ANALYSING A TALE FOR PRIMARY: A PICNIC SURPRISE!

1. ANALYSIS OF THE GROUP

Age/ Year: 2nd year of Primary (7-8 years old) Number of children: 18 Conditions of the children: In general it is a hardworking group but they are a bit talkative. As they have a very good relationship among them it is sometimes difficult to get silence. However, once they start working, they show interest and they like participating. Level of English: They have been doing English since they were four, that is to say since, second year of Preschool. In preschool they attended two 45 minute sessions which were directed to singing songs, dancing, learning nursery rhymes, colouring... Whereas in Primary they have three 50 minute sessions in which they use a course book. Apart from using the course book they also do some other kind of activities. Previous knowledge Grammar: Verb TO BE, Modal verb (Can) Vocabulary related to food (fruit, meat...), colours (red, blue), family members (mum, dad...), transport (car, bus ...), numbers (from 1 to 20), days of the week, seasons, months, school materials and weather. Oral aspects: formulaic language (Can I go to the toilet, please?, How are you? Fine, thank you, and you?), greetings (hello, goodbye, good morning, please, thank you)

2. CONDITIONS OF THE CLASSROOM

SPECIFIC: There is a specific classroom for English which is

decorated with flashcards, posters... that is to say; it is decorated in an English environment.

FURNITURE: Each student has got a movable table and chair and the

teacher also. There are shelves too at the back of the classroom.

 MATERIAL: There are reading books, comics, tales, posters, flashcards,

dictionaries, games...
DEVICES: digital blackboard, CD player, TV, video player... AREAS: the class has an area apart from the place where the tables and

the blackboard are. There, they can do different activities such as read, play games or do role playing.

3. ANALYSIS OF THE TALE

INTRODUCTION: from our point of view this tale is appropriate for our students because they can feel identified with the main character, who is a boy of their age doing daily actions. It has also got very short and repetitive dialogues and contains very colourful and eye-catching pictures. TIMING: We are going to work with this tale for five sessions. Each session lasts 50 minutes. But the first 10 minutes are used for doing the warming up (greetings, routines). Therefore, in each session we are going to spend 40 minutes just for working on the tale.

FIRST SESSION: 1. Routines (10 minutes) 2. Comment the cover (10-15 minutes) 3. Make a picnic (25-30 minutes) SECOND SESSION: 1. Routines (10 minutes) 2. First lecture of the tale (15-20 minutes) 3. Underline: red, food; blue, feelings or states (20-25 minutes). This will be the second lecture of the tale. THIRD SESSION: 1. Routines (10 minutes) 2. Comment the tale: did you like it? (5 minutes) 3. Third lecture of the tale; all together and repeating some things.(20 minutes) 4. Ordering the story in pairs (15 minutes) FOURTH SESSION: 1. Routines (10 minutes) 2. Continue commenting the story making questions What do you remember about the story? Who are the main characters? How does Jack feel here? How do you feel now?(10-15 minutes)

3. Bingo about feelings/states (25-30minutes) FIFTH SESSION: 1. Routines (10 minutes) 2. Little comment of the story (5 minutes) 3. Simon says Lets(15-20 minutes) 4. Lets talk (15-20 minutes)

GENERAL AIMS:

To get introduced into literature. To review grammar and vocabulary. To learn new vocabulary. To get familiarized to new expressions and grammar structures. To understand simple oral and written texts. To enjoy listening- reading to a tale in English. To get used to the pronunciation in English. To develop their imagination. To show respect toward their classmates, teacher and materials. To develop healthy habits of behaviour when playing.

SPECIFIC AIMS:
To enjoy the tale. To review vocabulary related to food.

To review how to make questions with the modal verb can and how to use the verb to be. To learn vocabulary related to the house, feelings and places. To get introduced to the expression Lets.... To get familiarized with the verb to have. To understand the story of the tale. To guess what is coming next in the story. To be silent when another classmate or the teacher is speaking. To participate when the teacher asks a question. To show respect towards the other classmates. To be able to express better in English when talking about ones or others feelings/states. To behave respectfully when playing Bingo and Simon says.

