Anna Miret Project Plan

STORYTELLING IN ELT – 2012-2013

Anna Miret Turró

PROJECT PLAN 1- Introduction Title: I Love You So Much Written by: Carl Norac Illustrated by: Claude K. Dubois Age range: 4 and up Page count: 32 pp Topics and Themes: love, emotional education Vocabulary:

simple, adapted to children, plain language, short

sentences, avoiding words out of context

I have chosen the book I Love You So Much written by Carl Norac because I think that the story of the main character “Lola” can help children to express themselves their emotions.

This story is a good resource to work the emotions and feelings with children at school. It represents the frustration of a little hamster that has something important to say but she doesn’t find the proper moment. This story also tells children and adults how important is that we tell the people we love: I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. One day in the morning, Lola, the main character, feels that has some special words on the tip of her tongue. Through all the day, she tries to say her words but it seems that every time she tries to express them is not the right moment. The day is frustrating and moreover, the words are puffing out Lola’s cheeks.

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Anna Miret Turró

At the end of the day, she refuses to say the special words even when her parents ask her what happens, but the words can’t wait more so Lola shouts them.

After that all are huge hugs and kisses for Lola.

I consider that the story has three dimensions that can be worked at classroom with the children. These three dimensions are intrinsically liked with each other and are: Cognitive dimension: The plot of the book is about how to use language and express thoughts and emotions. The story offers the possibility to introduce new vocabulary related to feelings and emotions.

Social dimension: The story takes place to three different areas which are: the family, the school and the street. Lola appears interacting with parents, the teachers and some classmates.

At the beginning of the story, the relationship with Lola’s father and mother seems to be not very positive because of the everyday routines of her parents that make them go in a harry and not having enough time to listen to their child. As for the relationship with the teacher, Lola doesn’t found the proper moment to say her “special words” and the same situation happens with her peers. Therefore, throughout the story we can notice that there is reflected a social dimension.

Emotional-affective dimension: The plot of the story contains affective and emotional aspects so that, any child can identify himself or herself with the main character, Lola.

This book allows an exploration of the importance of emotions through not just the family but also in education.

We are surrounded by a range of emotions, our day a day is full of them so therefore emotions play an important role in terms of socialization.

The story shows different emotional states in which Lola is feeling angry, happy, excited or worried; all kind of states that any children can feel. Teachers should try that every child identifies his or her feelings and emotions and let them/help them express appropriately.

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2- Methodology I have listed some aspects that that as a foreign language teacher I should have into account throughout the implementation of this project plan.  Speak at normal speed and make sure that all our pupils see our lips when we speak.  Teach them through repetition.  Use English whenever possible, even when introducing activities or giving instructions.  Give an early experience of learning English in a friendly atmosphere and through activities that children enjoy.  Use different techniques to attract student’s attention and to keep them engaged.  Execute all the activities using images as support, mime and action. Young children use their bodies spontaneously and identify physically with the world around them. Managing the class in this way will help them to understand better what we are saying while we keep children’s attention and reinforce words and structures.  Prepare short and often changing activities to keep children’s attention as much as possible. Children need to move constantly, so the activities have to contain lots of physical movement.  Take into account each child’s previous knowledge.

3- Unit characteristics Title of the story: “I love you so much” Age of students: 5 -6 Grade: P5 Schedule: first semester, during two weeks Assumed knowledge: Objectives: to gain more vocabulary related to emotional education

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Anna Miret TurrĂł

4- Storytelling

I have chosen the story "I love you so much" but I have adapted to the age and the supposed level of the pupils.

Below you will see the imatges that I have selected to explain the story, I have make it shorter and I also have focused on the vocabulary and the structures that they are simple and easy to understand.

Furthermore, I have attached to the imatges an example of how I would explain the story.

In the last part of the story I have explain how I would finish the story and the activity related to the end.

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STORYTELLING IN ELT – 2012-2013

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STORYTELLING IN ELT – 2012-2013

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STORYTELLING IN ELT – 2012-2013

Anna Miret Turró

5- Planification

The unit theme has been plan to be done in a total of 5 lessons, the first one it will take 45 minutes and the rest ones 25 minutes each one. The grid below is just a brief resume of the unit’s structure, then I have develop the activities with more details.

Lesson number

Activity name

Time needed

Lesson Nº 1

Storytime

45 minutes

Lesson Nº 2

Pantomime the story

25 minutes

Lesson Nº 3

The expression on my face

25 minutes

Lesson Nº 4

Roll a feeling

25 minutes

Lesson Nº 5

The King and the Queen

25 minutes

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6- Lessons

Lesson 1 Objectives -

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Name of the activity

To repeat and produce simple Storytime structures (sentences and Class organization questions) Half of the group and seating on the floor To pay attention making a circle To follow a conversation

Place Classroom

Target language and contents Huge hug Stomach age Kiss/es Ice-cream Bee sting Playground

Time needed 45’

Material Flashcards Two boxes The book: I love you so much

Skills used Attention, comprehension, listening, speaking, conversation, memory and rhythm

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Activity sequence 1-The teacher will be starting the class like the example bellow: Hello children!

