Competence Aims in K06
Language learning
- find similarities between words and expressions in English and his/her own native language
Communication
- understand and use common English words and phrases both orally and in writing
- use the basic sound system
- understand the meaning of words and phrases based on the context they are used in
- express himself/herself through drama and role play
- read and understand the main points in texts about familiar topics
- write short messages and simple sentences
- indicate amounts and sizes
- use digital tools to find information and create text
Culture, society and literature
- join in songs and stories in English
- express thoughts and emotions in the encounter with English-language literature and child culture
- prepare oral or written texts inspired by English-language literature and child culture
Teaching Objectives
- Follow oral and written instructions given in English
- Read a text that is at a suitable level
- Produce the ‘g’ sound in ‘gingerbread’
- Carry out online activities
- Talk about numbers, measurements, shapes and graphs in English
- Participate in English songs, games and discussions.
- Write a short narrative in English
Resources
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Online versions of the text
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/stories/colour/gingerbreadman.shtml
- http://www.topmarks.co.uk/stories/gingerbread.htm
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Tasks and activities
- http://www.topmarks.co.uk/stories/gingerbread.htm
- http://www.starfall.com/n/holiday/gingerbread/play.htm
- http://www.theoworlds.com/christmas/
- http://www.bry-backmanor.org/picturerecipe25b.html
- http://www.enchantedlearning.com/stories/folktale/gingerbreadman/
- http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/gingerbread/index.htm
- http://www.kidzone.ws/thematic/gingerbread/index.htm
Preparations
- Select the versions of the story to be used for class activities and for individual reading based on pupil abilities (they needn’t all read the same version), illustrations, language, sound availability, etc.
- Select the activities according to the time available and learning focus.
- Prepare the materials and templates for the selected activities.
- Book the computer room and add links to the sites to be used.
- Bake some gingerbread for the introduction.
- Book and prepare the school kitchen for the children’s own baking.
- Make the outline for the graph of body parts (Activity 12).
Plan of Lessons
Reading
- Activity 1: Gather the pupils around and read the story aloud. Before reading each page, stop to look at the pictures and have the pupils predict what they think is going to happen next (in English).
- Activity 2: Online reading. Differentiation is possible here because there are many online versions of this story. Some are easy , while others are more difficult . The faster readers may like to read several versions.
Post-Reading
- Activity 1: Comparison. Have the pupils, in groups, compare the Norwegian and English stories, and/or compare the various online versions with the version read by the teacher.
- Activity 2: Retelling using memory cards. Have the pupils tell you the sequence of events in the original story (in English). Write a short sentence for each event on the board. Print out the flashcards and have the pupils copy the sentences or key words (differentiation) onto matching cards. These can now be used for a variety of games. Pupils can work in pairs and tell each other the story as they put the sentences and pictures in order.
- Activity 3: Retelling using finger puppets . Following the instructions provided, have the pupils make finger puppets of the characters and retell the story.
- Activity 4: Vocabulary. Suggestions for word recognition activities.
- Activity 5: Asking and answering. Prepare a set of cards with statements and questions: First person: “I have … (picture of a number of gingerbread men) gingerbread men. Who has … (another picture)?” Next person: “I have … gingerbread men. Who has …?” In this activity pupils must read what is on their card, listen for ‘their’ number to be read out, and then read aloud what is written on their card. They learn to make simple statements and ask simple questions, as well as to refer to numbers. They may need to be reminded of how to pronounce the ‘g’ and ‘wh’.
- Activity 6: Talking about linear measurement. Print a gingerbread man with outstretched arms to fit A3 and A4 size paper (Internet). With the class, measure the distance from the tip of one arm to the tip of the other and write this beside the figure. Do the same for the height and the chest measurements, armpit to armpit, etc. Give the pupils A4 copies of the picture and have them make the same measurements. Compare their answers in groups.
- Activity 7: Following oral instructions. Pupils are given a model of a gingerbread man to colour according to instructions; for example, “If you have no pets, colour the gingerbread man’s nose yellow.” When the colouring tasks are completed, pupils can collect the resulting statistics; for example, “How many have yellow noses?” Finally, these statistics can be plotted on a graph.
- Activity 8: Shapes and colours. In this interactive activity, pupils complete a gingerbread figure by choosing the shape and colour of various elements.
- Activity 9: Writing. Pupils could write an alternative ending to the story. Alternatively, they could write a story starting: “If I were a gingerbread boy/girl, I would …”
- Activity 10: Decorate the gingerbread man. On this interactive Christmas site, pupils can develop their digital competence, as well as following instructions in English. In addition, they can write a message on these postcards and send them to the teacher.
- Activity 11: Songs. There are a variety of songs based on this story that have been set to familiar tunes available on the Internet.
- Activity 12: Reading a recipe and measuring. In the school kitchen pupils can bake their own gingerbread men. To do this they must read the recipe in English (a picture version is available as well for differentiation) and use mathematics to measure the ingredients.
- Activity 13: Talking about + making a graph. While waiting for the gingerbread men to come out of the oven, the children are told that they will be making a graph. They are each given a label on which to write their name. When they all have their gingerbread men, they are allowed to take one bite, and then they must stop. They then come up individually and put their label on the bar graph, in the column that matches the part they ate first (head, right foot or arm, left foot or arm, etc). As each name is added, the bar will grow and it will be possible to identify how many ate each part first. This can also be done on a Smart Board.
- Activity 14: Revue. This Christmas revue includes songs and poems about gingerbread men.
- Activity 15: Board game. In the Gingerbread Baby board game, pupils read instructions regarding their next move.
Debriefing and Evaluation
- A sample self-evaluation form is provided in Appendix 1. This should be modified to include the competencies that were focused upon in this project.
- Written and oral tasks can be evaluated.
Follow-up
Some of the activities can be saved for follow-up or used when a relevant topic is being introduced in ICT or maths.
Comments
- All of the basic skills have been included in the activities built around this text.
- The activities may be selected to fit in with other topics being taught.