Name

Joel Swagman

Date  / Time of obs

18:00-19:00 July 13, 2016

Class code

H1AG-ED-1513

No. of students

18

Main aim

By the end of the lessons, students will have had practice in a variety of different reading skills: reading for main ideas, identifying cohesive devices in a text (specifically pronoun references) scanning a text for specific information, and reading a text critically to identify the writer’s opinion.

Subsidiary aims

• Speaking practice on a topic related to the reading topic--i.e. the pros and cons of visiting Antarctica as a tourist

Materials

Google Slides, Textbooks, various handouts, whiteboard, markers

Signposting

All signposting will use Google Slides

Timetable fit

The third lesson in a unit on Travel.  The reading and production activities make use of “should” and “shouldn’t” which students have already practiced in the 1st and 2nd lesson of the same unit.

Anticipated problems (lateness, class size, dynamics etc.)

Solutions

• The textbook assumes a certain amount of familiarity with Antarctica which my students may not have.
• Some students are reluctant to work with partners

• As a pre-reading activity, show students pictures of Antarctica, and have students identify Antarctica on a map.
• create material that forces students to work with partners.  Instead of using the book.  Do not give students their own individual copy of some worksheets, but only give out one worksheet per pair.

Which specific skills will the learners practice? e.g. reading for gist and detail, writing an email, speaking on the phone etc.

Reading for main idea

identifying cohesive devices

scanning the text for information

Identifying the author’s opinions

Potential learner problems with skills

Possible solutions

Students are good at scanning the text for exactly the same words as the question, but struggle with questions that are paraphrased.

The activity on identifying pronoun references is a good warmer for the activity that asks students to scan for specific information.  Students can learn that the pronoun “it” or “there” can contain the information.

Time / Interaction

Stage Name and Aim (why)

Procedure

(what you and / or students and/or TA will do)

Observer comments

7 Minutes

T--Ss

Ss--Ss

53 minutes remaining

Pre-Reading

Aim:

To ensure students understand what the topic is.

For Students To get activate previous knowledge students have of the topic

1. Teacher shows the students several pictures of Antarctica and asks from students where it is.  Students answer

2. Teacher shows map of the world.  Students discuss with partner where Antarctica on the map.  After checking with partner, teacher calls on one student to point to Antarctica on the map.

3. In pairs, students discuss what they already know about Antarctica.  

Instructions:

Talk about these questions.  Don’t write anything.  Just talk.  

If you don’t know, it’s okay.  Just say: “I don’t know.” It’s okay.

ICQs:

Should you write?

If you don’t know, what can you say?

Students discuss in pairs.  Teacher monitors.  Delayed correction if appropriate.  

Collect answers as a class at the end.  These predictions can later be checked against the actual information.

5 minutes

Ss--text

48 minutes remaining

Gist Reading:

FST practice reading to understand the main idea of a text.

Directions on Google Slides.

Do first one as an example.

Students word in pairs.

Feedback on Google Slides.

10 minutes

38

minutes remaining

Paying attention to cohesive devices.

FST get practice identifying cohesive devices in the text

Teacher holds new worksheet to chest.

Instructions:

Find the underlined word.

Match the word to its meaning.

First example is done together on Google Slides.

Teacher hands out worksheets.  Students do individually, and then check in pairs.

Feedback is on Google Slides

7 minutes

Ss-Text

31 minutes remaining

Scanning for specific details

FST practice scanning a text for specific details

Teacher instructs gives students questions to open their books up.

Teacher directs students attention to questions on slideshow (some of the same questions as used in the pre-reading activity)

First one is done as example.

Students are instructed to read text and answer questions.

Check with partner.

Feedback by calling on individual students with Google Slides

10 minutes

Ss--text

21 minutes remaining

Identifying opinions in the article

FST practice critically reading a text to identify author’s opinions

Teacher directs students attention to the Google Slides.

Teacher does the first two (one from each category) as an example.

Students are given worksheet and instructed to work with their partner.

Feedback with whole class

10 minutes

Ss-ss

11 minutes remaining

Make a list of their own opinions-brainstorming

FST brainstorm ideas, that will potentially be used in the production activity

Teacher directs students attention to Google Slides

Students are instructed to think of their own ideas of why they should visit Antarctica.

Two examples are given.

Students are divided into small groups.

Students are given a sheet of paper, and instructed to write down as many ideas as possible on the sheet.

At the end of 3 minutes, students are stopped.  They are instructed to count up their answers.

The team with the most answers is asked to read their answers aloud to the class.

The process is repeated for reasons against.

10 minutes

1 minute remaining

Talk with partner.

FST get some speaking practice related to the topic

Students are assigned a partner, and given a card.  They are told to argue for a trip to Antarctica, or against a trip to Antarctica.