Revised paper

Rationale for the Week’s Lessons These weeks’ lessons will aim at improving the intellectual capabilities of the students. The students come from foreign countries all over the world, and speak English as a Second Language, therefore, the lessons are well lined up to familiarize them with advanced level vocabulary and other advanced conversation scenarios. There are 30 intermediate undergraduate students who are all very eager to know how the world operates. However, they are in the period of transition through a time when their ability to abstract is limited to a period when their abstraction skills will develop. The lessons are, therefore, well planned to help the students identify with the complex situations in life, to enhance their reading capabilities. The students are taken through advanced multicultural recipes to enable them to be familiar with the delicacies of the world. At the same time, this enables those who are familiar with the recipes to feel part and parcel of the class.
The lesson plans are plans are designed to enable them to enhance their listening then reading skills. The teacher will read aloud; this helps the students remember and store the pronunciation in their brains. This helps them to read and say the words correctly the next time they are in the position to speak this words. The teacher will also aim at improving the conversation skills of the students by asking them to assume scenarios in life and talk to one another in reference to these scenarios. This will develop the ability of the students to talk and ask for things in real life. The lessons are also planned to improve the students’ ability to sieve out the relevant information from excerpts. This will enable them to be able to pick out clues from passages, and they can apply this when faced with examination questions, or other critical analysis situations, whereby they need to write what is important and leave out the less important material.
Activity 1
Parameter:
Level: Intermediate ESL students
Topic: Snacks around the World
Time: 50minutes
Audience: Intermediate ESL (adults) in a University in U. S.
Goals: Develop students’ confidence in speaking through conversation with peers and reading aloud thus helping them remember this words in future. The conversation is aimed to help them understand the contexts of their readingso they could appreciate the practical use of the language and encourage them to frequently speak English.
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Understand and gain knowledge on how numeration words are used.
Learn and perform purposeful listening
Learn how to get key information from short texts
Respond to questions using keywords and context clues.
Skills: Speaking, listening, reading, grammar and writing.
Materials: Recipe cards with simplified recipes and description of each snack and country of origin, worksheets
Procedures:
Time
Action
Description
(5 minutes)
Greetings and attendance
Teacher greets students by asking “ Good morning everyone, let’s all learn something new together, okay?” After the students respond they settle down and the teacher can take the attendance.
(5 minutes)
Quick review of previous lesson
Teacher will check the students’ knowledge and understanding of the previous lesson by asking them few questions and check their responses
(5 minutes)
Introduction
Teacher will introduce the use of advanced level measurement parameters such as quantity, frequency, numbering, and time, and explain their importance in the language.
(10minutes)
Engaging the Students
The teacher will explain the lesson by reviewing numeration words, and asking students about what they see, such as:
What time does our class start? How many people are in this class?
Teacher will also explain the application of count words through examples such as:
Asking how many minutes are spent by each student in going to school and back to home, then comparing who spends more or less in going to school.
What kinds of snacks each student eats, and how many meals are eaten each day.
(20 minutes)
Activity
Teacher willdivide the students into four groups and give each group a recipe card, then let them converse and read the content freely. Worksheets will be distributed to each student, but they cannot answer the questions right away, and notes must be written at the back of the worksheets. An example of a recipe card based on Metro Child Care Resource and Referral (2008) and an activity worksheet are shown in (Appendix 1)The teacher will let each group talk about the recipe (main ingredients, country of origin, why the snack is popular, etc.) and read aloud the instructions for making each snack. Students will be encouraged to write down as much information as possible so they could answer their worksheets properly. Teacher will collect worksheets after all groups have finished reading aloud and all students have finished answering
(5 minutes)
Assessment
Teacher will use worksheets to assess every student’s listening and writing skills, as well as grade them based on their participation in the activity. This will allow for determining individual needs for improvement and provide guidance accordingly. Grammar and writing skills can also be assessed through the worksheets, and feedback can be given through these.
