Giggle Poetry in the English Class!

Students are usually reluctant to reading poetry, let alone ... writing it!
Well, that's because they think a poem is an extremely difficult and serious piece of writing. But it shouldn't be, because it really isn't! Trying to turn it into something more appealing to my students, while I was teaching the unit "Addictions", I came across an interesting site on Giggle Poetry:

http://www.gigglepoetry.com/index.aspx

And I thought to myself it would be an easy way to make them write something funny.
I chose the "Smoker's Epitaph", a funny poem which they had to complete in order to rhyme. Here is the original poem:

Smoker's Poem

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After completing it they had to go on writing similar rhyming verses. These were the results:

Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was thirteen
Now he won't know what he could have been
(DÚNIA, 9º 2ª)

Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was fourteen
Now he can't eat a bean
(AISHA, 9º 2ª)

Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was fifteen
Now he cannot fulfil his dream
(CLAUDIA, 9º 2ª)

Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was sixteen
What he did was a sin
(JOÃO, 9º 2ª)


Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was sixteen
Now there's only an epitaph to be seen
(SOFIA and KARLA, 9º 2ª)


Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was seventeen
Now he'll never meet his queen
(SOFIA and KARLA, 9º 2ª)


Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was eighteen
I wonder what he could have been
(DAVID, 9º 2ª)


They exercised their imagination and, at the same time, they had fun. I had fun, too!

WEBQUESTS

TEACHERS
If you're looking for a more interesting way to teach the topic "Environment" and if both you and your sudents have easy access to the internet, then you can try this WEBQUEST with your elementary students. It's easy and I'm sure they'll have lots of fun, while they learn about "Rainforest Animals".
In case you need any further information about how webquests work, feel free to cantact me!





Rain Forest Animals Webquest

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Ana's School

Ana O. is one of my 12 year old students in the 7th Form. She's been learning English for 3 years. After studying the topic "School", I asked Ana and her partners to write a composition under the title "My School". Ana was one of the first students to hand in her composition. She is a hard working student and an enthusiastic learner of English. This her composition:



Hello !
I’m going to talk a little about my school ...
My school´s name is ...
My school is in (...).
In this area there are people with different backgrounds and cultures, so it is quite varied. And I think it´s quite rewarding, too.

My school is big. There are four big buildings.
In building A, on the ground-floor, you can find the school office, the “AGIR” room, the staffroom, the phones and the “SASE” office.
On the first floor, we find the library, the headmaster´s office, the computer room and the rooms of some school clubs. This building, as all the other school buildings, was recently painted in light blue and white.
On the ground-floor of building B you can find some classrooms and the toilets; on the first floor there are more classrooms.
It is painted in pink and white.

On the ground-floor of building C you can find some classrooms and the toilets. On the first floor there are other classrooms. This building is painted in green and white.
In building D you can find the bar, the gymnasium, the canteen, the recreation room, the toilets and the stationer´s.
This building is painted in orange and white.
I like my school because we don´t have to wear a uniform.
We can wear what we want : jeans or skirt, blouse or pullover.
I also enjoy spending my free time with my friends there. We like each other very much.
I like my class and my teachers very much.
I don´t have my own locker at school to put my things in and I would like to have one.
My favourite subjects are English, Portuguese, French and Computers.
I´m good at all my subjects, except Science.
I hate my school timetable.
I confess : I love talking in classes, sometimes …

Ana

Class ...


CONGRATULATIONS, ANA!

The "awful" Present Perfect!

Have you ever had trouble teaching/learning the Present Perfect? Well, I have as most of you, I think. There are no easy "recipes" to learn/teach it, but a good thing is to start by practising its form, not worrying much about when to use it (that is reaaly difficult for us Portuguese, because there is no similar Tense in our language). As soon as students understand how it's formed, then it's time for 2nd "round". Here is a simple way of practising the 1st "round". I'll soon be back to this topic.

Present Perfect (Beginners)

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ON FRIENDSHIP!

Having friends, finding new friendships and friendly relationships is an important developmental task for preteens and teens.

Class 2 had a 90 minute lesson on FRIENDSHIP. As a pre-reading activity for "Friends will be Friends" text, they were asked to finish one of the following sentences, expressing their own ideas on the subject:

A FRIEND IS ... / FRIENDSHIP IS ...

They've come up with some pretty interesting ideas. Have a look:


"A friend is someone whom you can tell your secrets", Érica

"A friend is someone we can count on, someone that laughs with you and is always by your side to show you the right way", Dúnia

"A friend is someone I admire. When I'm feeling really bad, he helps me, sings for me and tells jokes.", Inês

"A friend is someone I can trust, someone who helps me, makes me laugh and cry.", Fábio Ribeiro

"A friend is someone we can tell a secret.", Carla Biage

"A friend is someone who helps in the bad moments and laughs with me in the good moments"

"A friend is someone we can trust", David

"A friend is someone who helps me out in the most difficult moments, he is someone I can trust.", Bruno

"A firend is someone that helps you, understands you, talks to you and shares your thoughts with you", Henrique

Diagnostic Tests

Diagnostic tests are important to find out how much your students have learnt so far. I usually use them when I get new students in my classes. After I get the results, lesson planning will be adjusted to their needs. The following Diagnostic Test is a level 3. Grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening and writing skills are tested, as well as their knowledge about English speaking countries.

Diagnostic Test1 - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Diagnostic Test1

I'm glad to share it!

ICE BREAKERS - Activities for the first English lesson (Part 2)

Back from holidays! Now let's get ready for the new school year!
Here are some more ice breaking activities for the first lesson:


Spot the false information

Aim of the activity
To introduce yourself to a new class.

Preparation
Write three pieces of information about yourself on the board, only one of which is true.

Procedure
Tell the students that they should ask you questions in order to find out which information is true. When they have asked some questions, ask them to say which one they think is the true piece of information and then tell them whether they were right.


Names and numbers

Aim of the activity
To introduce yourself to a new class. To encourage the exchange of personal information in English.

Procedure
Write in random order on the board a selection of names and numbers which mean something to you personally. For example, the number of your house, the name of your dog, the number of children you've got, the number of times you've been married etc. Ask the students to guess the significance of the names and numbers you have written. Confirm their guesses or correct them. Now ask them to work in pairs and to write names and numbers for their partner to look at and guess their significance. Alternatively, ask students to write three numbers, or three names on a post-it and to stick in on their front. They should then circulate and ask and answer questions with as many partners as possible about the numbers or names on their post-its.

(these ice breakers were provided by the Lake School of English in Oxford)