By Nedim Taþ
LESSON PLAN
Teacher: Nedim TAÞ
School: Humanýzlý Secondary School
Date: January 14, 2002
Description of class:
Class: 8th Grade
Learning Stage of Class: Advanced
Size of Class: 25
Age Level: 14-16
Time: 45 minutes
Text Used: Newsweek magazine
Pages: 32-33
Topic: ‘the EURO OUR money’
General: Reading for information and inference.
Specific: Ss will be able to learn and talk about ‘the new currency: Euro’
Ss will be able to read and have comments on ‘money in general’
Ss will be able to use new vocabulary such as “transaction, launch (of banknotes and coins ), denominations, etc.
Materials: Hand-Out, pictures related with the topic
Criterion Level: % 80 of ss. will be able to understand, discuss and exemplify the subject-matters.
Activities:
Warm-Up Activities (approximately 5 minutes)
· Stimulating students’ interest in the topic by asking qq. leading gradually to the concept ‘money: Euro’
e.g. “Do you think we are in a brand new era?”
“How/When does an era start?”
“What does Jan. 1, 2002 mean to you?”
(adding) “It means much to 300 million Europeans”
(showing pict.1) “What do you think is happening in this picture?”
(telling them) “These people are asking for dollars; but 300 million people in 12 countries in Europe do not demand (showing pict.2) dollar, pound, liret or markka but (drawing the symbol for Euro on BB. and letting them guess what it is) Є...
(showing pict.3-4) “What do you know about it?”
· To allow students to read the text for new information about Euro.
· Saying “Let’s learn more about it, shall we?”
· Handing out the copies of the text
· Telling them to look at the picture first then guess the answers to these qq.:
* “Is Euro a new currency?”
* “What do the symbols on each banknote refer to?”
* “Are they exactly the same in all 12 countries? If not, what do you think are the differences?
Activity #2 (approximately 20 minutes)
· Giving the meanings and pronunciations of unknown words (in Turkish if necessary)
· Individual (silent) reading
· Ss. read out the text taking turns for each paragraph
Activity #3 (approximately 15 minutes)
· Asking ss. to answer the following qq.:
* “Which countries use the Euro?”
* “What was each country’s earlier currency before Euro?”(with rate-chart )
* “What are the denominations of the banknotes /coins?”
* “How does the size of the banknote affect its value?”
* “What do windows and gateways on banknotes symbolise?”
* “What are the features of the Euro coins?”
· Leading ss. in discussion
* “So, do you think January 1, 2002 is the start of a brand new era?”
* “Do you think it will be beneficial?”
* (OPTIONAL) (showing pict.5)“What does money mean to you? What would you do if you were a millionaire?”
· For homework;
* (showing pict.6) “What do you know about the security features of these banknotes?” “Compare them with our banknotes”
* (showing pict. 7) “What is the significance of the date ‘March 1, 2002’?”
· Telling them they are going to find information about the above two qq. on internet (http://www.euro.ecb.int) for the next lesson.
Language learning is a process which requires so many factors depending not only on the learner and the teacher but also on the materials used in the classroom, classroom atmosphere, works done outside the class as well as the system of education. For students, it is absolutely true that without a need to communicate, a desire to express oneself and an active involvement it is really difficult to take part in an effective learning. What is more, students’ efforts to prepare for the next lessons and practise what is learnt in the class shapes the quality of their learning. These are valid provided that the learnt subjects sound meaningful to the learner. Especially young learners’ attention and motivation may be lost if they don’t find the topic interesting. However, drawing their attention to the subject matter is somehow in teacher’s hand; by personalizing the topic as much as possible and associating it with real life situations, students can be made ready for an active learning which is more desirable and effective. In doing so, a good systematic detailed preparation for lessons is needed. As long as relevant and interesting texts are brought into the class and preparation for presenting it is done accordingly, then language learning will be boosted.
In this work the lesson plan prepared for a specific subject to be used in an advanced English class of a secondary school, is evaluated in terms of the seven standards of textuality. For this, each step in the plan is associated with a certain textual standard and explained according to way they are related.
The seven standards of textuality are as follows:
1. Cohesion
2. Coherence
3. Intentionality
4. Acceptability
5. Informativity
6. Situationality
7. Intertextuality
The authentic text chosen for this advanced English class is taken from ‘Newsweek’ the International News Magazine dated December 10, 2001 and is about Europe’s new common currency the ‘Euro’ which has taken place with 7 brand new banknotes and 8 coins in twelve countries across the continent since January 1, 2002. The other supporting pictures are taken from different issues of the same magazine, which for along time has been publishing the advertising of Euro prepared by European Central Bank.
