Training Workshops International for the Children

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Lesson Plan
TWI English Language Program
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Margaret Kettles, Laura Janssen, Aldin Coralic

PROGRAM’S PURPOSE

To teach conversational speaking skills and to promote the desire to do well in their English classes at school.  The TWI Team, Margaret Kettles and Laura Janssen, are Americans, so the English spoken is American English.  Their partner, Aldin Coralic, is from Bosnia & Herzgovina and speaks English well.  The program is designed to make learning fun by use of an interactive and engaging teaching method.

PROGRAM THEME

The theme of the program is “My Life.”  Each week’s topics will be based on the theme, which encourages active participation by using topics that the children will consider relevant to their lives.

Week One: My Life Before

Purpose: This week will focus on review of the English that the children have already learned (what they learned in their lives before).  Other topics will include introductions and talking about the past.

Activities:

1.       Have students draw pictures of word they learned and remember

2.       Use the words as a class to review and when necessary re-teach words they have already learned

3.       Using these words play the game “I Spy” using eye – color coordination skills

Craft:

1.       Using a coloring book of the alphabet, color letters

2.       Tape or glue the letters on different pieces of colored paper

3.       Make a clothes line out of long pieces of yarn

4.       As the student designated to be the “caller” calls out letters, each student will go forward and give his/her card to the student  designated to be the “hanger”

Musical Activity:

      Teach the ABC Song with students holding up their letters as they are sung

Week Two: One Year in My Life

Purpose: To review the four seasons of the year; to make students aware of the way they and others prepare for the different seasons; to take part in different activities that happen during each season.  Each day will be a different season and students will participate in activities that happen during each season.

Activities:

1.       Introduction: Discuss the seasons of the year – summer, fall, winter, spring.  Talk about the different things that happen during every season (students will learn the words for snow, leaves, swimming, etc.)  We will show them the tree (a brown tree trunk made out of paper) and explain that every day they will be have a new tree to reflect a different season

2.       Summer: we will learn about swimming, talk about what we like to do during the free time, and the trips we take.

a.       Game: “I am going on a trip”…and I am going to visit (city, country)…and I am going to take (my luggage, shoes, toothbrush, money, etc.)

b.       Tree: Talk about what trees look like during the summer and how during the summer things are green and growing.  Each student will color a green leaf and hang it on the tree.

3.      Fall: We will learn about the ways the leaves on the tree change color and talk about what happens during the fall (school starts, the weather gets colder, etc.)

a.       Tree: Students will talk about the different colored leaves they have seen during the fall.  They will choose a fall color for the leaf they will put on the tree.

4.       Winter: Discuss the types of clothes we wear, the temperature change, and winter activities

a.       Craft: Each student will make a snowflake from white paper.

b.       Tree: Each student will decorate the tree with something wintery (make another snowflake, put a snowman at the base, etc.)

5.       Spring: We will learn about the new colors we see in nature…going from winter colors to fresh, new colors

a.       Tree: Students will draw flowers and blossoms for the tree

b.       Game: Musical tables.  Tables will be marked with a card that has the name of a season on it (summer, fall, winter, spring).  As a question is asked, the student will go to the table that answers the questions for him.  Ex: Question: “What season is your birthday in?” Student goes to the table marked accordingly

c.       Wrap up Quiz: What is your favorite sport and in what season is it played?  Soccer in (season); hiking in (season); ice skating in (season)

Week Three: A Day in My Life

Purpose: To make the students think about their lives; to be aware of how they spend their time; how that changes with the day of the week, hour of the day, and they people they are with; how we prepare ourselves for a day.

1.       My morning: We will spend a class talking about the morning: waking up, brushing our teeth, washing our faces, eating breakfast, etc.

•       Each student will be given a toothbrush, each class will be given some toothpaste

2.       My afternoon: We will discuss how the day changes and what actions we take during this time.  Do you go to school, come back from school, etc.  When do you work? When do you play?

•  Craft: Each student will draw a sun and a moon.  We will use these the next class.

3.       My evening: We will talk about how things change as the evening comes and how we plan for the end of the day.  When does the sun set? Does the sun set earlier or later in the summer?  When is our bedtime?

• Game: Play “Simon Says” to think about how we don’t always think about our actions and how things become a part of a routine (like brushing our teeth in the morning)

Week Four: The Best Day of my Life

Purpose: To have the students remember the best day of their lives and what activities they did; to imagine the best day they can think of; to compare the similarities and differences of their regular day and their best day.  

1.       The best day I had: We will talk about what happened on the best day of our lives so far.  Were we at home? In a special place?  Somewhere new?  Who were we with: friends or new people? What made this day so special?

a.       Craft: Cut out picture from magazines of things that remind us of the best day we had.  Make a collage of the pictures, and label them with the English words.

b.       Activity: Each student will take turns presenting another student’s collage.  They will speak in simple sentences, using the labels from the collages.  This will expand their vocabularies by introducing them to words that are not on their own collage.

2.       The best day I can imagine: We will talk about the best day they can imagine.  Is it graduating from high school or university?  Going on a trip to a new place?  Getting a good job?  Meeting someone famous?  What would make a day the best day?

•             Craft: Same as 1a.

3.    The best day compared to a normal day: what would happen on the best day that  wouldn’t happen on a normal day?  What would be the same (still brush your teeth, comb your hair, eat breakfast)?  Are you still in the same place with the same people?

Week Five: My Life in the Future

Purpose: To involve the students in discussions and activities that will encourage them to “see themselves in the future”; to encourage them to begin thinking about their future and how their actions now will be important in the future.

1.       This week we will participate in role play activities that encourage themselves to put themselves in a career.  Each student can think of what his/her future might hold.

•  Craft: Using pictures from magazines and drawing, create a scene of what your job might look like.  If you are a teacher, draw a classroom.  If you own a salon, draw that.

2.       Think of what you must do to reach your career, and describe that to the class.  Act out different scenarios using the most popular careers.  Create a mock salon or classroom or store.  Have students play different roles (teacher/student, cashier/customer, etc.)

Updated: 6/27/2008