Collins International Primary GP 1 TG

Unit 5 Lesson 1 • How do we communicate?

Skill

Learning

Main SKILL

Research

1Rs.02 Information skills: Talk about

on a given issue in

Subsidiary SKILL(s)

Communication

1Cm.02 Listening and

to others in class

RESOURCES

STARTER

Activities

Introduction

MAIN

Topic

Learning

• Students

• Students

and

and

• Student’s

•

• Real objects

bell, alarm, drum, shaker,

• Real old and

drum, gong, bell, phone,

• Use the photograph and questions on the unit opener to introduce the unit to the class.

• Use the real objects you have brought to class. Tell learners to close their eyes and listen to sounds. Then ask: What do you hear? Where does the sound come from? What is making the sound?

• Then ask questions to introduce the idea that sounds communicate messages. For example: What does the sound tell you? Is it time to get up? Is it time for a lunch break? Is it a warning? Does it mean you must stop doing something?

Activity 1

• Play a quick game of ‘Simon Says’ with the class. If students are not familiar with the game, explain that they should only follow your instruction if it starts with ‘Simon says’. Give instructions such as: Simon says, “Show you are happy/sad/confused/bored” and let the students show this in whatever way they can, through facial expression or body language.

SamplePages

• Do students answer questions?

• Are students beginning to talk about the issue of how we communicate?

• Start a discussion about how we use our faces to communicate. Refer students to the faces in the Student’s Book. What do they tell us about how each person is feeling? Ask questions to prompt students. For example: She is smiling? What does that mean? Is she sad or happy? Do you think he is bored or sad? Is he worried maybe? Or perhaps he has a secret? Is she surprised or scared?

• Students should express what they think each shows in any language. There may be more than one correct description of what each face shows and students may have different perceptions.

Support and extend

Activities

Activity 2

Support: Use a multilingual approach in discussions with the class.

Extend: Ask students if it is possible to show emotion with parts of your body other than your face. Stand with your shoulders raised and your head lowered and ask them what emotion they think you are feeling.

Assessment / observation

• Look at the photographs in the Student’s Book. Explain that children are using their whole body to show how they feel. They are acting or miming. Discuss what each photo shows with the class. Ask: Why are they doing this? What do you think happened?

• Can the students talk about the communication that they see in the mimes?

PLENARY

• Split students up into groups. Each member of the group will have a turn to mime how they feel/felt in a different situation. Give each member of the group a number. Call out a number and then give an instruction. For example: Number 2 in each group. Show how you feel and what you do if you are waiting for a bus./Show how you feel and what you do when you lose something. The student with the number 2 in each group mimes and then the group describes how that person feels about it.

• Alternatively, you can give the instructions to the students silently and let the other members of the group guess what the student is acting and how he/she feels about it.

Activity 3

• Refer students to the photographs in the Student’s Book or any other photographs or real items that you have.

• Lead a discussion about old and new tools which we use or used to use for communication. Ask questions about the photographs, for example: What is this? What is/was it used for? Let students say what they know. Encourage them to ask questions as well. Use the prompts in the Student’s Book to begin.

• Use this opportunity to talk about traditional and modern forms of communication where you live. Ask: How do most people communicate today? Students may know that musical instruments like gongs and drums were used to call people to gatherings and warn people of dangers before we had phones.

Activity 4

• Give students copies of Worksheet 5.1. Give them the following information as a picture dictation, so that they can complete the faces: a. She is sad. b. He is surprised. c. She is worried. d. He is happy. e. She is angry. f. He is bored. NOTE: Students need to know that this is not a drawing test. They can draw in as much or little detail as they like, but they should be able to describe what they have drawn.

• Students work in pairs to make sentences about their drawings.

• Can the students talk about the communication that they see in the mimes?

• Do students respond appropriately to the basic questions?

• Are students trying to participate by asking their own questions and saying what they know?

• Are students able to describe what they have drawn?

