S.
S. I. S. Unical 2003/2005
Classe
46/A Inglese
Module
“Developing Written and Oral Abilities”
Teaching
Unit
“Let’s
celebrate Thanksgiving Day!”
Dott.ssa Maria Giovanna
Sica
matr.
1655
Level
A1
of the Common European Framework of Reference; 1st year of High
School (SS have already studied English at Scuola Media)
Prerequisites
- Grammar:
-
Present simple
-
Past simple
-
Comparative and superlative forms
- Vocabulary:
-
year’s periods (months, seasons,
days)
-
family names and relationships
- Adjectives of
nationality
- Communicative
activities (Can do statements):
-
(overall
listening comprehension) Can understand instructions addressed carefully and
slowly
-
(overall
reading comprehension) Can understand simple texts picking up familiar names,
words, basic phrases
-
Can
identify specific information in a simple written material
-
(overall
spoken interaction) Can ask and answer simple questions in areas of familiar
topic
-
Can
ask people for things and give people things
-
Can
indicate time by phrases such as “next week, last Friday, in
December”
-
(overall
written production) Can write a simple and informal letter (and
e-mail)
-
Can
write a basic description of events
Objectives
- Pedagogical
aims:
-
to
learn how American people celebrate Thanksgiving Day
-
to
learn about the origin of this festivity
-
to
be able to compare foreign traditions and festivities with the Italian
ones
-
to
learn how to do a traditional menu with traditional food
-
to
respect different habits and cultural traditions
-
to
work in team (in pair or in group)
-
to
use the computer and the Internet to improve the quality of the project work
(layout) and to find more information
- Grammar:
-
to
consolidate the knowledge and the use of:
n
present
simple
n
past
simple
n
prepositions
of time and place
n
adjectives
(nationality, dimensions etc.)
n
WH-
questions (When? What? Who?)
- Vocabulary:
-
to
enrich specific vocabulary about festivities (in particular Thanksgiving and its
tradition, specically food served at holiday time)
-
to
master the use of lexicon of food and family
- Functions:
-
Asking
for information about celebrations and traditions
-
Expressing
opinions
-
Talking
about people and their traditions
- Communicative
activities:
-
Listening:
-
Can
understand a quite simple text in order to check
information
-
Can
listen for specific information
-
-
Can
read a simple text with a good level of comprehension
-
Can
locate specific information (strategy: scanning)
-
Can
skim a text in order to catch the main meaning, the gist (strategy:
skimming)
-
Can
infer the meaning of simple words from the context
-
Can
infer the meaning of simple words
by analysing compound words
-
Can
recognize chronological organization identifying time
relationships
-
Writing:
-
Can
write a detailed description of a topic of interest
-
Can
summarize events
-
Can
report and/or give his/her opinion and information
-
Speaking
(production & interaction):
-
Can
speak about familiar topics, such as celebrations and
traditions
-
Can
give detailed descriptions of situations
-
Can
exchange information and opinions on other cultures
-
Can
discuss about cultural features, comparing the Italian way of celebrating with
the American one.
Anticipated
problems
glossary
with different words
Time
2
hours (of
Material
worksheets,
menus, dictionary, textbook, OHP, trasparencies
Tasks
to be performed:
reading
for gist; reading for specific details; listening to check ??; writing an
e-mail; project (writing a holiday menu and organizing its presentation) (pair
work and group work are not tasks!!! The task is what the ss have to do in pairs or in groups!)
Remedial
work:
to
be defined according to the results.
It may
include: clozes, multiple choice questionnaires, scrambled order
exercise.
N.B.
This teaching
unit belongs to a module called “The European roots of
PROCEDURE
Pre-reading
phase
Brainstorming
(10
min.)
T
writes on the blackboard the word “Festivity” and then asks SS the following
questions:
v
What
are the most important festivities in your town?
v
Are
there any special traditions connected with them?
v
Do
you eat any typical food at these festivities?
