Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Listening and Speaking


TEACHERS’ GUIDE

ENGLISH

UNIT1: READING

PART 1: Developing the reading skill through using nouns

TARGET GROUP: S1

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF UNIT:
Error: Reference source not found


TIME REQUIRED: Minimum: 160 mins (4 lessons) Maximum: 240 mins (6 lessons)

MAIN CONTENT AND CONCEPTS TO EMPHASISE:
MAIN CONTENT
MAIN CONCEPTS
1. Grammar Practice: Nouns
  1. Nouns as key word-class:
Definition of nouns: for purpose of revision according to previous knowledge


Application of noun use in language-structure exercises

  1. Categorisation of nouns:
Countable; uncountable

Common; proper

Concrete; abstract






2. Reading Practice: Nouns in context
Extracts of:
  • Descriptive,
  • Expository,
  • Narrative prose and
  • Poetic texts with nouns in use.





  • Function of nouns in speech; why used.
  • Reference to or naming of things: people, places, objects and ideas/events etc.
  • Using nouns in communication: speech and writing.


  • Singular; plural: units, number, mass, quantity;
  • Ordinary’ nouns versus nouns of special reference.
  • Nouns referring to things of physical and non-physical existence respectively.




  • Recognition of variety of nouns used in various contexts; acquisition of vocabulary; comprehension

TEACHING/LEARNING MATERIALS:

  1. Stimulus Activities:
    • Lead questions to introduce (topics related to) reading texts used in class. These should serve as ‘Before-reading’ stimulus questions and be linked to students’ experiences or depict ‘everyday’ situations. (see attached questions on reading passage).
    • Dialogues and conversation pieces to be acted out; should also be linked by subject or themes to the reading passage and writing tasks.(see examples attached).
  2. Example sentences used as cues to usage (leading to exercises on nouns.)
  3. Close texts to aid vocabulary and comprehension development.
  4. Picture cues, posters, ‘authentic’ texts like advertisements and information displayed in public places.
  5. Sources for selecting appropriate readers. (See Appendix)
  6. Jig-saw puzzles





TOPIC NOTES

(a) Introduction
As a strategy to discover the knowledge and ability level of S.1 students (who with different backgrounds in English learning), the use of speech work and reading materials (of simple nature) as contexts within which to introduce grammatical elements is paramount. In this way, the students can be led into concepts behind their use without much abstract explanation.
Although the Ugandan teaching syllabus cautions that structures “should not be
taught in their naked form” but in context, other equivalent syllabuses in English-speaking countries encourage the development of the ability of students to acquire a basic ‘descriptive knowledge’ of parts of speech. However, developing their overall communicative competence must be underlined at all times.
Developing the students’ ability to relate their own use of English to the learning of their subjects also underscores the need for their ‘descriptive knowledge’ of parts of speech.
This is largely developed through using reading extracts from various subjects, and comprehending them as part of intensive reading in order to make students respond in speech (e.g. discussion) and in writing

(b)Teaching about Nouns
Nouns are easily recognisable as the most common words since they refer to or name things in the surrounding – people, places, objects and ideas/events, etc. from the outset, nouns should be introduced and taught in their main categories ( which will have been dealt with broadly in upper primary school).
This should however, be a gradual process in graded sense, until the main categories are covered and the key concepts grasped by the end of S.2.
In S.1, the following categories are normally dealt with: countable, uncountable (preferably introduced as a pair first before each one is demonstrated at length trough exercises); common, proper (also contrasted and explained as a pair first); concrete, abstract (‘concrete’ is a useful concept in relation t materials and substances, but probably not dealt with in primary school). Related concepts such as the use of the Articles with nouns of specific kinds and Numbers and Quantities of tings should be introduced appropriately on their own. Compound and Group ( collective) nouns are best dealt with in S.2, as should the specialized use of nouns (e.g. Common nouns becoming proper nouns when used as symbols authority--the Church, Religion, the Judiciary, Parliament, etc.).

(c) Categorising and identifying nouns in context
Identifying nouns in context is perhaps the best way to introduce them to establish common ground among the students. This can be done in two ways:
      1. providing a list of sentences;
      2. providing a short reading passage.
In either case the nouns should be featured distinctly from the rest of the words in the sentences or passages (e.g. by italicizing or bolding them). The sentences or short passages should contain different kinds of nouns from which categories of nouns can be identified. This will enable ‘practical’ demonstration of how nouns can be recognized n context, why different kinds of nouns are used in different contexts, and how nouns can be combined for use in different ways.

(i) Using a list of sentences
The following sentences are picked from the reading passage. It can be used to make the students categorise the nouns according to the framework provided for their exercise. ( The actual nouns in each column are listed to illustrate what the students are expected to write down). In column one of the exercise the writer’s name and gender are given as examples of nouns for that column, though they are not mentioned in the passage .In column two, an imaginary place name is given.