Today in class we have a new friend!!!

Our new friend name’s is Lola and she is a hamster.

Have you got any hamster at home? (Dialogue between the children and the teacher).

Do you want to know something? (Children: Yes/No) Lola has brought us two boxes!! Let’s see what’s inside?

Lola has explained to me, that in one box we have to put sweet things or things that we like it so much.

And in the other box we can put thinks that we don’t like, ok?

So let’s decide in which box we can put them these flaschcards!

Let’s start!! The first one is a huge hug... Do you like hugs? Yes? So say with me: “I like huge huges” Performing the huge hug So show me how you give huge hugs Example of the flashcards:

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Anna Miret Turró

Once the flashcards are inside each box, the teacher will ask the children if they want to listen to the Lola’s story.

2- To introduce the story, the teacher will say: Look, look, look at me!! (the children will perform it by pointing their eyes and then touching their chest) Listen, listen, listen to me!! (the children will perform it by pointing their ears and then touching their chest) Shhhhhhh storytime 3- To finish with the storytime we will say and acting out all together: Tickle the clouds.

Crouch down low.

Tickle your toes.

And reach up high.

Turn around Storytime’s over – And touch your Wave goodbye! nose.

Assessment criteria - Be able to follow the story - Be participative

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STORYTELLING IN ELT – 2012-2013

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Lesson 2 Objectives -

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Name of the activity To identify the different feelings Pantomime the story that Lola, the main character, has Class organization Place Time needed got through the story Individual activity Psychomotor classroom 25’ Expressing feelings and emotions Target language and contents Material through body language, gestures, Lola’s feelings and emotions No specific material is mime...

Vocabulary related from the story needed, just the book and Follow oral directions, commands the children’s body and requests Skills used Be able to pay attention Teaching children to pantomime encourages imagination and a deep understanding of stories and concepts. Pantomime Participate in the activities with also gives children a chance to explore their bodies and creative movement. interest and motivation Interpretating Listening Activity sequence This is a good listening and simple activity to do after telling the story and is also very helpful to develop imagination. It is also a good moment for observing the children, their actions and reactions to the story. The teacher will explain the story again and at that time each child will find his or her own personal space in the room. As they listen to the story children have to imagine and act out. There will be no interaction between the children; each student simply will go through the physical movements of protagonist of the story. (Be sure to narrate the story slowly enough, and with appropriate pauses, so that the students are able to fully experience their own physical discoveries as they enact the story.)

Children will be only allowed to use hand gestures, facial expressions, and body movements to convey the action of the story. For practice, the teacher can ask the children to form a circle and give them easy actions to pantomime. For example, act out opening a special present, eating a bowl of something that tastes disgusting or a monkey eating a

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banana.

Assessment criteria - Be able to follow oral directions, commands and requests - Use appropriate non-verbal gestures - Be able to pay attention

Lesson 3 Objectives

Name of the activity - Learn the song “The expressions o The expression on my face my face” Class organization Place - Identifying emotional states Half of the group making a circle Psychomotor classroom - Using facial expressions and body Target language and contents language - Happy, sad, mad, tired, surprised and scared - The structures of the song - Facial gestures and their relative emotion name

Time needed 25’ Material An empty frame (big enough to frame the face)

Skills used Role play, attention, pantomime, sing, rithm Activity sequence The teacher will introduce a new song related to the expressions of the face.

Tips to teach the song: - The teacher will sing just the first part of the song and then he/she will ask to the children if they liked it. Then

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he/she will ask the kids to stand up, make a circle and sing the song altogether three times.

- To make sure that all pupils can see the teacher’s lips when he/she is singing the song, he/she will be in front of them.

- The teacher will use physical movements and gestures that represent some of the words in the song to reinforce the learning. For example: for the word book, the children can act out like turning one page of a book.

- The three times that the children will be doing the song will be using always the same actions so children associate the words with the actions.

Below you can see the lyrics of the song: The expression on my face, Is like an open book.

You can read just how I’m feeling, By the way I look.

Show me a HAPPY face!

Show me a SAD face!

Show me a Mad face!

Show me a Tired face!

Show me a SURPRISED face!

Show me a SCARED face!

Note: I have found this resource in the next webpage http://www.songsforteaching.com/autisticchildren/expressiononmyface.htm Assessment criteria - Use simple structures (the ones from the song) - Gain new vocabulary - Use appropriate non-verbal gestures when singing the song

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STORYTELLING IN ELT – 2012-2013

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Lesson 4 Objectives

Name of the activity

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Roll a feeling

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To review the song “The expression on my face” To promote the comprehension of simple structures To repeat and produce simple structures Review and consolidate some vocabulary related to feelings and emotions

Class organization The children will be working in couples

Place classroom

Target language and contents Structures: -

Show me a “happy/sad/mad/tired/surprised/scared” face Look at me I’m feeling “happy/sad/mad/tired/surprised/scared”

Time needed 25’

Material Flashcards for each couple One dice for each couple

Skills used Understanding, attention, comprehension, speaking, following instructions.

