Opposites

Objectives:

1. Student will understand the concept of opposites

2. Student will expand their vocabulary as they learn words/concepts that are

opposites and use them in context.

3. Student will participate in a Jazz Chant, TPR, games, and activities that

require verbal understanding and use of opposites.

4. Students will be encouraged to only speak English, and to have a fun time!

ESL Objectives:

Pronunciation - result of producing the sounds of speech, including articulation, stress, and intonation,

often with reference to the English standard of correctness or acceptability. Pronunciation drills on the

following sounds are included: /th/ /l/ /v/ /w/ /short e/

Diction - usually implies a high level of usage; it refers chiefly to the choice of words and their

arrangement. This is encouraged when the students make substitutions, vary their tales, or create their

own skits. We want to encourage the students to use their English! Vocabulary - learning new words of a foreign language. This includes idiomatic expressions.

Fluency - able to speak smoothly, easily, gracefully, and readily. All ESL methods seek to increase

fluency.

Intonation - the sound pattern of phrases and sentences produced by pitch variation in the voice which

distinguishes kinds of sentences of different language cultures. Jazz chants are for the purpose of

working on intonation.

Confidence – levels increase the more students speak in front of their classmates, when the students are

encouraged to vary their stories and make substitutions, through stating their own arguments and

opinions, through skits, and in reciting dialogues.

Materials: vocabulary flashcards (go to www.mes-english.com, click flashcards, then

click adjectives). Tip: You can make your own flashcards from these words on 3 X 5

cards. Write one word on one side, and the opposite word on the other side.

Vocabulary: 32 sets of opposites

curly/straight early/late arrive/depart shallow/deep

bitter/sweet

expensive/cheap

victory/defeat

dirty/clean

nice/mean

short/long

interesting/boring

quiet/noisy

heavy/light

rude/polite

right/wrong

freeze/melt

open/close

hot/cold

bought/sold

true/false/

hard/easy

add/subtract

stupid/clever

always/never

empty/full

dawn/dusk

all/none

enemy/friend

break/mend

different/same

narrow/broad

answer/ask

Session One: 45 minutes

A. Law of the Review: review vocabulary from previous lesson by pointing to the word

on your “word wall” and calling on a student for its definition.

Do the same with the previous lesson’s idiom.

B. Open with the following TPR to introduce the concept of “opposites.”

[This is a very fun TPR for children and adults alike.]

The opposite moves of a Jumping Jack are called “The Fly”.

1. Begin by having the students do some jumping jacks.

2. Then introduce the “opposite” moves. Have the students begin by spreading their

legs out to their sides, and holding their arms down in front of their bodies.

Walk them through this slowly: when the legs come together (jack legs) the

arms move straight out to the sides. When the arms come together in front

of the body, the legs go out in a jack leg.

3. Students are use to doing jumping jacks, but the “Fly” is a very different

movement for the brain to connect with initially. Do it slowly until the students

get the “feel” of the new movement, then speed it up.

4. Once they have this movement, add variations:

Have them do the “Fly” forward 8 counts.

Have them do the “Fly” backward 8 counts.

Have them do the “Fly” in a circle 4 counts, then reverse the circle.

Have them cross their jack legs when they bring them together.

Add crossing of the arms when they bring them in front of the body.

Have the students bring their arms together behind their bodies.

5. Ask for a show of hands of all those who can do it correctly, even

with the variations.

C. By review: the students just did an opposite movement from one they should be very

acquainted with. Now introduce them to the concept of “word opposites” – [Tell them

not to open their student workbooks yet.]

1. Model the relationship between several sets of opposites.

Start with an easy pair such as big and small.

Draw a large circle on the board and then a very small one

(or show two items that look the same but size is different).

Point to the circles and say This circle is big or This circle is small.

This circle is not big—it is small, etc.

Go on to ask the following questions:

(Encourage students to respond with a complete sentence)

(1). Which circle is big?

(2). Which circle is small?

(3). Is this circle big?

(4). Is this circle small?

2. Explain big is the opposite of small, and small is the opposite of big.

3. Ask : What is the opposite of small? What is the opposite of big?

4. Then reinforce concepts with the pattern the opposite of _________ is

___________. Also ask What is the opposite of … ?

[ Teaching Tip: The best way to build understanding of the concept of “opposite” is to

demonstrate the concept rather than trying to define it. ]

5. Intermediates should not struggle with this introduction. If they

still appear to not understand, repeat the above procedure using other

easy opposites such as: loud/soft; near/far; full/empty; fat/thin, etc.

6. Teach the Opposite Song (tune: The Muffin Man)

D. Tell the students that in the lesson today they will learn many new sets of “opposites.”

First you want to know what they already know. To do this you will tell them

that you will say a word, and you will go around the room, in order, and the

student will give an opposite word.

The word the student gives may be the word in the vocabulary, but maybe the

student will give another word that is also opposite of the word you called out.

In that case, write that word on the blackboard, with the set of opposites given

in their vocabulary block. Maybe the student will not know the opposite of the

word given by the teacher.

It is important for the teacher to know which sets of opposites the students may

already know. They may know quite a few. They may not know any of them.

E. Once you have done this, have the students open their workbooks to the lesson on

Opposites.

Using visuals or objects and flashcards, or using physical action to

communicate concepts, such as with slow and fast (for example, have the

students start walking around the circle of chairs in a slow manner, then

gradually speed up for fast).

Work through the 32 sets of opposites in their vocabulary block again. The

students may look at the 32 sets as you go through each set.

Once you feel that have a fair grasp of the words, go to group work.