Support and extend Support: Some students may need support to understand personal pronouns such as ‘he’ and ‘she’. Extend: Extend Activity 4 by describing an event and asking learners to draw a face which shows how the person responded/communicated how they felt about it. For example: He was at the bus stop. The bus was very late. He was worried that he would be late for school.

Activities Assessment / observation

Talking point

• Prompt the students to reflect on what they enjoyed in this lesson.

• Which activity did the students engage with the most?

• Do they need more practice in asking questions?

Before you go

• Draw the lesson to a close by asking the class questions about how else they can communicate with others. For example: What else can you do to send a message? How do you send secret messages?

SamplePages

Reflection prompts:

• Did you enjoy miming how you felt?

• Did you enjoy talking about old and new ways of communicating/send messages?

Support and extend Extend: Students can find out about a traditional instrument used to communicate. They could ask their grandparents or older members of the community and report back to the class.

Teacher Reflection

Did I support the students to understand the questions and answer with relevant information from sources?

Unit 5 Lesson 2 • What can you hear?

Skill focus: Research

Learning objectives

Main SKILL

Research

1Rs.04 Recording findings: Record information on a given issue in pictograms or simple graphic organisers

Subsidiary SKILL(s)

Analysis

1A.02 Interpreting data: Talk about information recorded in pictograms or graphic organisers

RESOURCES

STARTER

MAIN

Topic focus:

Improving communication

Learning focus

to: English

• Students record sounds that they hear on pictograms.

• Students talk about information on a pictogram

• Student’s Book pages 68 69

• Worksheet 5.2

• You can enlarge or recreate the pictogram in the Student’s Book to show to the whole class.

Activities Assessment / observation Introduction

• Introduce this lesson about what sounds communicate to us by telling the class to close their eyes for a minute and be very quiet. No one should move or talk. Tell them to listen to the sounds around them.

• Then tell them to open their eyes and say what they heard. They should take turns to do this and listen to each other.

Activity 1

• Refer students to the photographs in the Student’s Book. One photo shows an urban scene and the other a rural scene.

• Lead a discussion about what sounds we can expect to hear in each place. Elicit ideas about vehicles noises (which can warn us that a vehicle is approaching), people shouting (they could be selling goods, trying to attract attention), cars hooting (warning), animal noises (enjoy, or be careful), noise of water (where you want to go, danger), people talking. Ask questions such as: What/Who is this? What sound does it make? If you hear this sound, what do you think about? What happens if you don’t hear this?

• Let the class make sounds following your instructions

Support and extend

SamplePages

• Do students sit quietly and focus on listening?

• Do students begin to understand that sounds are part of communication?

Support: Use a multilingual approach in discussions with the class. Extend: Encourage students to share their experiences of different sounds. Ask them about the noisiest place they have been, and the quietest.

Activities Assessment / observation

Activity 2

• Refer to the diagram in the Student’s Book and support students to interpret it. Ask questions and point to the parts of the diagram as you do this. For example: What information does this diagram give us? What pictures do you see in the column on the left? How many birds to you see in the second column? Can you count them? What is the total number of cars?

NOTE: You may want to use small pictures and use them to create the pictogram with the class first, depending on how familiar students are with diagrams. Tell them how many birds /cars/people talking/musical items the students counted and then place the small pictures on the diagram to show this.

Activity 3

• Explain to students that they will make a pictogram of sounds that they hear. You can take them outside or listen to sounds from the classroom.

• Students work in pairs. Give each pair a copy of Worksheet 5.2 and a pencil. Then give them a few minutes of quiet time to listen.

• Do students respond to your questions?

• Do students record information in the correct places on their worksheets?

MAIN

• They begin their recording of what they hear by drawing four small rough pencil pictures of sounds that they hear in the left hand column, under the heading ‘Sounds’. Some students may want to write words as well. (Use the first table on the sheet for this.)

• Give them a few more minutes of quiet to listen again. This time they make a tick in the second column each time they hear one of the sounds on their chart. (The ticks are to save time. They will transform this information into a diagram with pictures in the next activity.)

• Ask each pair to write the totals in the last column.