  1. On the fifteenth of June, I began to explore my island.
  2. I went up the river where I had first brought my raft on shore.
  3. The river became much smaller and the water was cool and clear.
  4. Various sorts of fruits were growing, including melons and grapes.
  5. The next morning, I walked for about four miles and came to a most beautiful valley.
  6. It looked like a garden, which had been especially planted with fruit and flowers.
  7. I decided to build a small shelter.
  8. I began work at once, building it on the same design as my first home.
  9. By the beginning of August the work was finished.
  10. It rained every day after that until the middle of October.
  11. My first attempts at this were rather crude.
  12. I was able to make a basket, which served my purpose very well.
  13. I took my gun, an axe and the dog, and a quantity of food.
  14. I came to the conclusion that this was a better side of the island on which to liver.
  15. No sooner had I finished the fence than a flock of birds began to attack the grain before it was ripe.

Appendix
A list of sources for selecting resources (readers) for reading development.
  1. Cambridge University Press
    • Various fiction/adventure series based in Africa.

  1. Evans Brothers Limited
    • Evans Africa Library (‘a varied collection of fiction by African writers’)
    • Evans African Plays.
  2. Heinemann Publishers Limited
    • Heinemann Guided Readers.
- Intermediate level (1000 basic words)
        • Upper level (2000 basic words)
    • Heinemann Secondary Readers (especially developed for Africa).
    • Reading About science: Bks 1 to 5
  1. Longman Group, UK. Limited
    • Longman Structural Readers (stages 3 to 4: age 12 to 16+)
    • Makers of African History (profiles of historical figures like Nkrumah)
    • New Method Supplementary Readers (NMSR). Stages 4 and 5.
  2. Macmillan publishers limited
    • Macmillan Stories to Remember series (MSTR-semi or Titles ( a wide range of simplified/adopted classics).
    • Controlled Readers from Africa (stages 3to5)
    • Pattern Readers.
  3. Oxford University Press Limited
    • Oxford Graded Readers: (senior level 1000 and 1500 head words).
    • Bookworms Library: (stages 4to6). Stage 4 (1400 head words); stage 5( 1800 headwords); stge6 (2500 headwords).
7. Pearson Education Limited
  • Penguin Readers series (Level 4: 1700 words: Intermediate; Level 5: 2300 words: Upper Intermediate; Level 6: 3000 words: Advanced).
  1. Thomas Nelson and Sons Limited.
  • Nelson English Readers.
  • Streamline Books: (1000 and 2000 headwords)
  • Rapid Readers: (senior).


Examples of stimulus Activities

(a) Lead questions for discussion as a pre-reading stimulus (in relation to the extract from Robinson Crusoe (see 9: ‘Teaching about Nouns’).
  • Discuss the following as a class or in groups. Look through all the questions before discussing them.
You are part of a small group of scouts or girl guides who are taken to an uninhabited island in Lake Victoria to explore it for a month.
    1. How would you organize yourselves as a group to keep busy each day but stay in your own individual shelters at night?
    2. How would you survive without food? (None provided by your scout leaders).
    3. How would you provide yourself with shelter? (No tents provided and the weather is changeable).
    4. How would you defend yourself against any dangers (from animals etc.)?
    5. What information would you record or keep to give to your administrators on your return?
(b) Dialogue (on a similar or related subject as depicted in the reading passage).
Alice: Hello, Alan! How was your camping holiday on the island of chimps?
Alan: Hello! I enjoyed every minute of it.
Alice: You must have. I’m dying to hear more!
Alan: We saw many families of playful, amusing and intelligent chimpanzees
of all sizes. You could have thought they were our lost cousins!
Apart from them, there are other smaller animals.
Alice: What do they feed on?
Alan: Mainly fruits, roots and leaves. Wild bananas and other fruit
abound in the tall forest in the middle of the island, where they confine
themselves most of the time.
Alice: Any snakes?
Alan: Oh yes--in great numbers, and quite a nuisance in the vegetation.
Thankfully, only a few are poisonous.
Alice: How frightening! You must have spent sleepless nights. Where did
you shelter, with all those snakes around?
Alan: We pitched our tents on the beach; it was the best place to spend
the nights. At least there the snakes would not move quickly.
Alice: Any other…er…. thrills?
Alan: Oh yes! There were lovely bright-coloured birds, exciting rides in
canoes and motor-boats around the island, and plenty of delicious
fried fish every evening! Would you like to come with us next time?
Alice: Not me! Not even with the fresh tilapia and white sandy beaches
beckoning!
Alan: I intend to camp there again, alone!


(c) Guided Conversation
Students’ Exercise:
List the nouns (words in italics) from the fifteen sentences above according to their categories in the columns below:
1 2 3 4
People (names or category)
Places (names or type)
Things (including animals)
Ideas/Events, etc (including time, dates, etc.)
(Robinson Crusoe)
(Man)
island
river
shore
valley
garden
shelter
home
(Lake Victoria)
raft
water
fruits
melons
grapes
flowers
basket
gun
axe
dog
food
fence
flock
birds
grain
June
morning
miles
work
design
beginning
August
day
middle
October
attempts
purpose
quantity
conclusion
side

This categorisation exercise clarifies several ideas about nouns. It serves to illustrate what nouns are (the naming of people, places, objects (things) and ideas/events etc. i.e. non-tangible or non-visible things –in that order; it brings out the concepts of concrete and abstract things (especially columns 3 and 4; and it distinguishes between proper and common nouns (column 1 and 3 respectively; if there had been a place with a name in column 2, it would also be included in the proper noun category.)
From this table the teaching of respective kinds of nouns can proceed, with the following set of objectives.