So
T collects SS’ ideas on the topic and then, writing on the blackboard
“Thanksgiving”, he asks SS to think about this word.
v
This
word consists of two words that you probably know. Can you say which? If you put
the meaning of the two words together, can you guess the meaning of
this festivity?
While-reading
phase
T
tells SS they are going to read a short text about Thanksgiving and other
celebrations in the
T
explains that he is going to read out some sentences, but that each of them has
a mistake. SS must correct these mistakes and say the correct sentences .
In this phase
T presents SS two different textual typologies on the “Thanksgiving Day” and,
before reading the following text, a glossary with the most difficult words .
Text
1
Reading for
the gist
(5 min.)
Glossary:
Sprig
of shamrock: small branch of a small plant with three leaves. It’s the national
symbol of
Harvest:
all the fruit, corn or vegetables that are cut or picked
Thankful:
happy that something good has happened
Homeless:
a person who has nowhere to live in
Perhaps:
maybe (not sure)
Pilgrims:
people who left
-
Task 1
(5 min.)
T asks SS to
correct the sentences he is going to read
-
Task 2
(5 min.)
- Task 3 (5
min.)
-
Task 4
(5
min.)
-
Task 5
(8
min.)
Text
2
To provide
more lexicon on the festivity and on the food, T asks
SS to read the following extract and find some specific information
T gives
explanations of the more difficult words such as the expression “extra day off
from work" (to have one more day than usual without working) or “join” (to take
part) or “turkey” (a large bird similar to chicken).
- Task 6 (10 min)
Worksheet
3 “The
Thanksgiving is the most truly American national holiday. The celebration
consists principally of a big family dinner: parents, children, relatives
and friends join around a decorated table rich with special food. Sons and
daughters use their 4 day holidays to go home from schools and colleges;
people take extra day off from works to be able to make a trip and join
the family reunion. The most important moment is when, before starting the
meal, the father or the eldest man in the family, thanks God for all the
rich things the family has received during the day. Then he cuts the roast
turkey: everyone is ready to eat. The ceremony continues with dances and
the singing of traditional songs. This is a very important day for us! The
following is a typical menu for the Thanksgiving
dinner:” (Text
adapted from “The world around me”, AA.VV.,
-
Task 7 (5 min.)
-
Task 8 (10 min.)
To
check this activity the T shows some trasparencies in which each item of the
menu is illustrated with pictures.
E.g.
Worksheet
4
PUMPKIN
PIE
ROAST
TURKEY
Post-reading
phase
-
Task 1 Write an e-mail (15 min.)
-
Task 2 Group work (15 min.)
T
divides the class into groups, each member of each
group has to ask some questions to the others to report the results later on to
the class, to exchange information and experiences on how festivities are
celebrated. T gives them cards with instructions:
- Task 3
This
could be a project to do at home. T explains the situation and asks students to
make menus. T helps with vocabulary as needed, since he has already been
providing them with lexicon on food and recipes.
Assestment
tools and evaluation
- structured
test (written):
True/false
and Multiple choice on the festivities in
- half
structured test (written):
Writing
a letter to a foreign penpal asking him/her about the most important tradition in his country, the
typical holiday meal, its origin.
Give explanation of yours.
- not
structured test (oral):
class
discussion
Grid to evaluate (Each item:
1/5)
Written work
|
|
Complete
and well
articulated |
Complete |
Sufficient |
Incomplete/ insufficient |
|
Vocabulary
and spelling |
|
|
|
|
|
Grammatical
correctness |
|
|
|
|
|
Organization |
|
|
|
|
|
Elaboration |
|
|
|
|
|
Knowledge
of the topic |
|
|
|
|
Oral work
|
|
Complete
and well
articulated |
Complete |
Sufficient |
Incomplete/ insufficient |
|
Vocabulary
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grammatical
correctness |
|
|
|
|
|
Coherence |
|
|
|
|
|
Pronunciation/ intonation |
|
|
|
|
|
Interaction
|
|
|
|
|
Criteria for
credit granting:
5= narrow
pass
6=
sufficient
7= pass with
merit
9= pass with
distinction