Activity 4

• Each pair completes the second table on Worksheet 5.2 to create a pictogram from the ticks they recorded first time.

• Explain that they should now create a pictogram with small pictures. You can show them samples of small pictures if they need to copy. They should count carefully and make sure they have the correct number of pictures (to match the totals). Let them colour in their pictures if there is time.

• Allow time for students to share their diagrams with groups or with the class, describing what their diagrams show. Then talk about the messages each sound gave them. Ask: Did the sounds make you feel happy or scared? What information did this give you? For example: There are birds outside the school.

Support and extend

PLENARY

Activities

Talking point

• Do students record information in the correct places on their worksheets?

• Are students able to complete their pictograms?

• Can they describe what their pictograms show?

Support: Prompt students to talk about their diagrams by asking questions such as: What is this?

How many times did you hear that sound?

Extend: Prompt students to consider whether the pictogram is a clear way of presenting their research. Can they think of a better way?

• Prompt the students to reflect on what they learned from the pictogram: Which sounds did you hear the most? Which sounds did you hear the least often? Did you all hear the same sounds?

Before you go

• Draw the lesson to a close by referring the class to the last two photographs on the page of the Student’s Book. Ask the class how and when they would use these to make sounds. What message would the sound give?

Assessment / observation

Reflection prompts:

• Which sounds did you hear the most?

• Which sounds did you hear the least often?

• Did you all hear the same sounds?

Support and extend Support: Bring in some instruments, or recordings of sounds for students to listen to. Ask them what message they receive from each, and which their favourite is.

Teacher Reflection

Did the students understand how pictograms work? What else could I have done to help them understand?

SamplePages

Extend: Encourage students to discuss other sounds they hear in their community, and the important messages they send, e.g. the horn on the bus, the music from the ice cream van. Ask them to think about what these sounds tell us, and why we need them.

Unit 5 Lesson 3 • Are you a good listener?

Main SKILL

Research

1Rs.03

Subsidiary SKILL(s)

RESOURCES

Introduction

To introduce this lesson, ask the class: Are you a good listener? How do you know? Then do some listening exercises with the students:

• Clap a rhythm with about 5 6 beats. Stop and ask them to repeat the rhythm that you clapped.

• Give short simple instructions and ask students to do the actions. For example: Put your hands above your head. Sit on the floor. You can do this in any familiar language. You can play ‘Simon Says’ using these instructions too.

• Play a chain game in which students remember what a previous student said and then add something new. For example: I went to the shop and bought a mango. I went to the shop and bought a mango and some oranges. I went to the shop and bought a mango, some oranges and a banana. This continues until a student can no longer remember the things bought. Expect students to remember 6 8 items in the chain.

Activity 1

• Explain to the class that they are going to play a simple game to investigate how well they listen. They will play in groups and whisper a message to each other in turn. If students are not familiar with this game, demonstrate it first with a few students. Spread the students out a little as they should not be able to hear what the others say.

• Whisper the same message to each group and let the groups play the game. Here are some examples of messages you could use: I always sit still when I listen to something. / Did you hear the birds in the garden this morning? / My sister always laughs when I tell her to do something.

SamplePages

• How well do students listen?

• Do they talk while they listen?

• Do they look at you while they listen?

• Do students participate in the game?

• Do students understand the purpose of this game?

• Ask the last person to receive the message in each group to report back to the class about what they heard.

• Allow some time for a discussion about what happened and what might (probably) have gone wrong.

• Let them try again, with a different message if there is time and see if they can do better.

Support and extend Support: Use a multilingual approach in discussions with the class. Extend:

Activity 2

• Refer students to the diagram in the Student’s Book and help them to understand that it shows what happens when we listen (in a very simple way).

Assessment / observation

• Do students understand the diagram?

MAIN continued

Activity 2

• Refer students to the diagram in the Student’s Book and help them to understand that it shows what happens when we listen (in a very simple way).

• Ask questions to help them understand. For example: What did the teacher say? What did the boy hear? Did he understand what he heard? What did he do? Students can ask questions too.

