Lesson

Plan

Comparative and Superlative Degrees of Adjectives High Beginning Level (Community Class) Focus: Speaking and Accuracy Time Limit: 65 minutes March 04, 2008
Background Information
This week students are learning how to do shopping. They were taught some shopping vocabulary in the previous lesson and on the current lesson they will practice using these new vocabulary words when comparing two items in a store. The grammar section in the previous lesson was about giving advice, so that is why along with practicing new material, one of the practical exercises in this current lesson will let students review giving advice. Goal: To help students accurately use comparative and superlative forms of adjectives.

Objectives: Terminal: Students will learn about comparative and superlative forms of adjectives and appropriately use these forms in conversation. Enabling: 1. Students will learn about comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives. 2. Students will practice creating correct comparative and superlative forms of adjectives describing items in a store. 3. Students will practice using comparative and superlative forms of adjectives and shopping vocabulary by talking about two different items in the store and comparing them. 4. Students will review grammar material from the previous lesson Giving advice and establish their ability to appropriately use it in conversation. Materials: - Items for the warm-up activity: two books, two skirts, two shirts; pictures with the shoes - Cards with product details - Handout Comparative and Superlative Degrees of Adjectives

Procedure
Warm-up (7 min): - Show the students two books of different size, content and format. Ask them to say something about these two books. The students didnt learn about comparatives yet but when talking about these two items they will anyways somehow try to compare them. - Then do the same thing with two skirts and two shirts. - Tell the students that they compare things all the time and today in the lesson they will learn about how to compare things in English. Introduction (10 min): Present on the board a chart for comparatives and superlatives:

 Short or long word Comparative Short: small -er smaller Long: beautiful more\less + the adjective more\less beautiful Superlative the + -est the smallest the most + the adjective the most beautiful

Demonstration (5 min): Demonstrate how to compare two pairs of shoes (using the pictures). Practice 1 (5 min): Pair work: Pair the students up. Give every pair two items that you used for the warm-up activity and a list of adjectives describing each of those items. The students will now compare two items by using the adjectives and applying the new grammar principle. Practice 2 (10 min): Team work: Divide students into two teams. One person from each team stands by the board. Give students two objects and an adjective. Both students have to write on the board a sentence that describes a similarity between these two objects. - American food/Mexican food: spicy - English/Korean: difficult - Car/Train: fast - Ice cream/Cheesecake: delicious - Utah/Florida: warm - Salt Lake City/Las Vegas: dirty - Reading/Writing: easy Example: American food is less spicy than Mexican food. Practice 3 (13 min): Role-play: Pair the students up (use different pairs this time). Give to each pair two sets of cards with products information for two items. Explain to them that they are two friends. One of them was in the store and he\she couldnt buy the item he\she needed because it was hard to choose from two items he\she liked. Then this student will have to give more information about each item using the product information on the card. The other student will express his\her opinion and give advice to his\her friend. 1. Demonstration by the teachers. 2. Practice by students. Assessment Activity A (5 min): Using the same cards with products details from the last activity ask the students what choice they would make between those two items. For example: - Would you buy a cheaper digital camera or the one of a higher quality? - Why would you prefer a more stylish coat but not a coat that is easier to clean? Etc. Activity B (10 min): Students will correct sentences with comparative and superlative forms of adjectives (Handout).

Application
Students will write six statements comparing cities, countries, or other places in the world. They will have to make three statements that are true and three statements that are false. Next class they will work in groups. They will read their statements, and the group members will decide if they are true or false. Examples: Canada is smaller than China (True). The Atlantic Ocean is the biggest ocean (False).

 Appendices

Comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives

If the underlined part is incorrect, write a correction above it. 1. The most expensive item in this store is that beautiful couch. It costs more that $500. 2. I do not think I will need your help this time because this assignment is more easier than the last one. 3. My sister is as beautiful as an angel. 4. I think that Marcos is the best runner in our school. He can run more fast than anybody! 5. Yesterday I had the most bad experience in my life! 6. I do not recommend you to buy this car. It is the ugliest car I have ever seen in my life. 7. Moscow is the most large city in Russia. 8. Last night I tried the most delicious dessert that I have ever eaten in America. It was almost as better as desserts in my own country. 9. I cannot believe that John got sick last week. In my opinion, he is the most healthy person in the team. 10. This dress is too tight on you. I think you should try a more bigger size.

Books

Interesting boring Colorful thick Big 75 dollars

40 dollars heavy

Skirts

Fashionable comfortable 38 dollars 15 dollars Fancy durable Famous brand easy to wash Short long

Shirts

Fashionable comfortable High quality warm 30 dollars 12 dollars Fancy durable

 Product Details: a digital camera

The Easy Snap Digital Camera: Advantages: Light and inexpensive. Price: $175.00

The Fine Shot 4000 Digital Camera: Advantages: High quality and easy to use. Price: $225.00

Product Details: sunglasses

Banrays: Advantages: resistant to scratches and durable. Price: $65.00

Armantes: Advantages: light and fashionable. Price: $45.00

 Product Details: boots

Mountain Explorers: Advantages: comfortable and water resistant. Price: $110.00

Rain Forest Walkers: Advantages: lighter and not expensive. Price: $95.00

Product Details: a coat

Armantes Leather Jackets Advantages: stylish and durable. Price: $120.00

Corombia Jackets: Advantages: warm and easy to clean. Price: $85.00

 Product Details: pants

Levios Jean: Advantages: warm and durable. Price: $55.00

Cotton Pants: Advantages: light and easy to clean. Price: $45.00

Product Details: a sleeping bag

The Arctic Sleeper: Advantages: warm and compact. Price: $110.00

The Summer Special: Advantages: not expensive and light. Price: $95.00

 Product Details: a tent

The Cliff Camper: Advantages: compact and light. Price: $85.00

The Outdoor Palace: Advantages: roomy and easy to set up. Price: $110.00