Sample reading passage for teaching nouns

On the fifteenth of June, after I had been on the island for ten months, I began to explore the island. First of all I went up the river where I had first brought my raft on shore. Two miles up stream, the river became much smaller and the water was cool and clear. The next day I went even further inland and found the country became wooded. Various sorts of fruits were growing, including melons and grapes. Some of these I ate and some, especially the grapes saved to eat later on. Some of the grapes I dried in the sun, so that I would have raisins to eat when there was no fresh fruit about.
I did not go home that night but slept, as I had on my first night on the island, in a tree. The next morning I walked for about four miles and came to a most beautiful valley. Here there was a small spring and everywhere seemed green and pleasant. It
looked almost like a garden, which had been especially planted with fruit and flowers.

I liked the place so much that I often returned here during the month of July. I almost thought of living here permanently, but decided against it as the valley was so far from the shore. Instead, I decided to build a small shelter so that I could come to stay whenever I liked.
I began work at once, building it on the same design as my first home. It had a fence all around and was entered by a ladder. By the beginning of August the work was finished. The grapes which I had gathered earlier were now quite dry, and I took the bunches down from the tree where they had been hanging. When I returned to my home on the coast I took the raisins with me. I was very glad that I had done so because a fortnight later it began to rain heavily. It rained every day after that until the middle of October. Sometimes it rained so heavily that for days on end I could not leave my home.
As soon as the rains ceased and the weather became settled I made a journey once more up the river. In the valley I found every thing just as I had left it. The stakes, which I had driven into the ground, had taken root and green shoots were everywhere to be seen. In course of time I was able to prune them so that my house was surrounded by tall green hedge. I decided to cut some more stakes to take back to the coast with me, to see whether I could grow a similar hedge around my first home. The smaller branches from these stakes I used for weaving baskets. My first attempts at this were rather crude, but after a time I was able to make a basket, which served my purpose well enough.
I wanted to see what the other side of the island looked like. So I took my gun, an axe and the dog, and a quantity of food and set off. When I had travelled far enough to see the coast I saw that there was another island about twenty miles away. On reaching he shore on the other side of the island, I soon came to the conclusion that this would have been a better side of the island on which to live.
There seemed to be a large number of turtles on the beach. On my side of the island I had seen only three during the whole of my stay. There were also many birds here, including some, which I recognized as penguins. There were more goats, too, but, as the country was flat, they were more difficult to shoot. I explored the shore for a distance of twelve miles before turning back. I set up a large pole in the sand to mark where I had been, and I planned to walk around the island in the other direction at a later date until I met my pole.
Eventually I made my way back to my old home, which I was very pleased to see once more. I had now been on the island for two years without any sign of a rescuer.
I was looking forward to a good crop of barley and rice after the rainy season. I had first to deal with two types of enemy. A number of long-legged creatures, which looked like hares, appeared and would have eaten all the green shoots. I soon made a fence, which surrounded the crops, and at night I tied my dog to it. This kept the hares away. No sooner had I finished the fence than a flock of birds began to attack the grain before it was ripe. They were much more difficult than the hares to deal with. When I fired my gun they went away, but only as far as the trees. As soon as my back was turned they all flew back to the field.
I decided that I would hang the bodies of the birds that I shot upon poles in the field. I hoped that this would frighten the other birds away. To my surprise and delight that is what happened and I was never troubled with birds again. So, at the end of December I was able to harvest my crop and gathered in two sacks of rice and two and a half sacks of barley. I was very satisfied with this harvest.




LESSON PLAN


DATE
CLASS
ENGLISH
DURATION
NO. OF STUDENTS

S1
English
80 Mins



TOPIC: Reading

SUB-TOPIC: Developing the reading skill through using nouns.

AIM: To enable the students to understand written texts using facts and ideas conveyed by using nouns.

OBJECTIVES:
To enable the students to:
i. Recognise and understand stated factual details and
relationships in describing people, places, objects and ideas
or events.
ii. Understand factual details in categorizing things.
iii. Understand functional relationships, time and sequence.
iv. Determine the meaning of Nouns in context.

METHOD/APPROACH:
    • Using ‘natural’ language in situations depicting communication (conversation/dialogue, discussion, question and answer) and integrating grammar aspects (use of nouns) in the key skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
    • Using the main context (i.e. reading passage) to introduce and enable understanding of nouns to enrich vocabulary and communicative ability.

ORGANISATION:
STEP
TIME
CONTENT
TEACHER ACTIVITY
STUDENT ACTIVITY
I: Introduction
5 Mins
List of example sentences for identifying nouns.
Definition of ‘Nouns’.