CONTENT:

Conceptual content:

 Vocabulary

Related to food: Sandwich, banana... Related to feelings or states: Bored, tired, happy... Related to places: Park, garden... Related to house: Kitchen, living room... Related to greetings: Good morning...

Grammar Present simple (1st, 2nd and 3rd person) Ex. I am happy now/ Are you bored too? Have got Ex. Ive got an idea Modal verb Can Ex. Can I have a biscuit, please?

Expressions Please Sorry Lets go, lets take...

Oral aspects of the language Intonation: - Exclamation: Smile! / Great! / This is great! - Interrogation: Can I have a sandwich, please? / Are you bored too? Pronunciation: - General pronunciation of the English language. Rhythm: - Constant/adequate speed. - Different volume depending on the characteristic of the story. Procedural content: LISTENING: - Listening to the teacher while she/he is reading the tale. - Listening to the teacher when she/he is giving instructions/ understanding instructions.

- Understanding the tale they are listening to. - Listening to the classmates when they ask questions. - Understanding a simple oral text. READING: - Reading expressions that they already know. - Reading the words written on the blackboard by the teacher related to the tale. SPEAKING: - Speaking to the teacher when answering questions. - Speaking to their mates when doing activities. - Making predictions of the tale with its pictures.
MANUAL AND BODY SKILLS:

- Body movements Attitudinal content: - Respect the teacher and the other classmates. - Positive attitude toward the tale and activities. - Motivation when reading the tale, doing activities, working in groups, in pairs and alone. - Participation in class activities. - Enjoyment while learning. - Silence while listening. - Rising hand for asking permission or taking part in activities. - Asking for permission. METHODOLOGY

Our final aim is to develop their communicative competence, that is why we will mainly focus on the oral skills: oral production and oral comprehension. In the first session we are going to start with the before reading activities. First, the tale will be introduced to them. We will talk and make questions about the cover and its pictures. Then, they will do the other before reading activity which is called Can you make a picnic?. This activity is going to be made as a group and consists of reviewing vocabulary related to food orally. In the second session the teacher will read the tale for the first time. After checking comprehension and answering students doubts, the teacher will read the tale again but previously explaining that they have to underline

vocabulary related to feelings/states and food. This is going to be the while reading activity. In the third session, the teacher will ask the students their opinion about the tale. After that, for the children to review the story, the teacher will read it again. After listening to the tale for the third time, students will do the first after reading activity. It is going to be a worksheet to check if they have understood the story. They will have to put in order some pictures of the story. The fourth session will be directed to working the feelings and states, taking the ones that appear in the tale as the starting point. The teacher will make the students some questions about how the characters feel in different moments of the story and then will introduce new feelings and states. They are going to work on those feelings/states by playing a Bingo. Finally, the fifth session will consist of learning and putting into practice how to use the expression Lets and the modal verb can to make questions and answer them in the short way. This is going to be made orally. The use of the expression Lets is going to be worked through a game called Simon Says Lets. On the other hand, to practice making and answering questions with the modal verb can, students will work in pairs asking each other questions with the help of a worksheet.

EVALUATION:

The evaluation will be made by the teacher and the students. The teacher will be responsible of evaluating the students learning, motivation and participation. On the other hand, both the students and the teacher will evaluate the tale itself.

4. ACTIVITIES
BEFORE READING 1. Comment the cover

Title: Lets share our perfect picnic! Instructions: We are going to comment the tale. Explanation: This activity takes place before reading the tale. The main idea is to make an introduction to it. The teacher will start making questions to the students such as What do you know about a picnic?, Have you ever been in a picnic? What can you take to a picnic? With

the help of the teacher they are going to answer the questions orally, and to understand better what are the questions going about, the teacher is going to show the cover of the tale. After seeing the picture of the cover, they are going to compare their ideal picnic with the one of the tale. Specific aims: To participate when the teacher asks a question To show respect towards the other classmates To show interest in the new tale. Material: The tale Time: The activity would last between 10 and 15 minutes. Skills: Listening: The students have to listen and try to understand the questions that the teacher makes. Speaking: The students have to try to answer the questions properly. Corrections: When the students make a mistake while speaking, the teacher is going to correct them, but without being correcting mistakes every time. Evaluation: The teacher will observe if the students have problems to start speaking English. The teacher will focus also on the interest they have in the story.

