Author: Juan Mauricio Giraldo

PHASE 1 - LESSON PLAN

A. Students and Setting

Spanish-speaking students of English in a public high school in Villeta, a small town in rural

Colombia. The students are in grade 9th., in a class of 45 students, ages between 12 and 15

years. Their proficiency level is low in all four basic skills and have little, if any at all, exposure to

English outside the classroom. We meet four times a week for classes of 55 minutes long. Most

of them show not interest for learning English and think of English as another mandatory subject

in the curriculum. A few students are truly motivated.

B. Lesson Background:

Students are learning grammar basics of forming comparative and superlative adjectives. Previously they have reviewed the wh-questions and explored vocabulary related to physical appearance Some class activities they have already accomplished include:

- Reading short texts and answering questions - Group work on activities such as filling up the gap, cloze and yes/not questions. - Vocabulary strategies for building vocabulary

C. Learning Objectives/Expected Results:

This activity seek to engage students in reading, writing, listening and speaking activities to solve and then create a logic grid puzzle. By using the grammar structure previously introduced (comparative and superlatives adjectives), students will have to take risks to communicate with others, produce and understand spoken and written language. I hope this activity will help build student´s confidence in using language while improving productive and receptive skills.

D. Materials and Sources:

Materials Handout specially created for this activity

Sources Conceptis Puzzles http://www.conceptispuzzles.com/ How to créate a logic puzzle http://www.ehow.com/how_7689873_create-logic-puzzle.html Logic Puzzles http://www.logic-puzzles.org/ Puzzles.com http://www.puzzles.com/Projects/LogicProblems.html

Author: Juan Mauricio Giraldo

E. Procedures / Timing: Two sessions of 60 min.

Teacher does/says . . . Students do/say . . . Approximate Time

Asks students to get in pairs and

hands in a photocopy with a

logic puzzle

Get in pairs 5 min.

Explain the activity and its

purpose:

Today we are going to

solve a logic puzzle. A

Logic puzzle is a game in

which you are given a

series of categories, and an

equal number of options

within each category. Each

option is used once and

only once. Your goal is to

figure out which options are

linked together based on a

series of clues. It can be

solved using simple logical

processes

Encourages students to use

English to ask for clarification

and replies.

Use L1 if necessary

Ask questions 10 min.

Asks students to solve activities

one and two of the hand out

Now please, start solving

activities one and two.

You have five minutes to

do it.

Check your answers

Asks questions about the

acitivity:

what´s the comparative

of…? What´s the

superlative of … ? A

person from Mexico is a

… ?

Encourages students to use

Complete a chart with the

appropriate comparative and

superlative adjectives.

Write the nationalities of three

countries

Check their answers with pairs

Answer teacher questions

Let´s check the answers…

5 min.

Author: Juan Mauricio Giraldo

English.

Goes around groups checking

students work.

Has pairs compare work.

Together with students read

aloud the text The three

athletes.

Did you understand the

text?

Together with teacher read aloud

the text The three athletes.

Answers teacher´s questions

Asks questions

5 min.

Ask students to look at the chart

Tells the students they are going

to complete the chart using the

clues provided.

Take a Look at the chart

3. min.

Together with students read

aloud the clues provided in the

text.

Together with teacher read aloud

the clues provided in the text.

3. min.

Encourage students to start

solving the puzzle and guides

the activity for five minutes. This

is done through whole-class

interaction in the form of teacher

question and student response

See the logic in involved in what

they are being asked to do.

Start filling the chart

5. min.

Let´s students work on their own

Circulates around groups to make sure each student has a chance to talk; Determines which students have difficulty discussing about the task; he/she will investigate later whether students are having problems with the reading or with speaking

Work in pairs to solve the puzzle,

following teacher´s instructions

Ask and answer questions:

Who´s the tallest/ the

heaviest/…?

Who is taller/ shorter/…?

He is not taller than /

shorter than / …?

He is taller / heavier/ …?

He is not taller / heavier/ …?

Write answers in the chart

15 min.

Asks students to check answers Check their answers in pairs and

with other groups.

4 min.

Author: Juan Mauricio Giraldo

Students correct each other spelling

Juan / Pedro / Antonio is

______years old, weight

_____ pounds, is ______ tall

and is ________ ( Mexican,

Colombian, Brazilian)

Check answers and provides

feedback. This is done through

whole-class interaction in the

form of teacher question and

student response.

Very good, now we are

going to check the

answers to the puzzle.

Check answers and ask questions. 5 min.

For homework students are

asked to write a logic puzzle

F. Alternative Assessment:

1. During the activity, the teacher will take note of which students can ask and answers questions about the task. Later He/she will provide feedback on students vocabulary and phrasing.

2. Students Complete homework activity

Direct observation allows teacher to find out students performance in using spoken language in an structured activity. The homework G. Reflection – Phase 1:

Language is learned most effectively when it is used as a medium to convey informational content of interest to students. Communicative interaction encourages cooperative relationship among students. It gives students the opportunity to take risks, use language and work on negotiating meaning. It also lower student´s affective filter. In the homework activity the teacher can assesses students writing skills.

Author: Juan Mauricio Giraldo

English Activity

Activity 1: Complete the chart with the appropriate comparative and superlative

adjectives.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Young

Old

Heavy

Tall

Short

Activity 2. For each country write its nationality

Brazil ____________ Colombia ____________ Mexico ___________

Activity 3: Read the following text and then solve the logic puzzle. Complete

the chart

Three Athletes

Antonio, Pedro and Juan are athletes from Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico who want

to participate in an international competition. They are 14, 15 and 16 years old and

weight 60, 55 and 66 kilos. They are 1.70, 1.60 and 1.80 mts high. Use the

following clues to determine each athlete name, age, weight, height and

nationality.

a. Antonio is not the oldest but younger than Pedro.

b. Pedro is five kilos heavier than John

c. Pedro is not Mexican. The Brazilian boy is fifteen years old

d. The Colombian boy is the shortest

e. The youngest boy is taller than the Brazilian boy who weight 60 kilos

Name Age Weight Height Nationality

Juan

Pedro

Antonio

Activity 4 Write a logic puzzle using comparative and superlative adjectives