Activity 2
Parameter:
Level: Intermediate ESL students
Topic: Everyday Scenarios on Getting Information
Time: 50minutes
Audience: Intermediate ESL (adults) in a public school in U. S.
Goals: Develop students’ confidence in speaking through conversation with peers using everyday situations, as well as encourage them to build on fluency and speaking eloquently.
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Increase confidence in speaking English in public
Create distinctions between polite sentences and informal sentences
Learn how to ask for information from other people
Respond to questions concerning inquiry.
Skills: Speaking, listening and grammar.
Materials: Prompt cards for various scenarios (shopping for vegetables, riding a bus to get to destination, asking for directions, looking for people, etc.)
Procedures:
Time
Action
Description
(5 minutes)
Greetings and attendance
Teacher greets students by asking “ Good morning everyone, let’s all learn something new together, okay?” After the students respond they settle down and the teacher can take the attendance.
(5 minutes)
Quick review of previous lesson
Teacher will check the students’ knowledge and understanding of the previous lesson by asking them few questions and check their responses
(5 minutes)
Introduction
Teacher will introducethe concept of using polite expressions and incorporating these into everyday conversation, as well as explaining their importance in the language. The teacher will introduce these concept with the help of another English speaker so the students can listen to the use of polite language when asking questions, making inquiries or when answering questions.
(10 minutes)
Explaining
The teacher will explain the lesson by introducing scenarios that show people asking for information from other people, such as:
When asking for directions, when asking how much something costs, when looking for someone in an office or workplace, etc.
Teacher will also explain why it is necessary to use polite words when asking for information, as well as how to reply politely when asked for information too.
(20 minutes)
Activity
Teacher will divide the students into four groups and give each group a scenario prompt card, then let them converse and create simple dialogues freely, as long as these are within what the scenario asks for. Teacher will assess each group and each student on speaking and conversational skills based on their output in the role-play. The teacher will employ differentiated instruction and especially individual instruction in each group, after which the groups will be assessed separately (see Appendix 2for Sample Grading Sheet).
(5 minutes)
Assessment
Teacher will use worksheets to assess every student’s listening and writing skills, as well as grade them based on their participation in the activity. This will allow for determining individual needs for improvement and provide guidance accordingly. Grammar and writing skills can also be assessed through the worksheets, and feedback can be given through these. Each group member will also grade each member based on participation and group contribution, points will be added to final score (see Appendix 2).
Activity 3
Parameter:
Level: Intermediate ESL students
Topic: Spotting Keywords in Passages
Time: 50minutes
Audience: Intermediate ESL (adults) in a public school in U. S.
Goals: Develop students’ ability and confidence in acquiringrelevant information using English by the use of the five W’s (Who, What, Where, When, Why) and one H (How).
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Increase confidence in reading comprehension.
Learn how to find keywords and other important details in passages.
Write down relevant information as many as possible.
Increase vocabulary through additional readings.
Skills: Reading, writing and grammar.
Materials: Reading material, worksheet
Procedures:
Time
Action
Description
(5 minutes)
Greetings and attendance
Teacher greets students by asking “ Good morning everyone, let’s all learn something new together, okay?” After the students respond they settle down and the teacher can take the attendance.
(5 minutes)
Quick review of previous lesson
Teacher will check the students’ knowledge and understanding of the previous lesson by asking them few questions and check their responses
Time
Action
Description
(5 minutes)
Introduction
Teacher will introduce the concept of choosing only the relevant information in short passages, as well as explaining its importance and applications in everyday life. Critical response will also be introduced but will not be further elaborated on.
(10 minutes)
Explaining
The teacher will explain the lesson by introducing the concept of information selection in situations such as those described in previous lessons.
Teacher will explain to students what kind of information is important to use the five W’s (Who, What, Where, When, Why) and one H (How).
Lastly, the teacher will give examples of practical applications of using the five W’s and one H in getting information (e. g. invitations to special events, meeting schedules, dates on which malls will have sales, etc.)