2. Make a picnic Title: Can you make a picnic? Instructions: Put the food you need for a picnic on the tablecloth. Explanation: This before reading activity will be done to review vocabulary related to food. The activity will be done with the participation of all the students. The teacher will stick a kind of tablecloth in the board and will make the following question to the group: Can you make a picnic? After it the teacher will ask the students to put on the tablecloth the food that they will bring to their picnic. They will have different food illustrated in some flashcards and at the time of sticking them in the tablecloth they will have to name them. Specific aims: to review vocabulary related to food. to be silent when another classmate or the teacher is speaking.

Material:

-flashcards

Time: The activity will last about thirty minutes.

Skills: Listening: The students will have to listen carefully for the instructions of the teacher. Corrections: If a student makes a mistake when saying the name of a food, the rest of the group will have the opportunity to help him/her, always after raising their hand. Evaluation: The teacher will observe if any of the students has problems at the time of speaking about food. The participation shown when doing the exercise and trying to help the others will also be taken into account.

WHILE READING 3. Underline: red, food; blue, feelings states Title: Lets underline! Instructions: Listen to the story. Underline in blue the words about feelings and states and in red the words related to food. Explanation: This exercise consists of underlining the words that are related to food (apple, banana...) and to feelings or states (bored, tired...). The teacher will tell the students to take two different colours (blue and red) and he/she will explain that while he is going to be reading (the second time), they will have to underline the words that are related to food in red colour, and the ones related to feelings and states in blue. Then, when reading, the teacher will stop when he will mention a colour or a feeling or state to correct it in the moment and to see if all the students will have underlined the word. Then, the teacher will explain the meaning of the words in the blackboard. Specific aims: To learn the words related to food and feelings or states. To be capable of identifying the words without help. Material: - Blue and red colour - A tale for each student

Time: It will be an exercise of twenty five or thirty minutes. Skills: Listening: students will listen to the teacher while reading the tale and they will try to understand what the story is about.

Speaking: The students will use this skill when correcting the exercise all together, they will talk and say which is the word that they have underlined and what it does mean. Reading: The children will follow the teacher reading the story and they will try to recognize the words that they have to underline. Correction: The exercise will be corrected at the same moment of the reading. The teacher will stop after reading the word related to food and states or feelings and the children will have to identify that word. Then the teacher will say which is the word and he will continue reading the tale. Evaluation comment: The evaluation of this exercise will be simple. The teacher will ask each student, one by one, if they have identified any word, and he will see if they have understood which are the feelings and states and which are the words related to food.

AFTER READING 4. Ordering the story in pairs.

Title: WHAT A MESS! Instruction: Number the pictures in the correct order. Explanation: This is an after reading activity exercise. Each pupil is going to have one copy of it. They will have five different pictures taken from the tale and they will have to order with numbers. The teacher will read the instructions to make the exercise. They will work in pairs and it will show us if they have understood the story of the tale. Specific aims: To understand the story of the tale. Material: The material to use in this exercise its very simple. Each one is going to have a copy of the activity, they will need a pencil to write the numbers, and the teachers voice will also be very useful for reading the instructions of the activity. Time: 15-20 minutes. Skills: Reading: students will read the sentences that appear in the pictures taken from the tale. Writing: students will have to write number the pictures.

Listening: The students will have to listen carefully for the instructions of the teacher Correction: After everyone has finished, they will correct it all together. The teacher will be the one speaking. He/She will take the first picture and she will describe it. After describing the picture, she/he will ask the students: Which number is it? The students as a group will answer saying the correct number. Evaluation: There is not going to be an exam. The teacher will be the one watching the reactions of each pupils while the correcting time.

