Show pictures of babies. Hold up a birth announcement and say:
For nine months, a mother and father wait for the new baby. Then the happy parents announce the birth. They send a birth announcement to friends. This says: "We are so happy! Our baby is here!" Our baby is born.
You might prefer to illustrate this with a simple time line on the board: baby is born
waiting 9 months - birth(day) - birth announcement - birthday every year
Distribute a birthday candle to each student (or have a box of candles). Point to "Birthday Celebration" on the board and say:
Every year we celebrate the day of birth. We have a birthday cake with candles.
Show a picture of a birthday party or bring out the cake, the hat, and the whistles! Write the word "birthday" on the board and say:
Today our lesson is about birthdays. But to talk about birthdays, we need to know calendar words: months, days, and numbers.
As you say these three words, flip through the calendar to point out examples of the months, days, and numbers. Do not, however introduce all these words now. The purpose of the warm-up is simply to focus on the topic of the lesson.
Hand out a Student Study Guide to each student. Call attention to the months listed in #A. (One word of caution! Your students already know months, days, and numbers in their own language. Your job is to help them re-label what they already know-not to teach them these things as if they are learning for the first time!)
Turning calendar pages, say the names of the months-beginning with the month in which this lesson is taught. Then go through a second time beginning with January. A third time-ask all students to join you in the repetition. If some have already been joining in this recitation, encourage their efforts. This simply helps you know who the most proficient students are!
1 Assign partners to engage in "pair spelling." For example, to spell "January," student 1 (S1) says "J," student 2 (S2) says "A," S1 says "N," S2 says "U," (etc.)
2 Distribute 3x5 cards on which are written the names of all twelve months. Give each pair of students only one set of "month cards" to make sure they share this task. Tell students that you want them to alphabetize the cards. But first you will show them what it means to alphabetize. Write the three groups of words below on the board (all from Lesson One). Spell each word as you write it (providing practice saying the letters). Then write a number (1, 2, or 3) in front of each word to indicate alphabetical order for that group.
|
spell
last first |
father
wife daughter |
love
baby live |
Let your students actually hear you "think out loud," to help them understand the mental processes involved in this activity. Now ask students to alphabetize their "month cards."
When several students have completed alphabetizing the months, ask the pair who finished first to lead the class in reading the alphabetical list together.
Then ask the class to use these cards once more to sequence the months as they are on a calendar. Get them started by asking what the first month is - then what comes next (or what is after). Once the cards are in correct order, ask students (1) to read them to each other and (2) to say them as fast as possible (just for fun!). The speedy approach provides one last repetition but with added variety! To be sure-if students can say all twelve quickly, they know them!
1 Make a copy of Handout #2 (Squares for Months) for each pair of students. Cut the squares and place each complete set in an envelope to facilitate storage as well as distribution. (a) Issue one set of squares to each pair of students. Ask that they arrange the squares to spell all twelve months. or (b) Using only one set of squares, give each student one square. If you have fewer than twenty-one students, simply cover a few months at a time, according to the size of group. Ask students to "mingle and match" squares to form the twelve months. When the task is completed, ask that they arrange themselves in alphabetical order and read only the part that they hold in their hands. This could bring comic relief to serious language study!. This is a good activity for any level! The more advanced students will simply finish sooner!
2 Divide the class into small groups with each person answering the following two questions (writing these on the board as you say them):
What is your favorite month?
Why is it your favorite?
Model what you want the students to do. Tell the class what your favorite month is and why, in the simplest words possible-with an abundance of body language. Help students understand "favorite" by saying, (first with other examples such as colors and foods):
I like ________, _________, and _________ but ______________ is my favorite! It is my favorite because __________________.
It will be helpful also, if-right before you give an answer - you first repeat (and point to) the question on the board.
Say the name of each day of the week as you point to it on the calendar. Then ask students to look at #A in the Student Study Guide and read them with you.
 |
Note: A most useful hand motion to use in second language instruction is one that distinguishes same and different. To indicate same -hold both hands in front of you - palms up - as if they represent scales for weighing. To show different -hold you left hand in palce as it is already but rotate your right hand and move it away but at the same height as the other hand. Imagine that, with both palms up, your right thumb is pointing to 9:15 - if it's a clock! To show different, rotate your hand counter clockwise - and stop your thumb on 8:30. |
Focus attention on the syllable stress and number of each word by asking students to clap with you as you say the days of the week again. After "Sunday," ask:
How many syllables (or claps!) do you hear?
As you say the words "how many," hold up your hand and count on your fingers "one," "two," "three," etc.
After determining the number of syllables, ask:
What syllable is stressed?
Using fingers again, ask:
Is it the first syllable, the second?
Clap "Sunday" once more with exaggerated stress on the first syllable. Students will discover that all have two syllables and first syllable stress - with one exception (one that is different!). This, of course, is "Saturday" - with three syllables.
1 Ask students to look in #A of the Student Study Guide - and to read the days of the week and to clap the syllables of each word. As you give further instructions, use the word "Sunday" as an example. Demonstrate how and ask students (1) to draw vertical lines between syllables and (2) to circle the stressed syllable(s) in each word..
