Story Assignment
Story Text--the Old Man Losing His Horse
Once upon a time, there was an old man who lived with his only son happily at the border of a state in China. They loved horses so much that they raised some and let them graze freely in the meadow. One day, one of the old man's servants came to him and reported to him nervously, "A horse is missing! It must have gone to the neighbouring state." The old man's friends felt sorry for that, but he did not bother at all about losing the horse. On the contrary, he said with a smile, "who know! This may bring us fortune!" A few months later, a strange thing happened. Not only did the missing horse return home safely, it also brought back with it a fine horse from the neighbouring state. The old man's friends felt very sorry for that and came to comfort the old man, but the old man was not the least sad about the accident. Instead, he said with a smile, "who know! This may bring us great fortune after all!" A year later, a war broke out between the neighbouring state and the state where the old man lived, all the young and strong men were drafted to fight against the enemies, and most of them got killed in the war. However, since the old man's son was crippled, he was not drafted to the war and was able to spare his life. The old man was very glad that he could live with his crippled, but living son happily thereafter.
When his friends heard the news, they congratulated the old man on his good luck, but the old man was not a bit happy about that. "Who know! This may bring us misfortune!" The old man said with a frown.
His friends did not understand what he meant until one day, when his son was riding the fine horse and fell down from the horse accidentally. He broke his leg and became crippled.
2. English level: Pre-intermediate to intermediate.
3. Language focus:
b. Function: Expressing possibilities.
c. Repeated language: ��Who know! This may bring us�K��
4. Educational ideas: Social focus--Learning to face adversity, being optimistic.
5. Themes: Fortune and misfortune.
6. Suggested teaching aids: Big book/ pictures.
English Level-pre-intermediate to intermediate.
2. Students are able to understand the themes in the story.
3. Students are able to read the story on their own.
2. Reading the story.
3. Post-storytelling activity.
2. The teacher gives each group two pictures from some newspapers and magazines.
3. The teacher divides the board into two columns: good news and bad news.
4. The teacher asks students which picture seems to suggest a good news and which seems to suggest a bad.
5. The teacher asks students to stick those good news on the good news column on the board and vice versa.
6. The teacher introduces the key word ��fortune�� by relating it to the good news and ��misfortune�� by relating it to the bad news.
7. The teacher asks students to discuss in pairs what would they do if they experienced the fortunes and the misfortunes on the pictures that they got.
8. The teacher introduces words of response like ��frown��, ��smile��, ��sorry�� by relating them to students�� responses to the fortunes and misfortunes on the pictures.
~ Introduces new words and prepare students for the story.
2. The teacher tells the first two parts of the story and asks some students to read the dialogues of the old man, the servant and his friends in front of the whole class.
3. The teacher asks students to guess the ending of the story.
4. The teacher asks students to read the last part of the story.
~ Encourage students�� participation.
~ Help students understand the themes of the story.
~ Get students to read on their own.
2. Ask students again what would they do if they experienced the good thing and the bad thing on the pictures that they got.
~ Check if students understand the theme and have learnt something from the fable.
Brief Notes:
Outline of Suggested Teaching Ideas:
Subject:
English
Amount of Students:
35
Student Background:
Learning motives-medium;
Objectives:
1. Students are able to understand new words like ��crippled��, ��frown��, ��fortune��, ��misfortune��, ��comfort��, ��meadow��, etc.
Teaching Procedures:
1. Pre-storytelling activity.
Course Materials:
Big story book/ pictures; pictures from newspapers/ magazines.
Time
Teaching Procedure
Aims
Teaching Aids
12 mins.
1. Students are divided into pairs.
~ Get class attention and warm students up.
Pictures from newspapers and magazines;
blu-tack/ stickers.
15 mins.
1. The teacher starts the story by telling students there was once an old man who had experienced both fortunes and misfortunes in a very short period of time.
~ Get class attention.
Big story book/ pictures.
8 mins.
1. Ask students some questions about the content of the story.
~ Check students�� understanding of the story.
Pictures from newspapers and magazines.