Provide/write list of sentences on chalkboard.
Listen to teacher.
Look at list of sentences.
Read sentences
II: Building lesson (1)
15 Mins
Dialogue for practice.
Introduce dialogue.
Read dialogue.
Guide students to practise dialogue.
Listen to teacher read out dialogue.
Take note of nouns featured. Write nouns down.
III: Building lesson (2)
10
Categorization of Nouns.
Make table of 4 columns: People/Places/Objects/Ideas, Events.
Instruct students to fill each noun-category column with appropriate nouns from the 15-20 nouns featured.
Go round and assist individuals/groups while lists are made.

Make table in note books.

Fill in each column with appropriate nouns
Show lists of nouns to sitting mates and teacher.
IV: Conclusion
5 Mins



(End of
Make concluding remarks on each noun-category.

Phase One)
Listen to conclusions on noun- categories.
V: Introduction 2nd lesson
5 Mins
Questions for discussion (Pre-reading)
- related to reading passage.
Introduce questions for discussion--then flag-off discussion.
Listen to instructions on discussion questions.
Follow grouping guidelines
VI: Building lesson (1)
15 Mins
Discussion
Follow progress of discussion/clarify questions raised in groups.
Stop discussion and ask for some feedback.
Discuss questions in groups
Give some ideas raised in discussion.
VII: Building lesson (2)
10 Mins
Reading passage.

Give and introduce reading passage.
Read passage aloud
(5 Mins).
Listen to teacher introduce passage
Read passage silently after teacher.
VIII: Winding up
5 Mins
Comprehension questions.
Give oral questions
Answer oral questions.
IX: Assignment.
10 Mins
Comprehension questions.
Give questions for written work (may be completed out of class).
Answer questions.
Write down questions for home work


Self-evaluation and other comments:
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
TEACHERS’ GUIDE

ENGLISH

UNIT1: READING

PART 2: Developing reading through using simple present tense.

TARGET GROUP: S1

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF UNIT:

  • Tenses are mainly derived from the verb part of any sentence.

  • Simple present tense is used to describe an action, an event or condition that is occurring in the present, at the moment of speaking or writing

It is also used when the precise beginning or ending of a present action, event or condition is unknown or is unimportant to the meaning of the sentence.

TIME REQUIRED: Minimum: 80 Mins Maximum: 80 Mins

MAIN CONTENT AND CONCEPTS TO EMPHASISE:
Error: Reference source not found





TEACHING/LEARNING MATERIALS (with answers):

TASK 1
Read the following passage and underline all the verbs that are in the simple present tense.

Think about how they affect the understanding of the text.

Handing on life in Flowers
The work of any flower is to produce seeds which later produce new plants. Let us examine the parts of a flower called the Petals, sepals. stamens and pistil.
The petals of a flower look a little like coloured leaves. They may be brightly coloured in order to attract insects, in which case they may or may not be scented. White flowers, however, are often sweetly scented. At the base of the petals we usually find the nectary where the honey is stored.
The sepals are the small leaf-like parts below the petals. They are usually green in colour. All the sepals together are called the cup or the calyx. It was this cup, which protected the flower while it was a young bud.
The stamens are made up of a stalk (or filament) and one or two little bags at the top. These bags, called anthers, contain yellow powder, called pollen, which consists of thousands of male cells. The stamen is the male part of a flower.
The pistils are the female parts of a flower. The pistil of a flower consists of three parts:
  1. an ovary where seeds form
  2. a style
  3. a stigma
The ovary is the seed box. It contains the ovules (tiny eggs) which will later develop into seeds. Growing out of the top of the ovary is a stalk, called the style, which ends in a sticky part, called the stigma. The stigma collects the yellow pollen
(male cells) from the stamens. Insects such as butterflies, ants, bees and wasps carry pollen grains from the stamens to the stigma.
The process is called pollination. When this has taken place the seeds in the seed box begin to grow.
When an insect, such as a bee, pushes its head into a flower, it comes into contact with both stamens and stigma. If the bee already has pollen on its head or body, this is picked up by the stigma. The bee picks up more pollen from the stamens but this pollen only come into contact with the stigma of the next flower it visits. So the process goes on. From the stamens of one flower the insect picks up pollen that is taken up by the stigma of the next flower the insect enters
The wind also helps pollination. Flowers that are pollinated by the wind (e.g. maize) have long and feathery stigmas so as to trap any pollen dust being blown by the wind. The stamens of such flowers usually hang out of flowers.
Birds also pollinate flowers. Birds with pointed beaks and small light, bodies, such as the doctor bird, the sunbird, etc., sip nectar from banana flowers, for example, and they carry away the pollen that sticks to their beaks to other flowers when they visit them.
New plants come from ripe seeds. But a ripe seed is only formed when the male cell 9or pollen) of a flower joins with the female cell of another (or same) flower. The stigma of a flower is covered with a sugary liquid which is sticky and which thus traps any pollen that falls on it. In this sugary solution the pollen grains (male cells) begin to grow, and from each pollen grain a tube grows down through the style towards the unripe seed (or ovule, the female cell) in the seed box (ovary). When it reaches the unripe seed the male cell fertilises the female cell and the fertilised cell now grows into a seed. This process is called fertilisation.
When the unripe seed in the ovary gets fertilised many changes occur in the flower. The petals die and fall, having done their task, which was to attract insects by their colour and their smell. The stamens too wither and fall off. But in the ovary the seeds begin to grow lager and a covering forms to protect the growing seeds.

