in preparation, but it's worth it when you get into the classroom.

Lesson Plan: Jobs

Lesson Level: Junior 1 and 2 (Grades 7 and 8) Duration: 45 Minutes

Lesson Title: Jobs

Grammar and Vocabulary

Names of Jobs.

Forming and asking Yes/No questions

Lesson Objectives

Students will develop vocabulary for various jobs.

Students will practice listening for specific information.

Students will be able to formulate and ask questions requiring “yes” or “no” answers.

Materials Required

Note this lesson was originally devised to use materials from the New Hotline Elementary text book, Unit 3.

The suggested dialogue in the notes is a replacement for this if it is not available.

It should be recorded, preferably by a native speaker other than the teacher.

Audio from New Headway Elementary Unit 3 or replacement dialogue from Note 1.

Questions based on the audio, written on a poster.

e.g. What Job did Peter have on Sunday mornings?

Why did he give that job up?

At least twenty cards with the names of jobs on them.²

Preparation

Prepare all materials

Procedure

1

Introduce lesson.

Tell class that todays lesson is all about jobs.

Give some examples.

Elicit more examples from class.

2

Play “Questions” as follows.

Put rules on board.

One person will stand at front.

This person has a card with a job on it. (Show class the cards)

People in the class can ask questions about the job.

The person at the front can ONLY say YES or NO

The class must guess the job.

After 10 questions you must guess.

Put some sample questions on the board.

e.g.

Do you work outside?

Do you work with animals?

Do you handle money?

3

Take a card yourself and play the game with the students.

Use this practice game to restate the rules if they don't understand.

The winner takes your place and a new game begins.

4

Play until about half the lesson has gone

Write the answers to the questions for each round on the board.

eg.

works outside

doesn't work with animals

doesn't handle money

Clear board after each round.

5

Explain audio task.

The man in story has many jobs.

Play audio.

Students must listen and identify all the jobs that they hear.

Elicit jobs in feedback.

Play tape again to check.

6

Put questions poster on board.

Play audio again.

Students must answer questions.

7 Extension Activity

Put students in pairs.

Each student must tell their partner what job they want when they leave school and explain what that job is and why they want it.

Feedback.

Notes

1. Suggested replacement dialogue.

This dialogue may be recorded and used as a replacement for the audio from Headway if that book and recording are not available.

Peter Smith has had many jobs in his life. When he left school he became a postman but that didn't pay enough money so he also took a part time job as barman working in the evenings. At the weekend he was a coach for a children's football team on Sundays and on Saturday mornings he worked in a shoe shop. As time went by he became unhappy with all of these jobs. First of all he decided that he didn't want to be a postman because it meant going out early in the morning in all kinds of weather. It was OK in summer when it was sunny but when the weather was wet in autumn or cold in winter he didn't like it.

So he gave up that job to find something where he didn't need to go out in the bad weather. What he found was a job as a bus driver. It could rain, snow or hail and he didn't care. he was always inside the bus and while the passengers had to get on and off, he didn't!

He drove his bus during the day – including Saturdays – so he could no longer work in the shop. Instead he got an evening job as a waiter in a small Italian restaurant. It was hard work and didn't pay well but the customers liked him so he got lots of tips.

However he was so tired on Sunday mornings that he could no longer coach the football team. Now he liked to sleep late on Sundays so he got a job in the afternoons as a gardener in the local park. He was also the park's security guard – making sure no one caused any trouble -, gatekeeper – opening up in the morning and locking the gates at night, and first-aider – giving help to people with any small injuries or health problems.

By then he had also given up his job in the bar and instead was a student at the local college in the evenings because he wanted to get a better job.

He was studying to become an accountant and eventually he passed all of his exams and found a job with a small company in his own town. Of course he had to give up all the other jobs but he didn't mind because his new job paid as much money as all of the others together.

Now he works in an office doing the same work every day and he is very happy because he has been promoted to office manager. He loves his work and is very successful but sometimes he looks out of his office window and sees a bus go by or a postman delivering letters and he misses the old days when he had so many different jobs.

2

Job cards. Add others if required.

Doctor	Policeman Policewoman Police Officer
Teacher	Fireman Firewoman Fire Officer
Bus Driver	Soldier
Taxi Driver	Nurse
Bank Clerk	Cleaner
Shopkeeper	Journalist
Farmer	Office Worker
Actor	Singer
Waiter/Waitress	Decorator
Electrician	Plumber

Lesson Plan: Alien Zoo

Lesson Level: Junior 1 and 2 (Grades 7 and 8) Duration: 45 Minutes

Lesson Title:  Alien Zoo

Grammar and Vocabulary

Parts of the body, including common animal body parts.

Counting and numbers

Lesson Objectives

Students will be able to describe animals in terms of how many legs they have etc.

More advanced groups will be able to talk about animals in terms of where they live etc.

Materials Required

Drawing of a monster

Description of that monster on paper.

Set of cards describing other monster.

Enough A4 blank pages and A5 pages to give one of each to each group.

Coloured pens.

Preparation

Prepare all materials.

Procedure

1

Put class into groups of six or eight.

2

Play stop game with body parts

Procedure:

Give groups two minutes to list body parts. Any body parts allowed, people or animals.

Divide board into columns – one per group.

Each group sends one student to write list on board.

They have one minute.

Score it as 2 points per correctly spelled body part, 1 point for an incorrectly spelled body part, 0 points if not a body part.

3

Clear board and replace with following list

heads

eyes

mouths

ears

noses

arms

legs

hands

feet

tails

wings

Check understanding of the words.

4

Put up the picture of the “Snakodile”¹

(Or your own alien monster.)

Ask questions about it.

How many_________ does it have?

Put details on the board – details of the number of each body part

Snakodile is from the planet Oozel

It grows three feet high and six feet long

It eats bananas and beef noodles

It lives for twenty years

It likes cold wet weather

5

Give each group two pieces of paper – one large, one small and a card with a description.

They must draw the creature on the large paper and write sentences describing it on the small paper.

They must name the creature.

6

Each group must come to the board and present their creature and pin it to the board.

7

When all groups have presented class make show of hands vote on the best monster.

8

Extension activity.

Each group choose one monster (not their own) and write a description of it.

Notes

1

2

heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	1 0 0 4 1 0 4 2 4 0 0	heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	2 1 1 3 3 1 6 1 6 1 0
heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 0	heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	0 3 3 1 4 3 8 6 8 3 0
heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	1 4 0 4 0 4 1 4 2 7 0	heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	2 6 1 3 1 5 3 5 3 1 2
heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	3 0 2 2 3 1 1 1 2 2 2	heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	0 1 3 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 2
heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	1 2 3 0 4 3 0 3 4 0 4	heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	2 3 2 0 0 4 2 4 1 5 4
heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	3 4 1 4 1 5 3 0 3 4 4	heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	0 6 0 3 3 0 1 4 1 3 4
heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	1 1 3 2 2 4 1 6 1 2 4	heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	2 2 1 1 4 3 2 2 2 1 6
heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	3 3 2 2 0 2 3 4 3 1 6	heads eyes mouths ears noses arms legs hands feet tails wings	0 4 3 4 3 1 4 4 4 1 6