ACTIVITY 1 (“Animal Chant”)
Number of students: 28
Time: 13 minutes
Aims:
1) linguistic:
- to improve listening for specific information,
- to train memory,
- to revise vocabulary connected with the names of animals,
- to develop the awarness of the rhythm of English.
2) global:
- to practise physical co-ordination.
Keywords: look, a rabbit, a cat, a dog, a rat, a bird, a fish, a tortoise.
Assumed knowledge:
- pupils are familiar with the names of animals such as: a dog, a cat, a rabbit, a rat,
- they also recognize the structure: “It is …”.
Anticipated problems:
- for some students performing the actions may be too difficult,
- pupils may also have problems with recalling the English names of animals.
Suggested solutions:
- to practise presenting the movements slowly before singing,
- to revise the names of animals and present only a few new.
Materials: flashcards with animals, a tape with the chant (Ellis and Hancock, “Pebbles 1”, 1999, Addison Wesley Longman Limited), a tape recorder.
Procedure:
1) The teacher introduces the task by explaining children in Polish that they are going to listen to a chant about the animals. S/he provides pupils with the meaning of the word: “look”. The teacher also informs them that some names of animals are familiar to them, thus their task is to listen to the chant and remember which ones where mentioned in it.
2) Then, the teacher plays the tape. The students listen to it. After the listenig, learners tell which animals were mentioned in the chant. The teacher indicates the correct answers verbally by saying: “very good”.
3) The teacher revises the names of animals by using flashcards. S/he shows each animal and presents their pronunciation. Next, the teacher asks pupils to repeat the names of animas s/he demonstrates after her/him. They repeat.
4) After revising the vocabulary, the teacher presents new animals such as: a bird, a fish, a tortoise. S/he says their names in English and shows the flashcards of each. Children are to repeat these new names after her/him at first normally, then whisper them. The repetition is done twice.
5) The teacher plays the chant again in order to allow students to recognize new animals in it. Pupils listen to it carefully.
6) After the second listening, the teacher says the chant and slowly demonstrates the actions which accompany it. The students copy them.
THE CHANT TEACHER’S ACTIONS
Look, it is a rabbit. The teacher wiggles two fingers.
Look, it is a cat. S/he makes stroking movements.
Look, it is a dog. The teacher makes arm into a wagging tail.
Aagh! It is a rat. S/he throws hands up in horror.
Look, it is a bird. The teacher flaps arms to
make wings.
Look, it is a fish. S/he wiggles hand to make a swimming fish.
Look, it is a tortoise, going like this. The teacher waves head slowly.
7) After the demonstration, the teacher asks the learners to follow her/him movements while listening to the chant. The students follow the actions with the teacher.
8) The teacher revises the structure: “ It is …” by showing the flashcards with animals from the chant one-by-one and saying: “ It is a dog”, ect. Next, s/he asks pupils to repeat after her/him. Children do this.
9) Finally, the teacher encourages the students join in saying the words while listening to the chant once more. They join in the task.
Evaluation:
The activity was performed successfully and the major goal was achieved. Children revised the names of animals in the attractive way and learned a few new lexical items. The chant helped to develop children’s speaking skills as well as listening for specific informations. All students enjoyed the task very much and managed to fulfil it correctly.
mlmalgorzata1984