(Adopted from “Experimental Science for Tropical Schools, Book 3” by G.D Bishop)

TASK 2

Passage A
Rewrite the following passage in the present tense.

The Toy Soldiers
The show opened with first class music from the 4th KAR band. This was followed by the first entertainers- the toy soldiers. These boys were very smart, well-drilled ten-year olds. All of them were the sons of soldiers and their fathers were certainly very proud of them. The crowd roared with laughter and cheered them loudly. As they marched off, they pulled their ‘big’ gun behind them. Next came the noisiest entertainers of the night, the Royal Horse Artillery Regiment. They fired off their heavy guns and the noise shook the Kampala sky and impressed all the spectators. What a contrast from the next group! A tinkling of bells was heard and the famous Acholi ‘Bwola” bankers arrived, with their feathered headdresses and leopard skins. The dancers hopped and jumped forward in warrior style, in step with the beating of their heavy drum. They were another high point of the night of celebration.

Passage B
Fill in the blanks in the following passage using words in the present tense.
Hint: Use the words you used when you rewrote Passage A
Now we have the toy soldiers.
These boys (1) all sons of soldiers and every father (2) certainly very proud of his son tonight! The crowd (3) with laugher and they (4) the boys loudly. Now he boys (5) off and they (6) their big gun behind them.
Ladies and gentlemen, we now have the Royal Horse Artillery Regiment. Listen and I’m sure you will hear them. They (7) their heavy guns and the noise
(8) the night sky of Kampala. The people (9) their hands in excitement.
What a difference now! Now we have the Acholi Bwola dancers. The dancers
(10) and (11) forward in warrior style and the drummer (12) the heavy drum. What a wonderful show this (13) ! Infact, it (14) the most wonderful tatoo ever seen in Uganda.

Answers:
  1. are (5) march (9) clap (13) is
  2. is (6) pull (10) hop (14) is
  3. roars (7) fire (11) jump
  4. cheers (8) shakes (12) beats

LESSON PLAN

DATE
CLASS
SUBJECT
DURATION
NO.OF STUDENTS

S1
ENGLISH
80 mins


TOPIC: Reading

SUB TOPIC: Developing the reading skill through the use of the simple present tense.

OBJECTIVE: a) To cultivate in students the desire to read by themselves.
b) To encourage students to develop the ability to read a wide variety of written materials for enjoyment, information and knowledge
ORGANISATION/METHOD/APPROACH:
  • Discussion
  • Demonstration
  • Question and answers
STEP
TIME
CONTENT
TEACHER ACTION
STUDENT ACTION
I
5-10 Mins
Ice beaker
Teacher takes roll call
Students respond to names
II
10 Mins
Verbs
Teacher gives examples of verbs
Students write in note books
III
10 Mins


5 Mins
Tenses


Dialogue
Teacher gives examples of tenses
Teacher gives a half of a dialogue and asks students to fill in
Students write in note books

Students participate.
IV
30 Mins
Reading a passage underling present tense verbs
Teacher displays a passage on ‘Handing on Life in Flowers
Students read and underline the verbs.
V
15 Mins
Review of the passage for answers
Teacher stops students
Students stop reading and correct their work
VI
5 Mins
Conclusion
Teacher clears up the table and blackboard
Students put away their books

ELATE: SCHEME OF WORK FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE


WEEK
TOPIC
SUB TOPIC
AIM/OBJECTIVE
METHOD/APPROACH
REFERENCE ICT
REMARKS
I






Reading
Developing reading skills through using the Noun.



To enable the students to recognise and understand stated factual details and relationships in describing people, places, objects and ideas or events.
  • Discussion
  • Dialogue
  • Questions and answers.
Refer to the website given.
Teacher’s resources in the Elate website.

II

Introducing countable and uncountable nouns
-do-
-do-


III
-do-
Developing the reading skill through using Articles
To enable the students to use the articles appropriately
  • Demonstration
  • Discussion
  • Questions and answer


IV
-do-
Developing the reading skill through using of words of quantity.