Activity 3

• Lead a short discussion about what good listeners do, to continue the investigation. Use the questions in the Student’s Book in the discussion.

• Students can then work in pairs and demonstrate what good listeners do. For example, they can act how they pay attention (by sitting still, by looking at the person who is speaking, by putting up their hand to ask a question).

Activity 4

• Students work in pairs and play another game to further their investigation. Students sit back to back and take turns to give each other instructions about how to draw a simple picture. They begin by drawing a simple picture of a person. They may not show each other – the instructions have to be oral. They can give instructions such as: This is a small girl. She is happy. She is jumping in the air. / This is a bird. The bird is sitting in a tree. The bird is singing happily.

If students have not done this before, you can demonstrate with a volunteer first.

NOTE: Be clear that this activity is not about drawing beautiful pictures, it is about giving and following instructions correctly.

• This should lead students to investigate how they give instructions and how they listen to instructions. They can ask their partner questions to get clarity. For example: Is the girl laughing or smiling? Is the bird at the top of the tree?

• Give a limited time for this activity so that you can discuss the problems encountered and help students to find solutions to the problems.

• When students have each had a turn to complete Activity 4, have a discussion about what worked and what didn’t work. For example: What did you learn from this game? Were the instructions clear? Did you understand the instructions? Did you sit quietly so that you could hear well? Did you ask questions?

• Do students understand the diagram?

PLENARY

• Can students demonstrate good listener behaviour?

• Do students start to understand this investigation?

• Are students able to follow and give simple instructions?

• Are students able to identify problems?

Support and extend Support: Students can use any known language for this activity. Extend: This activity can also be done to in pairs, who guide eachother across the room. Students can provide each other with instructions, e.g. take two steps forwards, with the goal of your partner crossing the room safely.

Activities Assessment / observation

Talking point

• Prompt the students to reflect on what they did to help their partner complete the drawing in Activity 4.

• Did students try to clarify what they were drawing?

• Did they refrain from criticising their partner’s drawing?

Before you go

• Draw the lesson to a close by asking the class if they are better listeners after the investigations. Play another whispering game or a game like ‘Simon Says’ and ask them to assess how well they listened.

Reflection prompts:

• Did you speak clearly?

• Did you sit quietly and give your partner

• time to draw?

SamplePages

• Did you ask questions when you didn’t understand?

Support and extend Support: Students can do the activities with which you started this lesson in pairs and help each other to improve their listening skills. Help them to discuss what problems they may be having.

Teacher Reflection

Did I support the students to understand that these activities helped them investigate an issue?

Did I encourage them to participate in simple discussions?

Did I allow them time to ask their own questions?

Unit 5 Lesson 4 • Does music talk to us?

Skill focus: Research

Learning objectives

Main SKILL

Research

1Rs.01 Constructing research questions: Ask basic questions about a given issue

Subsidiary SKILL(s)

Communication

1Cm.01 Communicating information: Answer questions with relevant information about a given issue

RESOURCES

STARTER

MAIN

Topic focus:

Improving communication

Learning focus

Links to: English

• Students ask basic questions about an issue before they engage in a simple research activity.

• Students present information and answer questions about an instrument they have researched.

• Student’s Book pages 70 71

• Worksheet

• One or two real musical instruments, (handmade, modern or traditional) or a recording of music

Activities Assessment / observation Introduction

• Show the class the real musical instrument you have brought. Ask questions such as: What is this? What sounds does it make?

• Play a tune or a few notes if you can (or play a recording) and ask students to react to it. Ask: How does the sound make you feel? Students may smile, dance, cover their ears, close their eyes, etc.

• Talk about the reactions to the music briefly and come back to this later in the lesson.

Activity 1

• Lead a short discussion about how music ‘talks’ to us – how we communicate through music.

• Refer to the pictures in the Student’s Book and to the students’ own reactions when you played music at the beginning of the lesson.

• Elicit responses such as: Music makes me happy, want to dance, relax, excited, tells me a story, and so on.