(20 minutes)
Activity
Teacher willprovide reading material on how red dye is extracted from cochineal bugs (Flinn, 2011) and explain how to answer the worksheets(see Appendix 3 for sample passage and worksheet sample). Students may ask questions or check dictionaries for any unfamiliar words, and submit these to the teacher for further explanation and clarification.
(5 minutes)
Assessment
Teacher will use worksheets to assess every student’s reading, grammar, and writing skills, and grade them based on their answer sheets. This will allow for determining individual needs for improvement and provide guidance and feedback accordingly.
Activity 4
Parameter:
Level: Intermediate ESL students
Topic: Aesop’s Fables
Time: 50minutes
Audience: Intermediate ESL (adults) in a public school in U. S.
Goals: Develop students’ confidence in listening and acquiring information using English, to improve their ability in retelling information for others.
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Select important information from short passages such as stories, fables, or poems.
Jot down important information as quickly and as many as possible.
Write a simple critical response based on the text read out aloud.
Write effective descriptions of events based on what was heard.
Skills: Listening, writing, grammar.
Materials: Worksheet
Procedures:
Time
Action
Description
(5 minutes)
Greetings and attendance
Teacher greets students by asking “ Good morning everyone, let’s all learn something new together, okay?” After the students respond they settle down and the teacher can take the attendance.
(5 minutes)
Quick review of previous lesson
Teacher will check the students’ knowledge and understanding of the previous lesson by asking them few questions and check their responses
(5 minutes)
Introduction
Teacher will introduce the concept of using context clues and the use of homonyms in retelling information that was heard, as well as the importance of learning such skill.
(10 minutes)
Explaining
The teacher will explain the lesson by introducing scenarios that show why it is important to retell information as accurately and as precisely as possible, such as:
Information about meetings, important events, special occasions, payment of bills, etc.
Teacher will also reviewways on writing down important information such as:
Choosing only the important keywords in the message, using the five W’s (What, Who, Where, When, Why) and one H (How)
(20 minutes)
Activity
Teacher willhand out worksheets, and students may look at them to help them find out what kind of information they need to seek (see Appendix 4for worksheet). Then two fablesby Aesop will be read by the teacher twice, to allow students to recheck their information gathered. Story 1 will be about the Fable of the Lion and the Mouse, while Story 2 will be about The Goose that Lays Golden Eggs (Tales with Morals Web page, 2011).
(5 minutes)
Assessment
Teacher will use worksheets to assess every student’s listening and writing skills, and grade them based on the information that they were able to gather, and how they did it. This will allow for determining individual needs for improvement and provide guidance accordingly. Grammar and writing skills can also be assessed through the worksheets, and feedback can be given through these.
Activity 5
Parameter:
Level: Intermediate ESL students
Topic: Environmental Issues
Time: 50 minutes
Audience: Intermediate ESL (adults) in a public school in U. S.
Goals: Develop students’ confidence in reading and acquiring information using English, to improve their ability in retelling information for others and to write critical responses using their own words about issues.
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Select important information from short passages such as news or articlesas quickly and as many as possible.
Write a simple critical response based on the reading material.
Gain more confidence in writing thoughts in English.
Skills: Reading, writing and grammar.
Materials: Environmental issue reading materials, worksheet
Procedures:
Time
Action
Description
(5 minutes)
Greetings and attendance
Teacher greets students by asking “ Good morning everyone, let’s all learn something new together, okay?” After the students respond they settle down and the teacher can take the attendance.
(5 minutes)
Quick review of previous lesson
Teacher will check the students’ knowledge and understanding of the previous lesson by asking them few questions and check their responses
(5 minutes)
Introduction
Teacher will review the concept of using context clues and acquiring relevant information and explaining their importance in the concept of making critical responses by adding personal ideas to make conversations more lively, engaging, and personal.
(10 minutes)
Explaining
The teacher will explain the lesson by introducing relevant issues such as:
Events heard or read from the news
Public opinions on famous people
Teacher will also explain why it is important to check if information is true or reliable, or why readers have to think deeper than what they see.