V
-do-
Developing the reading skill through the use of adjectives
To enable the students to use the degrees of comparisons of adjectives appropriately
  • Discussion
  • Dialogue
  • Questions and answer
-do-

VI
-do-
Developing the reading skill through the use of simple present tense
To cultivate in the students a desire to read a wide variety of written material for enjoyment, information and knowledge
  • Discussion
  • Demonstration
  • Questions and answers
Refer to the ELATE Resource for Teacher’s notes


TEACHERS’ GUIDE

ENGLISH

UNIT1: READING

PART 1: Developing the reading skill through the use of articles

TARGET GROUP: S1

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF UNIT:

Articles are defining words. There are only three articles
  • Definite article ‘the’
  • Indefinite article ‘a / an’
An article cannot exist without a noun following soon after.
TIME REQUIRED: Minimum: 80 mins Maximum: 80 mins

MAIN CONTENT AND CONCEPTS TO EMPHASISE:

  • Article ‘a’ is always followed by a consonant and ‘an’ is always followed by a vowel e.g. a teacher, a doctor, a book, an elephant, an ant etc.
  • You can use a/an with singular countable nouns: a beach, a student, an umbrella etc.
  • Definite article ‘the’ is used:
    1. When the word has already been mentioned: ‘yesterday, they brought me an avocado, a guava, and a melon. Let’s use the avocado in the salad.’
    2. When the object is well understood between the speakers and the listeners: ‘Bring me the bucket.’ (i.e. the one we used.)
    3. When the object is unique, at least locally: ‘The sun’, ‘The Nile’, ‘The king’ etc.
You cannot use singular countable nouns alone without the articles.
Learning objectives:

By the end of the lesson the learners should be able to
      1. identify the definite and indefinite articles.
      2. Use the definite articles in sentences.

TEACHING/LEARNING MATERIALS:

Here are some suggested stimulus activities for students.

Exercise one:
  1. Ask students to identify the articles from a suitable passage.
  2. Ask students to make sentences orally that illustrate the use of articles in sentences.

Answer: Follow your judgement as the teacher.

Exercise two:

Insert ‘a’ or ‘an’ where necessary in the following sentences:
  1. bread is made from flour.
  2. car is made from metal.
  3. She wore a ring made of gold
  4. If you want advice about what to do, you had better ask teacher.
  5. encyclopedia is full of useful information

Answers:
  1. Blank, Blank
  2. Blank, Blank
  3. a, Blank
  4. Blank, a
  5. an, Blank

Exercise Three:

Insert definite article “the” where required in the following sentences
  1. shop is open longer hours than school.
  2. aeroplane is fastest means of transport.
  3. Luganda is language spoken in Buganda.
  4. Our grand mother is coming to visit us next month.
  5. trees that were planted last year have nearly all died.
  6. She was overcome by beauty of scenery.
  7. biology teacher told us that several books have been written about bee.
8. He studied languages when he was in England
9. It was on fourth of month that he arrived.
10. longer he stays in capital more money he spends.

Answers

  1. The, blank, the
  2. The, the
  3. Blank, the
  4. Blank
  5. The, blank
  6. The, the
  7. The, the
  8. Blank, blank
  9. The, the
  10. The, the, the
References
1. Sesnam, B. (1997). How to Teach English. Oxford University Press. Oxford
Ox2 6DP.
2. National Curriculum Development Center. (2003). The Integrated English
Syllabus and Teacher’s Guide. S.I to S IV. National Curriculum Development
Center. Kampala Uganda
3. Forrest, R. (2005). Revision English. New Edition. Longman Group Limited.
Pearson Education Limited. Essex CM20 2JE, England.
4. Kukubo, B. and Neville, JH.G (1996) English in Practice. An English Course
for Kenyan Secondary Schools Longman. Essex CM20 2JE, England.
5. Murphy, R. (1995). English Grammar in Use. A self-study reference and
Practice book for intermediate students. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge CB2 1 RP. Mussel burgh, Scotland.


USEFUL WEBSITES:



SAMPLE LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Date
Subject
School
Class
No. of Students
Time
Duration
28/08/07
English language
Capuc
Girls’
School
S.1.A
55
8.00-9.20am
80mins

Topic: Reading
Sub-Topic: Developing the reading skill through using Articles.
Method: Talk and Chalk, Explanation, Discussion.
Objectives: 1.The learners should be able to pick out all the articles in the passage.
2. The learners should be able to use the articles correctly in sentences.
Teaching Resources: Extracts from readers.
References: Refer to the Template and hyperlinks
Time
Duration
Teacher’s
Activities
Learner’s
Activities
Introduction
8.00-8.10am
10mins
Explains what articles are and their use in the parts of speech.
Listen attentively
Development
8.10am-9.05am
10mins
Gives a passage and


10mins



05mins



10mins



20mins


Conclusion 9.05am-9.20am
15mins




TEACHERS’ GUIDE

ENGLISH

UNIT1: READING

PART 1: Developing the reading skill through the use of degree of comparisons.

TARGET GROUP: S1

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF UNIT:

Nouns are plain when they are used on their own, without adjectives.
Adjectives are the words used to describe nouns.
They change in form to show comparisons between nouns.
Comparisons of adjectives give the degree of difference when comparing 2 or more nouns.
TIME REQUIRED: Minimum: 60 mins Maximum: 120 mins

MAIN CONTENT AND CONCEPTS TO EMPHASISE:

  • Comparative adjectives are used when comparing 2 nouns with the word than. -er is usually added to the comparatives. E.g. Bigger than

  • Superlative adjectives are used when comparing more than 2 nouns with the word most. Est is usually added to the superlatives. E.g. Biggest

  • Irregular adjectives e.g. good, bad, use different words to describe comparatives and superlatives e.g. good, better, best, or bad, worse, worst.

