c. & m.a. chui chak lam memorial school

C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial SchoolMemorial School

11 June 2010

2009-2010

English pull-out programme: Young Playwrights’ Theatre

C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial SchoolSchool

Background of our schoolBackground of our school

Name of school: C. & M. A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial

School

Type of school: Subsidized

Location: Yuen Long

No. of classes: 24

Textbook used: My Pals are Here!


Background of our schoolBackground of our school

Language ability: Average

Family: most students come from middle-income

families

Family support: Most parents are educated but they

have to work in the daytime. Many

students go to tutorial classes after

school.


Selection of target studentsSelection of target students

Name of our programme:English Pull-out Programme: Young Playwrights’ Theatre

Target level: P.5 & 6

Students are selected by:1)Average English exam. result: Top 25% in their levels2)English teachers’ recommendation3)Pre-assessment results


Pre-programme assessmentPre-programme assessment

1) Written: reading and writing2) Oral

1) Reading and writing: - Objectives: i) assess students’ basic knowledge about different elements of a play script ii) assess students’ writing and creative abilities - content designed based on a play they were going to read


Design of the pull-out programmeDesign of the pull-out programme

2) Oral: - Objectives: i) assess students’ fluency, pronunciation and tone of voice ii) assess students’ knowledge about stage directions iii) assess students’ improvisation skills

- content designed based on a play they were going to read


Aims and Objectives of the pull-out Aims and Objectives of the pull-out programmeprogramme

This programme aims at:

1) developing students’ writing skills by i) broadening students’ vocabulary bank e.g. action verbs, adjectives and adverbs used to describe people’s feelings, gestures or the way they speak ii) improving their editing skills e.g. involving them in editing their own and their classmates’ writing and play scripts



This programme aims at: 2) developing students’ speaking skills by i) teaching them to read with appropriate tone of voice ii) improving their fluency in speaking iii) increasing their confidence in speaking iv) raising their awareness of voice projection when acting on stage



This programme aims at: 3) developing students’ knowledge of the elements of a play e.g. stage directions, setting,

climax etc.

4) developing students’ acting skills e.g. gesture, facial expressions, body movement

5) promoting students’ interpersonal and intrapersonal skills e.g. collaboration skills and self-confidence



At the end of the programme, students should be able to:

- write up their own play script that matches with the school’s year theme ‘ Love Your Neighbours, Love Your School’ - act out their play script in a drama performance and the graduation ceremony


Design of the pull-out programmeDesign of the pull-out programme

Time: Extra-curricular activities period (Every Wed)Duration: 55 min (2:20 – 3: 15 p.m.)No. of lessons: 22 lessons

Read 1 storybook and 1 play scriptStorybook: The Worry Website (by Jacqueline Wilson)

Play script: “Once Upon a Fairy Tale” (by Christina Hamlett)


Lesson DesignLesson Design

From The Worry Website, the students learn:1)To use first- and third-person narrative to create characterisation through a character’s actions, emotions or personalities in writing.2)To construct meanings, share ideas and make value judgement.3)To analyse different characterisation techniques and create characters with the use of characterisation techniques in acting and writing.4) To analyse the different elements of a plot.5) To use facial expressions to express emotions and attitudes.6) To concentrate on making movements in acting.



From “Once Upon a Fairy Tale”, the students learn:1)The elements and plot of a play.2)How a playwright interacts with the readers and actors in

a play.3) Action verbs through body movements and rewriting.4) Characterisation in plays by focusing on stage directions (Adjectives and adverbs)5) To write a play script for performance



Teaching contents:

In each lesson:- Include activities integrating the four skills;

from reading + listening speaking + writing (input) (output)

- Include acting games


Implementation of the lessonsImplementation of the lessons

Teachers discuss the lesson design with the Gifted Education (GE) Section, CDI, EDB a week before

implementation

The GE Section writes up and revises the lesson plans

Before the lessons:



During the lessons:

Teachers The GE Section, EDB- Mainly responsible for teaching and giving instructions to activities

- Offers help when necessary- Gives feedback to students’ performance



After the lessons:

Evaluation of the previous lessons

Planning for the next lesson


Difference from Regular English lessonsDifference from Regular English lessons

1) More time for practice: writing and acting2) More demanding: students need to read one chapter of a storybook every week; they need to write their own play script3) Wider range of vocabularies taught e.g. adjectives, adverbs and action verbs4) Small class learning allowed students to gain more opportunities to practice and interact with the teachers and classmates.5) Approach


EvaluationEvaluation

Means of evaluation:- Teachers’ observation

- Students’ group work

- Students’ individual work

- Questionnaires

- Post-programme assessment



1) Students wrote with better use of action verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

2) They were able to edit their scripts and their group mates’ scripts based on the notes given to them.

3) They were able to read fluently with appropriate intonation.

4) They became more confident in speaking in front of the others.



Results of the pre- and post-program assessment on students’ knowledge of different elements of a play

5) Students knew better about the different elements of a play e.g. setting, characters, climax, gesture etc.



6) Students were able to write stage directions.

7) They were able to act with appropriate gesture and facial expressions.

8) Students reflected that they learned how to cooperate with the others.


Difficulties encounteredDifficulties encountered

1) Limitation of time: - students could not arrive in time over-run - lunch recess follow-up

2) Teachers’ preparation - a lot of preparation required

3) Variation in student abilities


Future developmentFuture development

Two directions for future development:

1) Re-run the programme Advantages: - Teachers can reuse the teaching materials - As teachers have already used the materials once, they can implement the lessons more effectively Disadvantages: - The P.5 students who have joined the programme this year can’t join it again next year, their skills and knowledge can’t be further developed through the programme


Future developmentFuture development

2) Extended module – the students who have joined the programme for one year (P.5) will become group leaders in the second year Advantages: - Some of the materials can still be reused - The P.5 students can continue to build up their knowledge and skills based on their knowledge and skills built previously - Their leadership skills can also be trained Disadvantages: - Teachers have to develop another set of materials for the leaders.


The EndThe End

Thank you!

c. & m.a. chui chak lam memorial school

Documents

students fluency

students interpersonal

english pullout programme

developing students

students basic knowledge

students vocabulary

play script

editing skills