Thursday, August 31, 2006

TPRS Middle School Activity

With my 6th and 7th Grade Classes I have been using the Sabine und Michael Series of TPRS Books and Lessons from Michael Miller. In sixth grade I begin with 6 weeks of traditional TPR and then introduce stories, discovery reading, and journal writing. Also for every unit the students are required to to an oral project of some sort. Students have made and presented posters skits and even DVD and video presentations in the past.

Grade School Weather Activity

Kindergarten Lesson Plan

Objective

Procedures

Evaluation/ Assignment

Materials

Teacher Behavior

Student Behavior

Given the visual input of a marker board calendar students will be able to recite in unison and recall individually, the month , the days of the week and the current date.

Given weather data from previous days and new information obtained by the students. Students will able to discuss collectively the results of their observations and maintain a graphic depiction of that weather information.

Given a verbal command to throw a beanbag on a specific letter, number, or concept the student will be able to throw it on the correct place on the floor or rug showing their understanding of the verbal command and the said concept.

Giving verbal queues, posing questions and providing feedback.

Provide verbal input, direction, guidance and facilitating the collective negotiation of the class about the information indicated by the graph.

Gather students to game area and explain rules encourage students to complement one another when getting one right. Give feedback.

Students will be expected to share their answers verbally while the others listen attentively. Also individual students will be asked to come forward and mark off the current date on the calendar.

Student will collectively verbally negotiate and decide if the student picking and placing the weather icon correctly. Then the class will decide democratically how many days of each weather element have occurred in the current month.

Students stand on either side of game board surface and take turns at throwing beanbags as instructed by teachers. Their answers will indicated by the placement of their beanbags.

Successful student interpretation assessed by appropriate verbal responses

Individual will select the correct weather icon for that day and place it in the right column on the graph. Class will establish how many sunny, rainy, cloudy days have occurred during current month

Correct responses and encouragement of others in the class

Markerboard calendar and marker.

Velcro weather board graph and Velcro weather icons (i.e. Cloud, rain, sun)

Rug or floor with target numbers letters and or concepts depicted on them.

VIDEO OF MY KINDERGARTEN CLASS

Play the video below and see my preferred method of instruction. First the version for this site. Then below the version from You Tube.

The Two Videos below are portions of a song the Kindergarten Students did for their parents at the end of the year.

Reading/ Listening/Singing Activity

In my High School classes periodically(no pun intended) as a warm up or bell ringer Reading activity at the beginning of class I have a short article that I have printed out from the internet with highlighted words on it. Then I give them 5-8 minutes to quietly read it to themselves and guess or match up the highlighted words with their English equivalents. They also have to be prepared to give me a verbal summary of what they think the article was about. Below is an example of one such article I got from the internet. (DPA) Deutsche Presse Agenteur the equivalent of our AP Associated Press.

Please match the English words found below with the German words in this article and then write an English summary of this article on the back of this sheet.

Ausgewachsenes Hauskrokodil Amy muß ins Heim

London (dpa) - Fast 13 Jahre lang hat ein englisches Ehepaar ein Krokodil als Haustier gehalten. Das anderthalb Meter lange Reptil schlich schnell und ungehindert durch das Wohnzimmer. Die Besitzer, hatten jetzt eine Tierpflege-Firma gerufen, weil "Amy" langsam zu gross wuchs, berichtete ein Tierpfleger im BBC-Rundfunk. Doch "Amy" habe ihm fast die Hand abgebissen, als sie ihr vertrautes Heim nicht verlassen wollte. Ein wenig Klebeband habe geholfen. Gefüttert wurde das Haus-Krokoodil mit Steaks.

bit off /reported /owner/ home /the couple /almost /fed/ kept /adhesive tape/ slithered /animal caretaker /without opposition/ to leave /grew

The Song activity I do frequently with all levels involves reading, listening and active singing (speaking). What follows is and example of a song worksheet that I hand out to students. I use these songs as a break from but a supplement to my usual teaching activities I use songs that pass into a unit thematically. Usually I have students listen to the song once through and then the second time follow along with the worksheet and try to fill in the missing words. After that we read through the song together as a class and try to help one another understand everything. Then I play the song one last time and have the students get up and sing the song themselves at least the refrain!

LASSIE SINGERS
“REGEN”

Regen fällt auf die Welt. _________ ist das Himmelszelt.

Sieh, wie die __________glänzt. Wie sie uns spiegelt. (Whoah Whoah Whoah Whoah)

Regen Regen auf allen Wegen. Wir haben nichts dagegen,

Regen, macht uns Spaß er macht uns alle nass.

Auffallen Regen Regen. Wir haben nichts dagegen.

Regen, macht uns Spaß er macht uns alle nass.

Wer erfrischt die bunten Wiesen? Wer lässt die Blumen trinken?

Wer ___________an die Fensterscheiben? Und lässt uns in Träume versinken?

Regen fällt auf die Welt. Grau ist das Himmelszelt.