2 Distribute Handout #3 (Days of the Week) and go over the instructions for the activity of your choice (one or all) - correctly sequencing jumbled days, filling in missing letters, unscrambling letters to make these words, and answering questions to aid long-term memory of these words. Students may work alone, then check answers with a partner or small group - or work in pairs from the start. With each activity, demonstrate what to do before students do this for themselves.
1 Divide class into teams or small groups to play "Concentration." Use two colors of card or paper, one color with the full name and theother color with the abbreviations. Students are to take turns turninig over one card of each color, hoping to get a match. When a person does get a match, he/she scores a point and gets an additional turn.
2 Before telling students about the following activity that matches words and actions, briefly go over some vocabulary that students will need to know. Simply mention each action (right column below) and see if anyone can show what this means. If there are no "takers," then you show what this is (no words-just pantomiming).
Give half the students a paper strip on which you have written one of the following sentences (on the left)-and the other half a paper strip bearing one of the actions to do (on the right):
|
Sentences
I worship God on Sunday. I buy food on Monday. I cook food on Tuesday. I wash clothes on Wednesday. I iron clothes on Thursday. I clean house on Friday. I visit friends on Saturday. |
Actions
Worship God. Buy food. Cook food. Wash clothes. Iron clothes. Clean house. Visit friends. |
Or - if pressed for time - and if you have a handy copier - you may copy this page and cut the strips from here!
The person with a sentence is to walk around saying that sentence and looking for the action. The "action person" is to walk around "doing" the action and listening for those words. When everyone has found their match, they are to share their match with the class. If you have an uneven number of students, try doubling on the actions (two working like "twins") or walking around and saying the sentences. This activity can nicely accommodate a multi-level classroom (i.e., when some know more than others). If time permits you can get more mileage out of this activity by making it into a jazz chant, teaching native-like stress. (This will be-in this case-two beats or two finger snaps per line-as indicated by capital letters!)
I WORship God on SUNday.
I BUY food on MONday.
I COOK food on TUESday.
I WASH clothes on WEDNESday.
I IRON clothes on THURSday.
I CLEAN house on FRIday.
I VISit friends on SATurday.
And HOW about YOU????
After teaching the chant to the whole class, you could call on individuals to pick it up "solo" as you get to the last line. You might also let small groups or pairs have fun with this. This could even lead to a discussion about what individuals do on different days of the week!
1 Count the number of days in a month using the month in which you are teaching this lesson. Then read the cardinal and ordinal number words in Handout #4.
2 Give a brief dictation test to check listening accurary. Ask students to write what they hear you say:
13 30 50 15
3 Help students hear the difference by clapping these syllables, e.g.: __ _____ /_____ __ (short-long/long-short- --15/50)
1 Cut two sizes of paper strips (from a single color) - one much longer than the other. On the board draw two
rectangles to approximate their size (the longer labeled -teen , the shorter labeled -ty). Conduct a dictation exercise, calling out numbers 13 through 19 and 30 to 90 (by tens).
Ask students to hold up the longer strip if they hear a -teen word and the shorter strip for the -ty words. This will give you immediate feedback as to how well students are hearing these word endings. (After learning the listening "trick" in the presentation of numbers, students should find this easier to do!)
2 Give each pair of students a "set" of 3x5 card or pieces of paper on which you have written number words and numer als (1-31) - that's a total of 62. To be a good steward of 3x5 cards, you could cut each card in half and still have something suitable to use. Half of these should have numerals (1-31); and half should have number words (one through thirty-one). The pairs are to work together to match numerals and number words.
3 Read ordinal numbers from Handout #4. Direct students' attention to the bottom of the page. Then -pointing to the present month on a real calendar -count the days using ordinal numbers.
4 Provide further practice of ordinal numbers with a lively relay race to the chalk board. Divide students into two teams who try to be the first to erase the ordinal number you call out. Prior to class you will have written an assortment of ordinal numbers-two identical sets in close proximity of one another on the board.
1 Go over the questions in Handout #5: (Birthday Interview) - and the meaning of the word "born" in particular. Try to find pictures of a pregnant woman (preferably nine-months pregnant!), then a newborn baby-with successive pictures on the first birthday, second birthday, (etc.). This would help establish the difference between birthdate (the day of one's birth-when one is born) and birthday (a party every year to celebrate that happy day, the day of one's birth).
Demonstrate asking and answering these questions with the help of your teaching partner or with the best student in your class. From the perspective of many other world cultures, the United States way of writing dates is "backwards." Illustrate this contrast with a few examples from the board - using "real-life" birthdays of students in the class.
If possible, give a small reward (a mint or piece of gum) for the person who is the first to finish the interview.
2 Have fun with the "Rhythm" game. Everyone numbers-off in a circle. Then you must teach the motions. Clap your lap twice, clap hands twice, snap fingers of right hand, then fingers of left hand. On the right hand snap, you say your number - then on the left hand snap, say the number of someone else in your circle. That person (without breaking the "rhythm") says his/her number on the right hand snap and someone else's number on
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