• Then ask students if they use music to ‘talk’ to others. For example, they may play music to help others to sing or dance.

• Do students react to the music in their own ways?

• Do students participate?

Support and extend Support: Use a multilingual approach in discussions with the class. Extend: Invite students to share the ways in which they use music to talk to others. This may require advance notice, so students can bring in musical instruments, if applicable.

Activities Assessment / observation Activity 2

SamplePages

• Lead a discussion about the pictures in the Student’s Book. Or if you think the class are ready for this, let them discuss the pictures in groups.

• Refer to the list of question prompts in the Student’s Book Read them and translate them if necessary, and then talk about each picture. Or ask students to choose a picture and then ask questions about it. Ask the students what they would like to ask about the picture too.

Activity 3

• Explain that students will work in pairs. Give each pair a copy of Worksheet 5.4.

• Explain that students will find out more about a musical instrument. Here are some suggested steps that you could use to support this activity which could be started in class and completed for homework. Spend time supporting the students to compose clear and appropriate questions. One of the questions should focus on when and why the instrument is played. (How does it talk to people at celebrations, as warnings, etc.)

• Do students give appropriate answers?

• Do students engage by asking their own questions?

• Are students able to form clear questions (in any language)?

• Do students share the task with their partner?

Activity 3

• Explain that students will work in pairs. Give each pair a copy of Worksheet 5.4.

• Explain that students will find out more about a musical instrument. Here are some suggested steps that you could use to support this activity which could be started in class and completed for homework.

Spend time supporting the students to compose clear and appropriate questions. One of the questions should focus on when and why the instrument is played. (How does it talk to people – at celebrations, as warnings, etc.)

1 Think of an instrument that you like.

2 Think of four questions you would like to ask about it.

3 Write the questions on Worksheet 5.4 (with help if necessary)

4 Discuss how you will answer the questions. Will you ask an adult?

Will you use the internet? Will you go to a museum?

5 Record answers to the questions on the worksheet (by drawing, writing, getting an adult to help, recording the answers on a phone, etc.).

6 Find a picture of the instrument if you can.

Activity 4

• Groups of students share the information they have collected. They can do this orally or by displaying their worksheets, whatever is most appropriate.

• Focus the feedback on the questions that were asked. What questions worked well?

PLENARY

• Are students able to form clear questions (in any language)?

• Do students share the task with their partner?

• Are students able to share their research?

Support and extend Support: Help students to compose and write down appropriate questions. Extend: Students could suggest further questions that they would like to ask.

Activities Assessment / observation

Talking point

• Prompt the students to reflect on what they learned about asking questions?

• Can students focus on the questions?

Before you go

• Draw the lesson to a close by asking the class questions such as: Can you play a musical instrument? What kind of music do you like to play? Why? How does your music talk to others (make them happy, sad, relaxed)?

Reflection prompts:

• Which questions worked well?

• How did you get good answers?

Teacher Reflection

Did I support the students to form questions that they wanted to ask?

What skills need more practice?

SamplePages

Extend: Students can continue their research with a different instrument and new questions.

Support and extend Support: Give students question frames to complete if they struggle to form good questions.

Unit 5 Lesson 5 • How can we make different sounds?

Skill focus: Research

Learning objectives

Main SKILL

Research

1Rs.03 Conducting research: Begin to participate in simple investigations and ask basic questions to find information and opinions

Subsidiary SKILL(s)

Collaboration

1Cl.01 Working together: Work positively with others, sharing resources while working independently or with others

RESOURCES

Topic focus:

Improving communication

Learning focus

Links to: English

• Students investigate how the sounds change with different water volumes in a water xylophone.

• Students work in small teams to set up and try out water xylophones.

• Student’s Book pages 74 75

• Worksheet 5.5 (a) and 5.5 (b).