Sieh, wie die Straße glänzt. Wie sie uns spiegelt.

Regen fällt auf die Welt. Regen er fällt und fällt.

Er fällt auf dich und mich.

Aus allen Wolken. Regen, Regen.

Auf alle Wege Regen. Regen. Wir haben nichts dagegen.

Regen, macht uns Spaß er macht uns alle nass.

Auf alle Wege Regen. Regen. Wir haben nichts dagegen.

Regen, macht uns Spaß er macht uns alle nass.

Wer macht die schmutzigen Autos sauber? Wer __________ mit dem Wind?

Wer küsst die großen Flüsse, wenn sie todmüde sind.

Auf alle Wege Regen. Regen. Wir haben nichts dagegen.

Regen, macht uns Spaß er macht uns alle nass.

Auf alle Wege Regen. Regen. Wir haben nichts dagegen.

Regen, macht uns Spaß er macht uns alle nass.

Regen, Regen, Regen, nichts dagegen.

Er macht uns alle nass.

nass-_________________ schmutzigen-________________ glänzen-

todmüde- Himmelszelt- dagegen-

Block Plan and Lessons

The following was a block plan created for seventh grade students in their second year of German language instruction. Students range in age from 11 to 13. It is a coeducational public suburban middle school and the children are heterogeneously grouped. The Chapter I am going to teach is a chapter entitled "Pläne Machen" (Making Plans). Broadly the chapter addresses the following; strategies to open up a cconversation how to tell time/ 24 hour clock; How to talk about when you do things; making plans; ordering food and beverages; talking about how something tastes; paying a check. In my block plan I will focus on telling time using time phrases. Besides the free time activities introduced in the chapter I will provide the students additional vocabulary so that they can better express their own interest in the target language.

Objectives for the week:
Objective #1 Content: Students will be able to start a conversation by asking how someone is and then responding appropriately ( i.e. with a positive, neutral or negative response).
Behavior Every morning during the warm-up students will greet one another one at a time using various conversation openers and appropriate responses.
Objective #2 Content: Students will be able to recognize and express informal means of telling time in the target language.
Behavior: Using paper plate clocks, the students will indicate that they understand the times being orally said. In homework, tests and group activities they will show their abilities to express and comprehend the time both in written and oral form.
Objective # 3 Content: Students will be able to recognize a minimum of 6 places German students like to go during their free time and what activities they engage in when they get there.
Behavior: Students will demonstrate through TPR their comprehension of the new vocabulary Also, in matching games and exercises they will be able to match up the destinations with some activities that correspond.
MONDAY

*Objectives: seeing if students can still express formal time. Brief introduction of time expressions Reviewing positive negative and neutral conversation openers.
*Warm Up: (10 min) Introduce and discuss word of the day. Reviewing appropriate greetings/ conversation openers. Have three students volunteer to record the possible responses in three separate lists; positive neutral and negative. At the end of the activity, have students get the examples in their notebooks.
*Modeling: (12 min) With large clock at the front of the classroom demonstrate times and students to say the formal times aloud in German. Pass out paper plate clocks and check for understanding by verbally giving times and checking their responses. Remind students of the use of the 24-hour clock for official time telling in Germany.
*Introduce: (5 min) New informal ways of expressing time. Using before, after and half till.
*Practice: (8 min.) Say times using the informal expressions and see if the students can indicate the times correctly on their paper plate clocks.
*Closure: (5 min.) Game: Time Tic Tac Toe. Divide class into two teams (in lines ) X's and O's. Put a tick tac toe board on the board with various times written digitally in the boxes of the tic tac toe board. Take turns and with a student say the time correctly either formally or informally they get the space. Have a student summarize the main points of the lesson for the class and be sure that all understand the homework.
*Homework: Copy new vocabulary alphabetically into notebook.
TUESDAY
*Objectives: To continue working on informal expressions of time and conversation openers.
*Before class: As students filter into classroom informally survey them about their favorite T.V. shows and what time they are on.
*Warm up: (5 min) Introduce and discuss word of the day. More practice of conversation openers with review of other recent vocabulary interspersed. Wrapping it up with asking "Wie viel Uhr ist es?" (What time is it?)
*Introduce: (10 min.) Ways of asking the time in German. Wie viel Uhr ist es? Wie spät ist es? (both what time is it?) And "Um wieviel Uhr?"(At what time?) Show them also the construction to answer these questions ("Es is..."It is... "and "Um...Uhr" "At ... O'clock"). Also introduce Mittag and Mitternacht (noon and midnight) Have students write all these expressions in their notebooks. Also practice some exchanges using these expressions.
*Practice: (8 min.) With the paper plate clocks. Ask questions of the students such as "What time does school start? What time do you have German? What time do you have Lunch? What time does school end?" Have the students respond both verbally in German and with the clocks.
*Housekeeping: (5 min.) Check for homework and go over it.
*Write: (4 min.) The names of the TV shows on the board. And ask in German what time that particular show comes on T.V.
*Closure: (8 min.) To practice writing numbers for the homework assignment break class into teams and have them stand in rows in front of the board show them a number from 1-24 on a card and a member from each team has to write out the number in German (with correct spelling). The first team member to finish writing it correctly wins a point for their team. After the game, have a student veverbally recount for the class what they learned today and what activities took place.
*Homework: Pg. 46+47 from Komm Mit I grammar book.
WEDNESDAY
*Warm Up: (8min.) Introduce and discuss word of the day. Have students greet one another and throw beanie baby to each person they greet and then that person must respond appropriately and ask someone else how they are today. Then follow up with the Stimmt(right) Stimmt nicht(wrong) Game. This is a listening activity. I will go through the typical school day verbally in German and list off true and false times for when they start school, have lunch, German etc.. Students indicate whether my statements are true or false by indicating thumbs up for true and thumbs down for false. Ask a student "wie viel Uhr ist es?" (What time is it?)
*Practice: (8 min.) Pass out paper plate clocks and review different times using both formal and informal ways of saying time. Verbally say the time, then check to see if students have indicated correct time. Show your clock to the class after all have shown theirs to you.
*Buddy Clock: (5 min.) Have students take out their "Buddy Clocks" (A sheet of paper they