  • Long adjectives, like beautiful, are used with the words more and most without the –er or –est for the comparative and superlative. i.e beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful.

Learning outcomes: By the end of this sub-topic, students are able to use the degrees of comparison.
  • Most adjectives of one syllable( short adjectives) and some of more than one, form the comparative by adding er or est to the adjective.
E.g. small, smaller, smallest.
  • When the a adjective ends in e, only –r and –st are added.
E.g. White , whiter , whitest
  • When the adjective ends in y preceded by a consonant, the y is changed into I before adding –er and –est.
E.g. merry merrier merriest.
  • When the adjective is a word of one syllable and ends in a single consonant preceded by a short vowel this consonant is doubled before adding -er or –est
e.g. Thin, Thinner, Thinnest
  • Adjectives of more than two syllables, long adjectives and many of those with two form the comparative by using the adverb more with the adjective and the superlative by using the adverb most with the adjective.
Eg. Beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful
  • There are also some adjectives whose comparatives and superlatives are not
formed from the adjective. These are adjectives that compare irregularity.

E.g. Adjective comparative superlative
Good, well better best
Bad, evil, ill worse worst
Little less, lesser least
Far farther farthest

TEACHING/LEARNING MATERIALS:

Task 1
Give the correct form of the words in brackets.
  1. The (famous) writers are found in Europe.
  2. At the Olympics, the young lady who won four gold medals was (good) than all her opponents.
  3. The (old) boxer in the competition was forty two years old.
  4. The Cranes played (good) than they did last month.
  5. You should be (careful) than you usually are during the examinations.
  6. The (amazing) part of the day was the acrobats.
  7. Patrick performed the (bad) of them all.
  8. It is always wise to begin with the (simple) of the numbers in a text.
  9. Kabale is the (beautiful) region of Uganda.
  10. It is (enjoy) to watch football than to watch wrestling.

Task 1 answers
  1. most famous 6. most amazing
  2. better 7. worst
  3. oldest 8. simplest
  4. better 9. most beautiful
  5. more careful 10. more enjoyable

Task 2

Fill in the blanks with the most suitable adjective.
  1. Ugly ugliest.
  2. Fatter fattest.
  3. Bad ,
  4. Intelligent, more intelligent
  5. , more interesting, _____
  6. , , most expensive.

Task 2 answers
a) Uglier b) fat c) worse, worst d) most intelligent
e) interesting, most interesting f) expensive, more expensive


Find the word missing in each of the clues and complete the crossword.
4
5
6
7






8
9

1 2

3




















Across

  1. The constant and goings next door make me angry. (Comings)
3. I was absolutely lost for (words)
5. My former colleagues have all gone off to the four of the earth. (Corners)
6. Players take to lay their cards. (Turns)
8. I’m not going to take , you two sort out between you.(sides)

Down

2. I refused to compensate him for the damaged (goods)
4. I have no wish to make with anyone, least of all you (friends)
7. I mean to succeed by or you (plays)
9. The police are just beginning to appreciate the and outs of the case (ins)
Riddles (Brain teasers)
  1. What has many holes but can still hold water (A sponge)
  2. What falls but never breaks. (Night fall)
  3. What breaks but never falls after so many tries (day break)
  4. What carries a house but doesn’t live in it (a snail)
  5. What has one colour, and no defined size, is always stuck at the bottom yet flies easily, is present in the sun and not in the rain, does no harm and feels no pain. (A shadow)
  6. What is it that the Pope has but does not use, and your father has but your mum uses too. (last name)
Similes
As dirty as a (pig)
As hot as the (sun)
As slow as a (snail)
As dark as the (the night)
As beautiful as (a rainbow)
As proud as (a peacock)
As poor as (a church mouse)

Useful text book references:

  1. English grammar and composition
by Wren and martin
S. Chard and company ltd
(Revised Edition) 1998
  1. Revision English
New Edition
by Ronald Forrest
Pearson Education Ltd
29th impression 2005.
  1. Grammar and Vocabulary for Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency
( 9 continued)
by Richard Sicle and Guy Wellman
Pearson Education Ltd
2nd impression 2000
  1. Living English Structure
A practice Book for foreign students
by W. Stannard allen.
4th Edition, New impression 1964.
  1. Integrated English Book 1
A course for Ugandan Secondary Schools..
  1. English in Use
by N.J.H Grant and C.R.Wang’ombe


USEFUL WEBSITES:


Regular comparative and superlatives:

When to use it: http;//online.ohlone.cc.ca.us/mlieu(comparatives/use it. htm/.