• A sheet of paper, plastic and metal, if possible, to demonstrate how they make different sounds

• Materials to make water xylophones: strong thick empty glass bottles, water, jug for pouring, food colouring, wooden spoons

Warning: Thin water glasses are not suitable as students may easily drop them and hurt themselves

• Alternatively, materials to make other simple instruments, such as drums, flutes

Activities Assessment / observation Introduction

• Introduce this lesson by using your voice to make different sounds. For example: whispering, crying, making soothing sounds, humming a tune, shouting. Discuss with the class what message you are sending each time. Ask: How does this make you feel?

• Use realia such as a sheet of paper, plastic or metal to produce sounds. Ask students to predict which sound will be the loudest or softest. Ask: Is any sound scary? Why or why not? What do you think if you hear it?

Activity 1

• Give students the opportunity to make sounds with their own voices or with sheets of paper and plastic if you have enough of these. Students can also suggest what else they could use to make noises safely.

SamplePages

• Do students answer questions?

• Are students trying to make sounds which convey a message, following instructions?

• Students can work in groups or as a class. Give instructions for them to follow. For example: Chase away an insect. (Shoo!) Hum like a big scary bee. Shout to warn someone of danger. Calm a crying baby or friend.

• Take time to discuss this briefly with the class afterwards. Which sounds did they think were successful? Why?

Support and extend Support: Use a multilingual approach in discussions with the class. Extend: Research the sounds of a number of different animals. Students can mimic these, and their groups try to guess the type of animal.

MAIN

PLENARY

Activities

Activity 2

• Refer the class to the photographs of the tin can instruments in the Student’s Book. Use the questions in the Student’s Book and prompt students to ask other questions to find out more about what the picture shows. For example: What did they use to make these instruments? How are they different? Will the sounds be the same? Why? Students should be able to point out that one is being used as a shaker and the other as a drum. The shaker may have something inside it which helps to make the sound.

Activity 3

• Refer to the diagram in the Student’s Book and explain that you are going to set up an investigation to find out if bottles of water will all make the same sound when played as musical instruments.

• Talk about the diagram as you set up the investigation. What do you need to do this? What do you do first? What does the arrow tell you? What do you do next? Students can help to set this up. The food colouring is used to distinguish the different levels of water in the bottles and will help students to describe what they observe.

• Students work in groups to investigate the sounds made by each bottle. They can use metal spoons to tap gently on the bottles and discuss the sounds. Some students may be able to organise the bottles according to the pitch of the sounds they hear, but this is not essential. The main focus is on understanding that the level of the water in the bottles makes a difference to the sounds produced.

• Students can complete Worksheet 5.5 (a)

NOTE: Students should keep whatever instruments they have made to use in the final task.

Activity 4

• Lead a class discussion about what the students found out from making an instrument. Ask: What did you use? What sounds did you make? Were you able to play a tune?

Assessment / observation

• Are students able to ask and answer questions to find out more information?

• Do students understand that the diagram shows a simple process –how to set up an investigation?

• Can students work collaboratively to make and investigate something?

• Are students able to provide feedback and talk about what they made?

Support and extend Support: Read the questions on Worksheet 5.5 (a) aloud if necessary. Extend: Students can discuss how to make another musical instrument (such as a shaker). They will need to set this up and make two or three shakers, putting different items inside the shakers to make different sounds. They can use Worksheet 5.5 (b).

Activities Assessment / observation

Talking point

• Prompt the students to reflect on what they enjoyed in this activity.

• Which activity did the students engage with the most?

Before you go

• Draw the lesson to a close by asking students of they can play a tune on the xylophone (or with the shaker they made).

SamplePages

Teacher Reflection

Did I support the students to understand that sounds convey messages? Did students understand the diagram? Could I have presented this in another way?

Reflection prompts:

• Did you enjoy using your voice to send a message?

• How else can you send a message?

• Was it easy or difficult to play the instrument?

Unit 5 Lesson 6 • What is the message?