Session Two: 45 minutes

A. Group work:

1. Divide the students into 3 groups; each group has a Teaching Assistant as leader.

(The best way to divide the group is to have the students count off by 3’s.)

2. Give the leader of the group 11 sets of opposites on 3 X 5 cards

(one word on one side, the opposite of the word on the other side).

These are the very sets you just reviewed.

3. Go around the group asking each person in order to name the opposite word of

the word shown on the 3 X 5 card.

4. Turn the cards over and go through this procedure again.

5. When the group leader feels he/she knows the set of 11, switch cards with

another group and repeat procedure.

6. Finally, switch cards with the last group and repeat the procedure one more

time.

7. Ask the students in each group to think of more pairs of opposites that they

might know. The leader will write them down. Have every member (if

possible) of each group share a new pair of opposites and have the leader

list them on a piece of paper.

8. See which group contributes the most pairs, and write the number on the black

board. (The students love competition between groups!)

Session Three: 45 minutes

A. Teaching a Jazz Chant:

1. Read the jazz chant to the class, emphasizing the rhythm. Have the students

follow along in their workbooks.

2. Read again with Assistants.

3. Have the class echo each stanza after you and your assistants.

4. Have the class read a stanza, and you read a stanza. Teaching Assistants speak

along with the students.

5. Have students practice in pairs.

For the remainder of this hour have the students break up in pairs to

practice the chant.

Decide on the pairs by giving out numbers and have the students find

their matching number. OR, if this is taught near the end of the first

week or later, it is often a good idea for the teacher to select the pairs,

pairing an exceptional student with a struggling student.

Curly - straight

Early - late

Arrive - depart

We have a start!

Dirty - clean

Nice - mean

Interesting - boring

Quiet - noisy.

Freeze - melt

Open - close

Hot - cold

Bought - sold

Stupid - clever

Always - never

This jazz chant

Goes on forever!

Enemy - friend

Break - mend.

We had a beginning

We're near the end.

Shallow - deep

Bitter - sweet

Expensive - cheap

Victory - defeat.

Heavy - light

Rude - polite

Right - wrong

Short - long

True - false

Hard - easy

Add - subtract

You do the math!

Empty - full

Dawn - dusk

All - none

We're almost done.

Different - same

Narrow -broad

Answer - ask

We're done at last!!

Options: You may want the class to recite this all together when the students

are done practicing. You may want some students to do this in front

of the class, using their workbooks, trying to say it as fast as they can.

If time remains:

B. Play the “rhythm game.”

1. Have students sit in three circles

2. Teach them the “rhythm” motions

3. Slowly slap your lap twice with hands

4. Clap hands twice

5. Snap fingers on one hand then the other

6. All students keep in the rhythm.

7. The first person in the circle starts and says the phrase, for example,

Opposites, opposites,(slap lap), Voices are silent clapping hands in

between) up , down (snap fingers). .

8. The next student on his right in the circle keeps in the rhythm and says

a new pair of opposites for example, Opposites, opposites, fast slow

9. If a student cannot think of a pair, he/she is out.

10. Play the “rhyme game” several times until the period is over.

OR

C. Skits or Role Play – good activity for High Intermediates and Advance.

a. Split the class into pairs.

b. Give each pair a set of opposites (using vocabulary cards)

c. They need to make up a short simple skit that uses the opposites during

the dialogue.

d. Each student must speak at least one sentence during the “skit” using

a vocabulary word.

e. Students may write it down or just practice it orally together.

f. This may require the Americans to demonstrate what is expected.

g. Be sure to add humor and fun!

OR

D. Play Charades

a. Split the class into two teams

b. Play charades using a pair of opposites.

c. Each team member takes a turn (alternating teams) and acts out or shows

with their bodies the two words—no speaking used.

d. Time each team to see how long each takes to “solve” the same number of pairs

Note: In the Student Workbook there are two puzzle pages that you may want to include for them

to do at their leisure. The words in these puzzles are not their words for today, so you may choose

to skip these pages when printing the student workbook pages for this lesson. Another idea would

be if you would make up a cross-words puzzle with the vocabulary word opposites of the day.

Opposites

Vocabulary:

curly / straight expensive / cheap nice / mean bitter / sweet rude / polite quiet / noisy open / close short / long hard / easy bought / sold empty /full stupid / clever break / mend all / none answer / ask different / same arrive / depart victory / defeat shallow / deep dirty / clean interesting / boring heavy / light right / wrong freeze / melt hot / cold true / false add / subtract always / never dawn / dusk enemy / friend beginning / end narrow / broad early / late

Oh, do you know the opposites, If I sit down, the opposites, Then you must stand. the opposites? If I turn left, Oh do you know the opposites? Then you turn right. The meanings aren't the same. If I can frown, Then you can smile. If I say young, The meanings aren't the same. Then you say old. If I say hot, Oh yes, I know the opposites, Then you say cold. the opposites, If I say yes, the opposites. Then you say no. Oh yes, I know the opposites. The meanings aren't the same The meanings aren't the same.

Song:

Curly – straight Shallow - deep Early – late Bitter - sweet Arrive – depart Expensive - cheap We have a start! Victory – defeat. Dirty – clean Heavy - light Nice – mean Rude - polite Interesting – boring Right - wrong Quiet – noisy. Short – long. Freeze – melt True - false Open – close Hard - easy Hot – cold Add - subtract Bought – sold. You do the math! Stupid – clever Empty - full Always – never Dawn - dusk This jazz chant All - none Goes on forever! We’re almost done. Enemy – friend Different - same Break – mend. Narrow – broad We had a beginning Answer – ask We’re near the end. We’re done at last!!

Jazz Chant: