Other Activities

Comprehensive Lesson Plan Grade level: 11th-12th Grade or Adult learnersStudent culture: Saudi ArabianLanguage to support: ArabicLearning outcome: Students will learn to construct narratives both orally and in writing using complete, coherent sentences.

Materials Needed Pens/pencilsNotebook paper1 Camera Computer/printerInternet connectionScrapbook and suppliesPaper, markers, etc.

Ready, Set, Learn!To begin the lesson, students will be introduced to the idea of narratives. They will be informed that narratives are a great way for a person to express himself. Students should also be informed that narratives are the primary vehicle for passing stories down within cultures and to other cultures. NextStudents can watch the video, How to Write an Autobiographical Narrative from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT8wm6pJeyc. This video explains the process of writing narrative about oneself, including the processes of prewriting and sequencing. After the video the teacher should be sure to discuss the processes with students and make sure they understand the concepts.

One more thingStudents should be made aware of the appropriate language for narratives. According to Tollefsons theories, different types of language are acceptable for different situations, peoples, and settings (Diaz-Rico & Weed, 2010). It can be explained that Tollefson studied language evolution in the country of Wales, and found that, over time, certain types of Welsh speech were associated with backwardness and unrefined lifestyles (Tollefson & Tsui, 2004). Students should be encouraged to think of the different styles of Arabic that are used in different situations. For example, in Arabic, there are some phrases that are acceptable for men to use, but complete taboo for women to say. Language policies are similar in English, although gender does not dictate the rules as much as it does in Arabian culture and language policies.

Now students will begin writing their own narratives. They should choose one event from their lives that illustrates their culture and explains something that happened to them in their home countries. The teacher should walk around the room, ensuring that all students have thought of an appropriate topic and have begun the prewriting process before moving on to composing the actual narrative. Start Writing!

Project Time! When the students have finished writing their narratives, they can take photos of each other and/or bring in photos from home to be compiled together in a booklet or Power Point presentation. Students should work together as a group to assemble the book or presentation. This activity allows students to learn about each other while exercising their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Furthermore, they will see firsthand the value of personal narratives.

AssessmentThe ending product, the book or presentation, will serve as the assessment for this lesson. Students will be graded on their own narratives and their overall contributions to the presentation and/or book and participation in the activities. Grammar and spelling should be looked at closely because these areas of language can be particularly difficult for Arabic speakers learning English. By having students write their own narratives, compile them in a book or presentation with their classmates, and include their own creative touches and photos, this assessment provides the differentiation as defined as necessary by ESL instructor Penelope OLaughlin (2010).

Other ActivitiesFor supporting English language learners

The chain storyIn this activity, students begin and complete a story by creating one sentence each, then passing the story to the next person. Students must exercise their listening skills to keep up with the story, and their speaking skills to add on to it. By the time the story is complete, it is usually very funny and absurd. This is a really fun way for students to practice their oral language and narrative construction! (The Education Alliance, 2006)

Nonverbal communicatorsTEFLnet (2012) suggests that students need to be aware of what certain nonverbal behaviors mean, such as the gesture for okay, pointing at people, and holding up fingers to represent numbers. As these cues can mean different things in different cultures, it is important for students to be informed about what they mean in American English. Students should receive a handout explaining their gestures, as illustrated in the pictures below. After studying this handout and understanding it fully, students will then be assigned to a partner with whom they will have an entire nonverbal conversation. To get the students out of their seats and moving around a bit, each pair of partners will present their nonverbal conversation to the class and the class will try to guess what the partners are trying to communicate to each other. This activity ensures that students are aware of nonverbal gestures and their meanings, and can use and understand them in everyday conversation.

Good!Over thereTwoStop!Hi!Using ChecklistsBy using lists, rubrics, and written evaluation scales, teachers can provide visual representations of concepts that are otherwise abstract, both to the learner and to school administration and/or parents (Reading Rockets, 2012). Doing so is particularly beneficial to English language learners because they may need to keep track of what they have learned before they move on to a new concept. Before the unit begins, teachers should have a checklist of items they need to cover during instructional time and a list of goals that they wish to achieve from this lesson. The checklist below could be used to teach limericks to students. _____ Introduce poetry overall _____ Explain that limericks are a type of poetry and explain what makes a limerick_____ Let students read and listen to the limerick, The Lady from Niger (Kelly, 2001)_____ Have students practice reading the limerick aloud to ensure proper pronunciation _____ Demonstrate the correct rhythm of limericks and ask students to repeat As the lesson is presented, the teacher can check these items off of the list to ensure that everything that needs to be covered was actually covered during class time. By doing so, teachers are ensuring that students fully understand each concept before going on to the next, and documenting the instruction that has taken place in the classroom. Using a checklist during a unit of instruction may reduce the thoughts that the material was not adequately covered, ultimately revealing any underlying issues that may be present in assessing English language learners.

Appreciating Diversity in the ClassroomThis activity encourages students to get to know their classmates and appreciate different backgrounds. First, students are asked to get up and walk around the classroom, finding students who fit descriptions outlined on a worksheet. For example, students could be asked to find another student who was born in a different country, or find a student who speaks a different language. Once that activity is completed, students find a partner and work together to ask and answer questions about their past and present situations. Students should answer at least 5 questions about their partner and write them in paragraph formBy doing this, students are practicing all areas of language learning while becoming aware of different cultures and backgrounds and sharing pride at the same time.

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