Skill focus:

Learning objectives

Main SKILL

Collaboration

1Cl.01 Working together: Work positively with others, sharing resources while working independently or with others

Subsidiary SKILL(s)

Analysis

1A.02 Interpreting data: Talk about information in pictograms or graphic organisers

RESOURCES

STARTER

MAIN

Topic

Improving

Learning focus

• Students work

• Students

• Student’s

•

Activities

•

•

Assessment / observation Introduction

• Introduce the lesson by showing the class some emojis (such as the ones people use on text messages) and any signs you have collected. You can also write signs such as: Danger! No Entry! on the board. Ask students what the signs mean. Discuss why we use signs to communicate: Is it easier? Is it quicker? Do people understand them better?

• You can also point out that red and yellow are often used in signs because people see these colours well. Red is associated with danger too.

Activity 1

• Students work in pairs. They look at the emojis and signs and discuss them. Demonstrate this first and give some question prompts. For example: Where do we see this? What does this mean? Is it a good way to send a message? Why? Do you need to be able to understand a particular language to understand it?

• You could make copies of the emojis and signs and give a copy to each pair to share and discuss. They can circle the ones they know and want to explain.

• Pairs report back to the class with some of their ideas in a class discussion.

• Do students share the sheet?

• Do they ask each other questions?

Support and extend Support: Use a multilingual approach in discussions with the class. Extend: Students can make up one or two of their own emojis to convey feelings and ideas. They can use these later when they make up messages

Activities

Activity 2

SamplePages

• Students work in pairs to work out the messages written with emojis as codes. Point out they have to understand the code first. Then let then try to work out how the code works.

• When they feel they have worked out the messages, let them share and discuss their answers.

Activity 3

• Give each student a copy of Worksheet 5.6. Some students may be more comfortable working with a partner on this activity.

• Read the code with the class and discuss how it works. Then give the students time to work out what the coded messages mean.

Assessment / observation

• Do students work collaboratively?

• Do students work together to compile and send a message, sharing resources?

continued

Activity 4

• Introduce the hieroglyph alphabet given in the Student’s Book. Find out if any of the students know anything about this. Then explain that it is a type of writing in which pictures represent sounds or objects. You do not need to go into detail.

• Use a few of the pictures to make up a short name. For example, Tom or Anna. Draw the names in pictures for the students to see.

• Students then work in pairs and write their own names in hieroglyphics. Display the names and let others in the class try to work out the names.

Activity 5

• Students work in pairs and make up a secret message to send to another pair. They can use any form of code they have read about. Remind them that they can use emojis, numbers, the alphabet or pictures. They could also use colours.

• They can use the codes given in the Students Book or on the worksheet, but some students may want to make up their own codes. Allow them to do this if there is time.

• Each pair then gives their coded message to another pair to work out.

• They can discuss the message afterwards.

PLENARY

• Do students work together to write their names?

• Do students work well in pairs, to agree on a code to use?

• Do pairs successfully code a message?

Support and extend Support: Allow students to send and receive messages again. Extend: Encourage confident students to present their coded messages to the class.

Activities Assessment / observation

Talking point

• Prompt the students to reflect on what they enjoyed in this activity.

Before you go

• Draw the lesson to a close by asking students if they know of any other types of codes that they could use to send messages. They may for example know about sign language and have seen flags used to send messages.

Teacher Reflection

Did I support the students to understand the codes?

What skills did they develop in this lesson? What is the evidence of this?

Reflection prompts:

• Did you find it difficult or easy?

• Do you enjoy sending secret messages?

SamplePages

• Did you enjoy working with others to decode messages?

Unit 5

Skill focus: Research

Learning objectives

Main SKILL

Research

1Rs.03 Conducting research: Begin to participate in simple investigations and ask basic questions to find information and opinions

Subsidiary SKILL(s)

Collaboration

1Cl.01 Working Together: Work positively with others, sharing resources while working independently or with others

Reflection

1Rf.02 Teamwork: Identify an action that someone else contributed to achieve a shared outcome

RESOURCES

STARTER

MAIN

Final task: What is sign language?

Topic focus:

Improving communication

Learning focus

• Students investigate sign language.

Links to: English

• Students work in a team to prepare messages and then send them to another group.