1. Why to choose this text?
Language learners often think that the things they are learning in the classroom may not be made use of outside the class in the daily course of time. What makes them think so is their inability of associating the texts -which actually reflect real life circumstances- with their own sense of living. Yet as a text makes sense to them, not only a better comprehension but also the continuity of the presented information in minds is provided. Because when they come across things outside the class, at home, in malls similar to what they see in class, then the learnt things become more concrete for them. In this context, authentic texts do work well as they mostly show the real events, occurrences, people and relations.
First of all the text to be used in English class is an informative one and illustrates people about a new beginning for European people with the launch of Euro banknotes and coins on January 1, 2002. It is an important change which everyone might easily be aware of due to its being introduced and mentioned in a great many branches of media and its concerning both the participating twelve countries and the nations who are in direct-indirect relations with European countries. In any case, it is a fresh long-term happening whose profound impact makes it a worthy subject to be taken in hand in the classroom. From that point on, the teacher’s intention is to ensure that students get informed about this significant event and practise their language through this informative text. Moreover, as the lesson is done in January, this subject does not sound irrelevant, thus, is situationally appropriate. Even if students don’t get so much interested in the topic as it is not something they can often use in Turkey, they may be motivated and involved in the lesson by focusing on the concept ‘money’ and its place in human life alternatively. Because the recent work done in the class was about ‘money and shopping’. Here, referring back to a recent work and associating it with the present one is a useful means related with intertextuality. On the other hand, if the topic is presented in such a way that it stimulates interests of learners, that will become an effective lesson since they can see and hear about ‘Euro’ and its denominations more often within this year and the forecoming years. At least they will be aware of this change.
2. Objectives
Within this lesson the main aim is to provide learners with the opportunity to practise their language and to read for information, understand and learn more about the Euro(intentionality). Especially their speaking on the determined subject has more importance since this is a means of enhancing their oral language skills. Review of the previous-lesson-vocabulary and relating them with the new ones is another aim of the present lesson. This way, they will realize that the vocabulary learnt in lessons may be used in different relations with different subjects (intertextuality).
3. Materials Used
Supporting the subject matter with various materials such as flash cards, pictures, real objects increases the efficiency of the course. Because main focus is kept on the text; yet students notice how different forms of the subject can take place somewhere else. In this lesson, copies of the text and supporting pictures taken from the Newsweek are used. These serve for involving students in the lesson and shifting between different points of the subject-matter. That is , when a picture consisting of elements students are familiar with is displayed and questions about it are directed, learners will easily make comments on the picture as it sounds familiar; at least some of them. For example, ‘the picture(1) with people demanding dollars’ may make more sense than Euro because it is not a new concept for them. That is why, before passing on the main subject (Euro) that picture is shown. Giving familiar information first and then new ones works better for involvement.
4. Criterion Level
From the point of acceptability, since the topic is new and authentic as well as related with recent work and illustrated with supporting pictures and presented in an interest-stimulating way, most of the learners are expected to involve much in the lesson; however, some of them may not find the topic so meaningful owing to their life conditions or they may lose their attention depending on the possible in-class-problems such as noise, tiredness, etc.
5. Warm-up Activity
For sustaining the best profit from a text, teacher is bound to have students feel ready for doing an activity or learning something. In other words, learners must find the text acceptable to deal with. Additionally, giving the theme at once without forming expectations and stimulating curiosity of learners, is not a good way of presenting the text; rather, getting them to expect and desire to find something in the text stands as a better way so as to capture involvement.
This activity is used to set a situation in which learners will be motivated to learn something new and be ready for a great deal of intake. The concept of Euro, just because of informativity, is not given immediately but an utterance from the text (a brand new era ) is extracted and written on the blackboard. After briefly explaining its meaning, a question is asked about ‘era’. The structural similarity between ‘era’ and ‘euro’ will later help students to remember both words easily. To make it more concrete, the date January 1, 2002 is given implying the New Year which started just two weeks ago. Still not knowing that ‘era and Jan.1, 2002’ has much more importance for new Euro-users students are told that it means much for 300 million Europeans (this mainly concerns informativity since it is given in an open-ended way that stretches learners’ minds). Here they can guess what is meant, on condition that they have heard about the significance of that particular date. However, with the following picture(2) shown and the question asked, it will be clearer but not certain yet. To relate that dollar-focused picture(2) to Euro, this sentence is told: These people are asking for dollars; but 300 million people in 12 countries in Europe do not demand (showing pict.2) dollar, pound, liret or markka but Є... The underlined parts are the references to other currencies of different countries which help learners have an idea about the topic since they most probably are aware of these items (again related with intertextuality). And the symbol of the Euro is drawn on the board and students are asked to guess what it is. Then the picture(3) which informs that 300 million Europeans wake up to a new currency: the Euro Our money. This is a short economic expression which captures students’ attention situationally. It is written on the board.