5. Bingo about feelings/states

Title: Bingo! How do you feel today? Instructions: Find the feeling or state I say in your Bingo card. Try to be the first to complete it! Explanation: They are going to play a Bingo about feelings and states. Some of them have already appeared in the tale and others would be added. The ones that have appeared in the book are: tired, bored, hungry and happy. The ones that are going to be added are: sad, thirsty, angry and afraid. First of all, the flashcards and word cards with all the feelings/states will be shown to the pupils. The teacher is going to say the name of each feeling/state and the pupils are going to repeat and act them out. Then they will start the game. The Bingo is going to be played in pairs. Each pair is going to have a bingo card with four faces showing different feelings or states. The first time, the teacher is going to be the one that leads the Bingo by taking a word card from the table (the word cards will be laying face down), telling the students which feeling or state appears in the word card (so that the students can see if they have it in their bingo card) and then placing the word card under its corresponding flashcard on the blackboard (in this way students can check if they have done it well). This is going to be repeated until a pair of pupils says Bingo, meaning that the teacher has named all the faces that they have in their bingo card. After this first trial, it is the pair of students that wins who is going to lead the Bingo. Didactic/Specific aims: o To be able to express better in English when talking about ones or others feelings/states. o To develop healthy habits of behaviour while playing to the Bingo. Material: flashcards, word cards and Bingo cards. Time: 25-30 minutes Skills: -Listening: students will have to pay attention and listen to the feeling or state it is said by the one who leads the Bingo.

-Reading: students will have to read the word cards. -Speaking. Students will have to read aloud the feeling or state that appears in the word card when they are the leaders of the Bingo. Corrections: corrections will be made while playing, both by the teacher and by the students. When a pair of pupils doesnt put a word card under its corresponding flashcard, the teacher is going to wait to see if their mates correct them. If their mates dont notice, the teacher is going to ask whether they see something strange, and will lead students towards the correct answer. The students that are playing the Bingo will have the chance to correct themselves when they notice that the feeling/state they have heard is not what they thought. This is going to happen after the pair that is leading the Bingo places the word card correctly under the flashcard. Evaluation: the teacher is not going to evaluate if students make errors or not. The teacher is going to evaluate the motivation and participation of the children and whether they have familiarized with the feelings/states.

6. Simon says Lets

Title: Lets play Simon Says. Instructions: The teacher will give the instructions speaking. She or he will say; Do what Simon says. Explanation: This game is an oral game prepared for the children to understand everything learnt. Everybody will be stand up, the teacher will say a sentence; Simon says lets clap. And all the students will have to clap. But instead of saying Simon says, if the teacher makes a sentence such us; Lets clap, then they will have to stay stand up but not moving. If someone gets confused and moves will be out of the game. The teacher will be the one making the sentences and organizing the game so that all students can participate without any problem. Specific aims: o To understand the use of the expression Lets o To have fun learning. Material: There is not specific material needed for this game. The only thing needed is the voice of the teacher and a lot of energy. Time: 10-15 minutes Skills: o Listening: The students will be ready to move and listen to the teacher sentences. o Body skill: The students will have to move their bodies depending on the teachers sentence. Correction: The students will be eliminated of the game (sitting on their chairs) when they make a mistake, so that they can learn for the next

game. The teacher will say who is eliminated and the students will learn their mistakes looking what the rest of the class have done. Evaluation: The evaluation of the game will be very simple. Really, there is not like an exam or something like that, so it is just to learn and review playing and the teacher will take into account the participation.

7. Questions with can

Title: Lets talk! Instructions: ask your partner the following questions. Explanation/Methodology: This activity is going to be done after reading the tale. They are going to work in pairs and each pair is going to have a worksheet full of questions with Can. First the teacher is going to ask if they know when they have to use can and they are going to practice it all together. After this, they are going to start working in pairs asking questions such as; Can I have an apple? Yes, you can / No, you cant. Specific aims To practice speaking To review how to make questions with the modal verb can. Material A work sheet Time:15-20 minutes Skills: Listening Reading Speaking Correction: The teacher is going to correct if the pronunciation is the correct one or not while doing the activity. Evaluation: There is not going to be an exam. The teacher is going to take into account the attitude children have toward the activity. If they participate or not.