Using comparatives and superlatives:


A list of descriptives, comparatives and superlatives for teaching comparatives and superlatives:
http://.rickwalton.com/curricul/descript.htm
LESSON PLAN:
Topic: Reading
Sub-Topic: Adjectives
Objective: To enable the students to use the degrees of comparisons of adjectives appropriately.
Method/Approach:
- Discussion
- Dialogue
- Question and answer.
Organisation:
STEP
TIME
CONTENT
TEACHER ACT
STUDENT ACT
I
5 Mins
Adjectives
Asks students to name the adjectives they know
Give examples of adjectives
II
15Mins
Comparatives
Introduces the comparative adjectives
Use the comparatives in sentences
III
15 Mins
Superlative
Introduces the superlative adjective
Use the superlative in sentences.
IV
15 Mins
Use of comparatives and superlatives.
Give examples of how adjectives change from comparatives to superlatives
Do the exercise
V
10 Mins
Irregular adjective
Introduces the irregular adjectives with examples
Use the examples in sentences
VI
10 Mins
Wrap up
Gives an exercise (s) on the two degrees of comparatives
Do the exercise
VII
10 Mins
Dialogue
Prepare the class to act dialogues using the degrees of comparatives
Act dialogue


Evaluation:



ENGLISH QUIZZES


A CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Find the word missing in each of the clues and complete the crossword.
4
5
6
7






8
9

1 2

3




















Across

  1. The constant and goings next door make me angry. (Comings)
3. I was absolutely lost for (words)
5. My former colleagues have all gone off to the four of the earth. (Corners)
6. Players take to lay their cards. (Turns)
8. I’m not going to take , you two sort out between you.(sides)

Down

2. I refused to compensate him for the damaged (goods)
4. I have no wish to make with anyone, least of all you (friends)
7. I mean to succeed by or you (plays)
9. The police are just beginning to appreciate the and outs of the case (ins)
Riddles (or Brain teasers)

  1. What has many holes but can still hold water (A sponge)
  2. What falls but never breaks. (Night fall)
  3. What breaks but never falls after so many tries (day break)
  4. What carries a house but doesn’t live in it (a snail)
  5. What has one colour, and no defined size, is always stuck at the bottom yet flies easily, is present in the sun and not in the rain, does no harm and feels no pain. (A shadow)
  6. What is it that the Pope has but does not use, and your father has but your mum uses too. (last name)

Similes

As dirty as a (pig)
As hot as the (sun)
As slow as a (snail)
As dark as the (the night)
As beautiful as (a rainbow)
As proud as (a peacock)
As poor as (a church mouse)

Sample Lesson Plan

Reading: Identifying Nouns

DATE
CLASS
SUBJECT
DURATION
NO. OF STUDENTS

S1
English
80 minutes


AIMS
(i) To recognize and understand stated factual details and relationships in describing people, places, objects and ideas or events.
(ii) To understand factual details in categorising things.
(iii) To understand functional relationships, time and sequence.
(iv) To determine the meaning of Nouns in context.

METHOD / APPROACH

  • Using ‘natural’ language (i.e. conversation / dialogue, discussion and question and answer techniques) in situations depicting communication and integrating grammar aspects (use of nouns) in the application of the key skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
  • Using the main context (i.e. reading passage) to introduce and enable understanding of nouns to enrich vocabulary and communicative ability.

ORGANIZATION

Step
Time
Content
Teacher Activity
Student Activity
I. Introduction
5 minutes
List of example sentences for identifying countable and uncountable Nouns
Provide / write on chalkboard list of sentences
Listen to teacher. Look at list of sentences

Definition of these Nouns

Read sentences

II. Building lesson (I)
15 minutes
Guides conversations for practice: Is there enough …?
No there isn’t enough
Why don’t we get someone etc.
Introduce conversation pieces.
Read out conversation pieces.
Guide students to practice conversations
Listen to teacher and out conversation
Practice conversations
Take note and countable nouns
Write nouns down
III. Building lessons (12)
10
Categorization of Nouns
Make table of 2 columns: Countable and ‘uncountable instruct students to fill in columns with nouns appropriate to each category. (Group work if necessary)
Check round the class and assist individuals / groups in making lists
Fill in each column with appropriate nouns.
IV. Building Lesson 3
10 Mins
Summary of categorized Nouns on chalkboard.
Stop class activity and write the two categories of nouns on chalkboard (from students)
Listen to instructions
Give list of Nouns.



Lead discussion on suitability of nouns given
Listen to teacher and classmates giving feedback
V. Introduction of next phase.
5 Mins
Discussion question / pre-reading questions on things related to reading passage.
Wind up this phase
Introduce question for discussion
Write down key points



Guide students on group or class discussion; then flag of discussion.
Follow grouping and discussion guide lines.
VI. Building Lesson (4)
0 Min
Discussion
Follow progress of discussion / clarify questions raised in groups
Discussion questions in groups.
Give some ideas raised in discussion
VII. Building lesson 5
10 Mins
Reading passage
Civil and introduction reading passage
Read passage aloud 5 minutes
Listen to teacher introduce passage
Read passage silently


12
Comprehension questions / Vocabulary work.
Let students read silently.
Give oral questions
Introduce / go through questions for written work.
Go round / assist individuals
Answer oral questions
Answer written questions
Record any tasks for home work
Self-evaluation and other comments










No comments:

Post a Comment