Lesson Plan

Teacher: (your name here) Observer: (normally a co-teacher) Date and time: 6 August 2020

Class level: Intermediate Room: 1B Expected number of students: 15

Context/ Topic: Teaching Comparative Adjectives

Objective: To introduce my learners to the comparative form of 4 adjectives (bigger, smaller, younger, older) and to ensure by the end of this

lesson that they will be able to utilise these forms in speech and writing. Connection to Achievement Goal: My objective is the first step to ensuring that my learners can utilise a wide range of adjectives by the end of the

lesson

Assessment: By observation during their independent practice, by checking their worksheets, and via a homework assignment.

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OPENING (7.5 mins.) MATERIALS

Relate to previous learning – one-syllable adjectives and structures I am big/small etc. and he/she/it is big/small etc. Check this. Warmer: focus on big using Hu and Chen, front of class. Don’t have word to describe Chen who is bigger. Important to know this and other words to describe differences in people, animals, things. Words not difficult. Will help them. Will show words on board then use Hu and Chen again. Then a written activity and some fun games. And some nice homework.

Hu and Chen

INTRODUCTION OF NEW MATERIAL (10 mins.)

Anticipate misunderstanding-keep emphasising what they will learn relates to lots of other words – not just these 4 words. Emphasise new words important (to show differences) and not difficult. Keep them engaged: make intentional mistakes with stick figures; use learners at random; ask them for examples (realia); simple questions that can be answered. Keep checking absorption and use varied approach: questions, their demonstrations, and examples (realia), eliciting.

Using the PowerPoint presentation and the projector, I will show a picture of a big man. Elicit big first . Put ‘big’ under the drawing. Then show a picture of a bigger man? This man is …. Gestures and hand movements to show that one is bigger but don’t give the word. Tell them this one is bigger. Write bigger on the board and also appears under the picture, underlining the ending –er. Get them to repeat bigger as a class and ask learners at random to repeat the word. Get them to repeat: Hu is big. Chen is bigger. Point to the ending-er. Check pronunciation. Also use many other examples in my presentation

Bring out Hu and Chen again. Ask the class at random. Who is big? Who is bigger? Confirm and praise. Keep checking pronunciation.

Hu and Chen return to their seats. Now ask all the learners to get into pairs, swiftly – with one partner being bigger than the other. Go around the pairs, checking they can identify themselves as big and bigger. Confirm and praise.

Now demonstrate again from the presentation the other examples given they add –er to the basic word when the other person, thing or animal is bigger – both in speaking and writing. Remind and demonstrate to them on the presentation that this happens with most words that they know, e.g. small-smaller, young-younger, old-older, miming these and using the learners to demonstrate the point. Also use the board to explain exceptions to -er rule like happier.

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PowerPoint Presentation

Hu and Chen

All in pairs

presentation

GUIDED PRACTICE. (15 mins.)

Keep them engaged! Emphasise that these new words are very important. But they’ll use lots of words they already know. Finish with fast-moving question/answer session to ensure engagement and interest. Display some on the presentation but also ask them what other words they can think of.

Tell and demonstrate. Pin up (Blu-Tack) flipchart sheet – a large copy of the worksheet. Ensure all can see. Hold up worksheet. Explain they are going to write in their answers on their worksheet. The exercise has two parts – questions 1-4, and questions 5-8.

In questions 1-4, they need to write in words, using the same form as they learned about the word big by adding –er on the end of the word. In questions 5-8 (scaffolded), they have two sentences in each question. They need to complete one of these by writing the missing word on the dotted line. Tell them they’ll work in pairs. Check understanding by questions and eliciting.

Put in pairs. Hand out worksheets. Then monitor, help, and correct throughout this step. Ignore spelling. Then correct as a whole class, asking pairs at random to give their answers, confirming each pair got it right and checking pronunciation by class drilling and by random selection of learners. Confirm and praise. Clear up any mistakes.

Then, l will introduce some realia: toy animals and things that they can compare, giving out their responses orally, while using the practiced structure, e.g. bigger, smaller, younger, older. This will further consolidate their learning, and it will also give me further opportunity to correct any pronunciation issues.

Presentation

Worksheet

Pairs

Worksheets

Realia

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE. (20 mins.)

Observe, listen, and assess.

The two exercises will keep them engaged and interested. Also, continue to emphasise that these new words are very important. Again, work in pairs, which always engages them. Keep encouraging and praising them – this also engages them.

Clearly state what I want them to do and demonstrate what I want them to do.

Activity 1

Demonstrate the first activity by using a flipchart sheet with a blown-up copy of their worksheet - a copy of a map of the Far East with country names clear. There are no sizes on the map – learners will decide visually and ask me to referee if necessary. Pin it up with Blu-Tack.

Will identify who is A and who is B in the pair. A selects two countries, tells B what they are, and A writes in his workbook, for example, Japan is big. China is bigger. At the same time, B does the same for two countries, but he must choose two different countries from those that A chose.

A now reads aloud his first comparison to B who reads and checks aloud the comparison and then B does the same with A. They do the same format again, choosing different pairs of countries, this time using small/smaller. Check understanding by questions and eliciting. Use a pair of learners to model this.

Extension: Those who finish earlier will be asked to continue comparing and choosing different pairs of countries that are big/bigger, small/smaller.

Give out worksheets

During this time, I will be walking about, listening, answering a few questions, giving help as necessary, but not teaching or interrupting the flow. I will quietly ask some of the pairs to read out their selections to me. Monitor the structure of the sentence and the pronunciation of big, bigger, and small/smaller. Confirm and praise. Take note of any recurring error and address this at the start of their next lesson.

Stop Activity 1

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Pairs

Flipchart

Blu-Tack

Worksheet

Pairs

Model

Extension

Worksheets

Activity 2

Ask A and B in each pair to select 2 objects and write down (on back of worksheet) and then describe them to their partner, e.g. a school bag, a coat. Or they can point to objects or other learners in the room. Tell them that this time they must not use big or small. They must use young/younger, old/older. Again, during all this time, I will be walking about, listening, answering a few questions, giving help as necessary, but not teaching or interrupting the flow.

Collect in worksheets and give feedback.

Realia

Worksheets

Feedback

CLOSING. (7.5 mins.)

Get their engagement by telling them they have done very well and that I have some very important questions to ask them. Tell them I need their help.

It's vital in this step to ask the learners to summarise what they learned. So, I'll ask them. They can give an example to support this.

It’s also important to remind them about what I said at the start – that these new words are important. So, I’ll ask them why.

My learners have been given opportunities to demonstrate their mastery (so far) of some comparatives, but I think it's always good to have a final round-up, particularly focussing intentionally on those who did not get a chance to display their mastery fully during the activities. So, at great pace, and giving lots of praise, I will ask some of the pairs if they would like to come out to the front of the class and do a short display in front of the class. I'll Include other pairs, though, who can read out their attempts while seated.

Then, to reinforce their mastery so far, I will give out another pre-prepared worksheet, similar to the worksheet above but with different one-syllable adjectives they know already. This is their homework activity to be completed and brought in for the next lesson. It will give further indication of their mastery so far.

Finally, I will remind them that they have been involved in speaking, listening, writing, and reading English during this lesson, and I will praise them for this.

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END OF LESSON PLAN

Homework