• Students reflect on the teamwork and identify someone who was of particular help in the group.

• Student’s Book pages 78 80

• Worksheet: Final task

• Poster of sign language (in a familiar language)

• A visitor to talk to the class about sign language, if possible

Activities Assessment / observation

Introduce the task

• Refer to the task in the Student’s Book and explain to the class that they will work in groups to find out more about another way of communicating, using sign language. Discuss the success criteria with them.

• Introduce sign language to the class. You could do this by signing a word like ‘hello’ and asking the class to guess what you are saying. If you have invited a visitor to the class, the visitor could do this: Here are some ideas:

SamplePages

• Do students understand the task and what they need to do to be successful?

Note: Sign language is not always the same in different languages. You may want to try different signs.

Activities Assessment / observation

Activity 1

• Students work in groups to talk about the pictures in the Student’s Book. They discuss what they think the boy is saying, using the words for clues. Prompt them to describe the movements. For example: He touches his mouth and rubs his stomach to say he is hungry.

• Prompt them to try and sign to each other in the same way.

• Are students able to work in teams and ask and answer questions to help them decide on what they will do?

• Can students link these situations to the ways of communication they have explored before?

MAIN continued

Activity 2

Students have a brief discussion how they can find out more about sign language. They can discuss:

• Who could they ask? For example: A family member, someone they know who uses sign language.

• Where could they look? For example: At a poster if you have one available, on the internet, in a book shop.

Activity 3

• Students then focus on the questions that they want answers to.

• Elicit questions such as: When do you use sign language? Do other people understand what you say? Do you have to practise a lot? Can you teach us some words? How do you say: “I am happy.”

• Each group should think of 3–4 questions that they could ask and write them down.

NOTE: This will require sensitive handling of some students in the class are hearing impaired, but it can also affirm the way they communicate.

Activity 4

• Students record the answers to the questions. This is not the main focus of the investigation but this will help them to share what they have found out in the next activity.

• For example: They could make notes or drawings next to the questions they asked.

• They could perhaps use a phone to record the answers and they play back the answers in their groups.

• They could record ideas on a simple spider diagram.

Activity 5

• Class discussion in which groups share some of the questions they asked and what they found out. You could ask each group to share one interesting piece of information and perhaps an opinion about what they have learned. For example: Why is sign language important?

• The groups can demonstrate what they learned by using their knowledge to sign a few words or a very short message.

R EFLECTION

• Do students take turns in their discussion?

• Do they decide on someone to ask about sign language?

• Do they agree on a place to research this?

• If they disagree, are they able to resolve this?

• Do students ask appropriate questions?

• Are students able to record their findings in order to remember them?

• Are students able to give their opinions based on their investigations?

Support and extend Support: Support students by modeling questions, and demonstrating how to talk about sign language respectfully. Support students who may be hearing impaired by moderating other students’ language.

Extend: Students can learn the first line to their favourite song in sign language, and perform it to the class.

Activities Assessment / observation Reflection

a Students reflect on the teamwork involved in the investigation. Read the questions with groups and discuss this briefly with them.

b Then give groups time to discuss the questions in their groups.

c Students complete Worksheet: Final task which prompts them to record their personal reflection on the task.

Before you go

Draw the lesson to a close, by talking about the investigation. Encourage students to think about sign language, and when they might use it in the future.

SamplePages

Support and extend

Teacher Reflection

Reflection prompts:

• Can students begin to identify what worked and didn’t work in their team.

• Can students talk about the roles of others sensitively?

• Do students understand what they have contributed?

Support: Read the questions on Worksheet: Final task with students and then let them select the appropriate face to colour in.

Extend: Students can write a sentence with their own reflection on the task.

What is the evidence of skills development?

Have I supported learning?

What can I do differently next time?

Which skills need more practice?

about your group.

you find out a lot about

you think of good

Can you use the information

word

a short message?

Did others understand your message?

Think about yourself.

you enjoy

you know

about

about

What can you do? Colour in a face.

I can use sign language

say a few words.

I can send a coded message to my friends.