(30 minutes)
Activity
Teacher will hand out reading material and worksheets, and students may look at them to help them find out what kind of information they need to seek (see Appendix 5 for worksheet). The article to be used will be Marc Lallanilla’s article with the title What is Global Warming, available in http://www. livescience. com/37003-global-warming. html
(5 minutes)
Assessment
Teacher will use worksheets to assess every student’s reading, grammar and writing skills, and grade them based on what kind of information they were able to collect, assimilate and analyze. This will allow for determining individual needs for improvement and provide guidance accordingly. Feedback can be given through worksheet assessments.
References
The Goose with the Golden Eggs – An Aesop Fable. (2011). Retrieved from Tales with Morals Web page: http://www. taleswithmorals. com/aesop-fable-the-goose-with-the-golden-eggs. htm
The Lion and the Mouse – An Aesop Fable. (2011). Retrieved from Tales with Morals Web page: http://www. taleswithmorals. com/aesop-fable-the-lion-and-the-mouse. htm
Flinn, A. (2011). Natural Colors – carmine & cochineal. Retrieved from Gentle World for the Vegan in Everyone Web page: http://gentleworld. org/natural-colors-carmine-cochineal/
Lallanilla, M. (2013, November 4). What is global warming? Retrieved from Live Science Web page: http://www. livescience. com/37003-global-warming. html
Metro Child Care Resource & Referral.(2008). Snacks from Around the World. Retrieved from Child Care Development Services: metroccrr. org/…/microsoft%20powerpoint%20-%20multicultural%20snack
Appendix 1
Activity 1 – Snacks around the World
Recipe Card Example:
Country: Germany
Germans traditionally eat meat and potatoes, cooked in many ways. One example of a German snack made of potatoes is crispy potato pancakes, best served with milk or yogurt. It is made up mostly of potatoes and flavored with salt. The following is a recipe for making enough for two to three people.
Ingredients:
2 pounds peeled potatoes, 1 large beaten egg, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
To make the potato pancakes, shred the potatoes, then combine with the egg, the flour, and salt until well-mixed. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet or griddle, heat the butter or margarine until hot. Spoon ¼ cup of the mixture into the skillet and spread it until it is 3 inches thick. Cook for about 4 minutes each side until crispy and golden. This can be served with applesauce or any dip desired.
Worksheet questions (with answers):
1. What is the recipe whose country of origin is Germany? (Answer: Crispy potato pancakes)
2. If you cook the snack based on the recipe, how many people can eat it? (Answer: 2-3 people)
3. Is sugar included in the ingredient list? How about egg? (Answer: there is no sugar, but there is egg)
4. According to the recipe, what tasty drinks can be served with the crispy potato pancakes? (Answer: milk or yogurt)
Appendix 2
Activity 2 – Everyday Scenarios on Getting Information
Sample Grading Sheet for Role-Playing Scenario:
Technical:
1. Student application of examples from previous lessons: 1 2 3 4
2. Grammar/basic sentence structure and word usage: 1 2 3 4
3. Comprehensible pronunciation and articulation: 1 2 3 4
Non-technical:
1. Student shows confidence in speaking: 1 2 3 4
2. Creativity and wide variety in use of words: 1 2 3 4
—————————————————————————————————–
Group Member Grading Sheet (numbers will not be shown to students, included here for grade reference only)
Group Member Name: …………………………………………………………………………
Please encircle what most applies to group member:
1. Actively participated in making the dialogue: Never (1), Sometimes (2), Always (3)
2. Shares information to improve dialogue: Never (1), Sometimes (2), Always (3)
3. Allows other group members to contribute/speak what is their mind:
Never (1), Sometimes (2), Always (3)
4. Is fun and enjoyable to work with in a group: Yes (1), No (0)
Appendix 3
Activity 3 – Spotting Keywords in Passages
Short passage (Flinn, 2011):
Many consumers may not yet be aware that the red substance coloring their food, fabric, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals could be extracted from the crushed bodies of insects. Carminic acid is a substance found in high concentration in cochineal insects and turned into dye. Cochineal insects are soft-bodied, flat, oval-shaped scale insects, native to tropical and subtropical South America and Mexico. They live on cacti, feeding on the plant’s moisture and nutrients. The deep crimson dye is produced by the females and their babies (nymphs) to deter predation by other insects, as they cannot fly, and they remain immobile while feeding. The dye is extracted from the insect’s body and eggs and is mixed with aluminum or calcium salts to make carmine dye (also known as cochineal).
