Methodology for Teachers – Primary – sample task
Unit 1: Children as Learners
Group: 2nd grade (7-year-olds)
Class characteristics: 18 students
Aim: review classroom vocabulary
Materials: Story: “In My School”
Activities:
1. Read aloud. The teacher reads the book, pausing to draw attention and mime the key words. Repeat the story and ask the children to do the mimes at the same time. Repeat the story again and ask the learners to point to the different things that are mentioned in the pictures.
2. Say sentences about the pictures and the story, some true and some false. Ask the learners to listen and say if each sentence is true or false. If they are capable of doing it, ask learners to change the false sentences to make them true.
3. Oral Practice. What we do different from the story. In pairs, learners speak in their L1 to talk about what is different between their routine and the one in the story. They report to the teacher. They teacher helps translate their answers into English and writes them on the board. Children with different levels can help each other to make different sentences.
4. Writing: draw your favourite part of the story. Lower level learners just draw; Higher level learners draw and label their drawings with key words, or write sentences about their drawings.
5. Conclusion: Show the learners each picture. Ask them to find the mouse. I say sentences: "The mouse is on the table!" Learners put thumbs up if the sentence is true and thumb down if it is false.
Group: 5th grade (10-year-olds)
Class Characteristics: 23 students
Objective: Review the present simple tense.
Materials: Story: “In My School”
Activities:
1. Read together: in mixed-abilities groups of 4, the students learners read and help each other understand the story. Learners report back, telling you what the story is about. Write true/false sentences on the board. Learners work together to mark the sentences true or false.
2. Language focus: In their groups, learners find verbs in the story. Check answers with the class. Write some example sentences on the board. Ask learners to help you make the sentences negative or turn them into questions. Ask the questions and have them answer.
3. Writing: Put learners in groups and ask them to work together to write about their school routine. Monitor and note down some common mistakes they make. Ask different groups to read out their descriptions. Then, write examples of incorrect sentences on the board and ask the class to correct them for you.
4. Singing or reciting: in the same groups, as learners to turn their description into a rap, song or poem. They can make changes if necessary. Different groups present their work to the class.
5. Conclusion: I say sentences about the learners' daily routine and they listen and put thumb up or down depending if it’s true or false. Then, with the class, we talk about an ideal routine.