Activity sequence We will start the class making a circle and asking to the pupils if they remember the song “The expression on my face”.

Then, we will explain to them that we will play a game about this song.

About the game: the teacher will show the flashcard and the big dice. Each side of the dice corresponds to one expression face; so for example, number 4 corresponds to the tired face.

Example of the flashcard For this concrete lesson I have planned to focus on learning two simple structures, these are: - Show me a “happy/sad/mad/tired/surprised/scared” face - Look at me I’m feeling “happy/sad/mad/tired/surprised/scared” The teacher will play once with the whole class by using the huge dice, he/she will pick a student to roll the dice and say aloud the number (they already know the numbers; we just want to refresh their memories). Then, the rest of the pupils will say him/her: “SHOW ME A HAPPY FACE” (or the other faces depending on the number), in that moment, the kid standing in front of the group has to look at the flashcard and identify which facial expression corresponds to the number he/she has rolled and then has to answer the classmates’ question by saying the next structure: “LOOK AT ME I’M FELING + THE FACIAL EXPRESSION”.

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After clarifying how it works the game, the teacher will ask the pupils to make couples and play it themselves. The teacher will be listening to the children productions and helping if required.

After playing for a while the “Roll a feeling” game, we will sing the song again.

Example of the flashcard:

Assessment criteria -

Interact with other students Follow oral directions, commands and requests Use appropriate non-verbal gestures Ask/answer questions using the two basic sentence structures presented Be able to pay attention

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STORYTELLING IN ELT – 2012-2013

Anna Miret Turró

Lesson 5 Objectives - Know different verbs related to body movements - To gain new vocabulary in English - Review the colors and the numbers - To assess the current knowledge of vocabulary related to feelings and emotions

Name of the activity The King and the Queen Class organization Half group making a cercle

Place

Time needed

Playground

25’

Target language and contents “Hands up looking happy” “Hands down looking sad” “Sit down looking mad” “Stand up looking tired” “Turn around looking scared”

Material -

Hula-hoops Crown

Skills used Listening, understanding, attention, comprehension, speaking, following instructions

Activity sequence To do this lesson plan we will go to the paved playground to play a game. In it, one student will be the King or the Queen of the classroom. The chosen one to be the King or the Queen will wear a crown and will be given the directions and commands while the others will be staying inside one hula-hoop each child and making altogether a big circle. The children will be watching the Queen and the King and waiting to his/her command. The Queen/King will choose a command like “Hands up looking happy”, “Hands down looking sad”, “sit down looking mad”, “stand up looking tired”, “turn around looking scared” and after saying it loud, the group will do the action.

Each child will try once to be the Queen or the King.

Before starting to play the teacher will do a demonstration and some warm up to get children use to structures.

While the teacher is preparing the hula-hoops on the floor will ask the children to answer the question “What color is it?” for each hula-hoop so that they can practice some vocabulary that most of them should already know.

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Anna Miret TurrĂł

We will be playing to this game during 15 minutes and to the end of the class we will do some stretching.

Assessment criteria -

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Interact with other students Follow oral directions, commands and requests Listen carefully to the teacher and to the rest of the class while someone speaks Be able to pay attention Participate in the activities with interest and motivation Cooperate in the group activities Follow the rules of the game

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Anna Miret Turró

Reflection

First of all, I would like to highlight the fact that I have just developed a real English class once. Designing, adapting and putting the activities in practice is a challenge for me because I have had to investigate and learn different kinds of strategies, vocabulary, structures, organization and specific knowledge that I didn’t have it before: how to manage a class in English, what subjects should I teach, what goals I want our kids to achieve, how to speak to my students (combining English and Catalan sometimes, using a lot of mimic and gestures, provide pictures and other visual materials to support the explanations and activities, etc.). So in the end, even I haven’t done yet the microteaching, I feel proud of myself for all the effort that I have put in this Teaching Unit because it has been difficult, but also very productive.

This project plan introduces a lot of English vocabulary and constructions that may be difficult for the Preschool children. However, I have created the activities to make them understand all this vocabulary and concepts without just memorizing them. I always use movements, show them images or point directly to objects to ease concepts’ comprehension.

It is important to take into account that in the whole unit children learn by doing and through playing. I have tried to design the lessons bearing in mind 5 year old kids’ characteristics (cognitive, physic, social and emotional), so in all activities children have to participate, to think and, above all, to experiment with their bodies, with the environment, with new materials and with their partners. For all the lessons I have chosen an activity in which they experiment with their bodies, because I believe that abstract concepts have to be taught like this, so children start with the lived concept, continue with the perceived concept and end with the conceived concept.

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Bibliography

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http://www.songsforteaching.com/autisticchildren/expressiononmyface.htm

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ROTH, G. (1998): Teaching very Young learners, Pre-school and Early Primary. Richmond Publishing.

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