6. Activity 1
Now that students know about the topic and that Euro is the new currency in twelve countries in Europe, it is time for getting to know what the Euro’s features are. Students are ready because their curiosity and eagerness to learn more about the Euro has increased. Both the text and the way it is presented constitutes a form of coherent and cohesive unity to let students learn more about the given topic (concerning informativity and acceptability). Being handed the copies of the text, students are asked to look at the picture next to the text, then guess the answers to these questions: “Is Euro a new currency?” “What do the symbols on each banknote refer to?” “Are they exactly the same in all 12 countries? If not, what do you think are the differences?” These questions guide students to read the text for specific goals. In other words, they will look for the answers to the questions and their attention will fall higher on the information given in the text.
7. Activity 2
Before having a start with reading the text, the new words in it are written on the board and their correct pronunciations are given with their meanings (in Turkish if necessary). This is important because the more unknown words there are in the text the quicker students get stuck and stop reading. Then, silent reading begins. It is necessary because a few minute-silence in class creates a relaxing atmosphere. After that, one arbitrarily selected student starts to read out the text while the others are listening to her/him and reading silently. As each paragraph is read another student takes the turn to read the next one. Again these students are selected arbitrarily as this prevents indifference and keep students on their toes (the teacher’s intention is to keep students active; and their respond is acceptable, that is they are active participants).
8. Activity 3
Reading a text and understanding it gives pupils great pleasure. Especially when they learn new things it becomes better. As they happen to learn something, the desire to share it with others increases. The teacher can understand whether they understand it or not via the comprehension questions directed to students after reading the text. If it is seen that there stands no problem with their understanding the text, then they are led into a discussion with the following questions: So, do you think January 1, 2002 is the start of a brand new era?” “Do you think it will be beneficial?” (OPTIONAL) What does money mean to you? What would you do if you were a millionaire?” Letting students talk as much as possible is very crucial here. It is better if they talk about the newly learnt information about Euro; however, if they insist on not to talk about it, the subject may be shifted to money-millionaire-dreams etc. by asking the optional question. In this context, they may even talk about their allowances, father’s salaries and shopping too. The picture(5) may help them have an idea about future plans in case they would be millionaires.
The final two pictures (pict.6-7) are used as visual aids to set the situation for homework. Picture(6) asks about security features of Euro banknotes, picture(7) asks about the significance of March 1, 2002. Both pictures suggest learning these from the web site of the Euro: http://www.euro.ecb.int . Therefore, as a homework students are asked to get information about these two subjects from internet for the next lesson. When they open that page there are three things to do:
1. They will go on learning more about the Euro
2. The concepts held in the class will be reviewed and practised
3. They each will find interesting things on that web site and will want to share it with the class as soon as possible. Consequently, it becomes a good reminder and motivator for the next lesson.
Even if many of the students cant find opportunity to use internet, the other students’ homework might do well to serve as a booster.
During the lesson, such repeated words as ‘coins, money, European, currency, etc.’; pro-forms like ‘Do you think it (Euro) will be beneficial?’; the frequent use of Simple Present Tense as it is a fresh event whose effect continues’; the use of conjunctions, disjunctions e.g. ‘dollar, pound, liret or markka but Є...’ all are of cohesion related elements. The language used in the course of the lesson is based especially on money-centred things such as ‘currency, dollar, spend, earn, lira, millionaire, price, banknote, coin, value, denominations and so on.’, which makes the lesson a coherent one. The homework given contributes much to get unexpected information (informativity) and see similar texts studied in class (intertextuality) on behalf of students.
To sum up, the efficiency of any lesson, studied depending on a particular text, increases so long as the seven standards of textuality are taken into consideration. This is mainly because these standards are crucial elements without which a text is not a text. With this important factor in mind, we can conclude that teachers’ awareness of textuality can make a great deal of contribution to effective and efficient lessons both for students and teachers.