Carmine dye has many uses, especially in the food industry. According to one distributor of carmine, the product can be used in foods such as frozen fish, meat, soft drinks, energy drinks, alcoholic beverages, yogurts, ice cream, candy, syrups, canned fruits such as cherries, and sauces such as catsup, as well as non-food products such as cosmetics and cloth dyes.
Worksheet Sample
A. Unscramble the CAPITALIZED letters to find answers to questions (Answers are provided for reference):
1. What is the red dye harvested from insects? MICRENA Answer: CARMINE
2. Where do these insects come from? CIEXOM/ OTSUH RAMCAEI Answer: MEXICO/ SOUTH AMERICA
3. How do food industries use the dye? OFOD CIGORNLO Answer: FOOD COLORING
4. The dye comes from the …….. and ……. of the insects. GEE/YODB Answer: EGG/BODY
B. Please answer the following questions in complete sentences:
5. What plant do the cochineal insects live on and eat? (Possible answer: Cochineal insects live and eat on cacti.)
6. What are some foods that use carmine dye? Give four examples (Possible answer: Some foods that use carmine dye yogurt, meat, soft drinks, candy)
7. What salts are mixed into the dye? (Answer: Calcium and aluminum salts are mixed into the dye.)
8. Why is carmine dye red? (Answer: Carmine dye red because it contains carmine acid.)
Appendix 4
Activity 4 – Aesop’s Fables
Please answer the following questions in complete sentences (note: questions are included for reference only):
1. Who woke up the Lion in his sleep? (Answer: The Mouseup the Lion in his sleep.)
2. What did the Lion do when the one who woke him up pleaded to be spared? (Answer: The Lion set the mouse free after it pleaded to be spared.)
3. Who caught the lion and desired to carry him alive to the King? (Answer: The hunterscaught the lion and desired to carry him alive to the King.)
4. Did the lion benefitted by sparing the life of the one who woke him up? Why?
(Answer: Yes, because if he killed the mouse he will not get away from the ropes tied by the hunters)
5. What did you learn from the story? (Possible answer: I learned that friends can help others, whether they are big or small.)
6. Where did you think the goose and the countryman lived? (Possible answer: The goose and the countryman livedin the farm.)
7. When do the goose lay golden eggs? (Answer: The goose lays golden eggsin the morning.)
8. How did the countryman become rich? (Possible answer: The countryman becomes rich by selling the goose’s golden eggs)
9. Did the countryman become richer after the end of the story? Why or why not? (Possible answer: No, because he killed the goose that lays golden eggs, and because of that he doesn’t have any more eggs to sell.)
10. What did you learn from the story? (Possible answer: I learned that greediness will not bring happiness in the end.)
Appendix 5
Activity 5 – Environmental Issues
Please answer the following questions in complete sentences:
1. Describe global warming. (Possible answer: Global warming is the gradual heating of the Earth’s surface, oceans, and atmosphere.)
2. How high did the Earth’s temperature rise since the late 1800’s? (Possible answer: The Earth’s temperature rose 1. 4°F or 0. 8°C sincethe late 1800’s.)
3. What is the major cause of global warming today? (Possible answer: Human activities are the major causes of global warming today.)
4. What will global warming cause to change worldwide? (Possible answer: Global warming will cause climate patterns to change worldwide.)
Answer the following based on your own words:
5. In your opinion, do you feel the effects of global warming today? Why or why not?
6. In your community, do you see any causes for global warming? If so, what are these causes?
7. If global warming will continue to happen, what do you think will happen 30 years from now? Why?
8. Will you join the crusade to prevent further global warming? Why or why not?