keep in their notebooks with a clock with names of other students on the different hours.) Ask the students to pair up with their 8 o'clock partners. Have one partner ask the other how they are ( in target language) Have the second partner respond. Then have the firs partner ask the other what time it is. Then have them ask teir buddy what time they have English. In between each exchange, stop the groups and ask a student how thier partner responded during the exchange (correct and provide further modeling where necessary).
*Housekeeping: (3 min) Check that previous night's homework is complete.
*Ordering game: (15 min.) split up some of the pairs and create groups of three. Explain that now they will have to look at the 3x5 cards I give them and figure out what order they go in going by the times indicated on them. Each set of cards tells the story of a fictional or not so fictional student's day. Some of the names are the"German" names of students in the class. After they have successfully put the cards in order each group will individually present the day of the person whose cards they received. Each student will read at least one card and the others will "act out" the activities described on the cards.
*Homework: Packets with written exercises for practice of writing the time and time expressions. Packet also has practice of writing the time formally and informally. Homework for tonight is the first three pages of the packet. Announce Quiz for Friday on time.
*Closure: (1 min.) Ask a student volunteer to summarize the lesson.
THURSDAY
*Warm up: (5 min.) Introduce and discuss the word of the day. Have students greet on another and throw beanie baby to each person they greet and then the person must respond appropriately and ask someone else how they are today.
*Modeling: (8 min.) Through classical Total Physical Response introduce six new expressions for going to the movies, cafe, downtown, swimming and to a rock concert. Check for understanding by having all students close their eyes and repeat the motions after I say each of the expressions out loud.
*Check previous night's homework: (3 min.)
*Story: (20 min.) I will read aloud from a children's book in the target language about time. The story tells about events in a young German child's life thoughout a typical day. Again I will hand out the paper plate clocks. After each page I will ask everyone to show the time they heard mentioned on their clocks. Also I will ask for a student to summarize what they believe happened on the page before I show the class the accompanying illustration.
*Homework: Studying for quiz and finishing the 4th page to the time packet. Copy new vocabulary into notebook.
*Closure: (4 min.) At the end of the class I will have the students stand up and do the TPR motions I taught them earlier in the class. I will recite the accompanying phrases and they must produce the TPR motion. Then I will ask for a volunteer to summarize the lesson for the other students.
FRIDAY
*Warm up: (5 min.) Introduce and discuss word of the day(manchmal, sometimes). Have students greet on another in target language. Show students your model clock and have them tell you what the times you put o the clock. ( As a quick review before quiz)
*Quiz: (10-15 min.) Give out quiz and recite oral portion for students.
*Check for Homework: while students are taking the quiz. Have them pass it in before passing out the quiz.
*Survey: (10-15 min) Hand out survey worksheet to students and have them get with thier 3 o'clock buddies and complete the survey. The survey asks about what time they do different things during the day. Collect surveys and tell students that on Monday they will be asked about some of the answers their partner gave.
*Game (Flyswatter): (5 min.) Have the vocabulary phrases from the week written on the board. Have the students break into tow teams standing in single file rows in front of the board. Teacher recites vocabulary (in English) and the first team member to swat the appropriate word (in German) gets a point for their team.
*Closure: (1 min.) Have each student tell you one thing they learned this week before you allow them to leave the classroom.

MATERIALS FOR THE WEEK LIST
1. Situation cards for Wednesday's "Ordering Game"
2. Homework packet (Time): Wednesday and Thursday nights' homework.
3. Quiz and Key: for Friday.
4. Survey (Umfrage): for Friday's activity.
5. Paper plate clocks: Enough for entire class for modeling throughout the week.