Short Description
In this lesson, the starting point is the book My Pet by Bill Graham (Other picture books about pets can also be used). The pupils will practice basic structures used for talking about pets. The simple story makes it easy to read several times and makes it easier for pupils to repeat each sentence after the teacher. This lesson uses reading, listening and speaking skills.
Competence Aims in LK20
- listen to and understand words and expressions in adapted texts
- explore and use the English alphabet and pronunciation patterns in a variety of playing, singing and language-learning activities
- write simple texts that express thoughts and opinions
- learn words and phrases and acquire cultural knowledge through English-language literature
- read and talk about the content of various types of texts, including picture books
Teaching Objectives
The plan should enable the pupils to
- have increased their English vocabulary needed to describe what one does with pets
- respond orally to questions before, during and after the reading using English grammar structures and vocabulary taught in lesson
- use basic English phonemes correctly when repeating after the teacher
- show vocabulary understanding through physical activities
Debriefing and Assessment
Talk to the class about what they have learnt. How many new words can they remember? Evaluate the students’ use of these new words in this dialogue about the book. Ask focused questions that require them to use the new words from the lesson.
- Who is the pet?
- Who has got the pet?
- What does the pet do? Why is she lucky?
Finally, ask the pupils how they liked the story they read. Use three different faces from very happy to sad.
- Why did they like/not like the story they read?
- How did they like the way they worked with the story? Ask them to explain why or why not. The pupils can answer in Norwegian, but it is recommended the teacher responds, when possible, in English
Resources
- Picture book; My Pet by Bill Graham, illustrated by Alan Swan, in Cappelen Damm’s Galaxy1
- Alternatively, other books about pets can be used, e.g.Peppa's First Pet (Ladybird. Free delivery from Book Depository). Peppa's First Pet is also available as a reader on YouTube (Little Reader by Scolastic)
- Flashcards with key words (worksheet)
- Flashcards with main word structures (worksheet)
- Worksheet with similar words/word walls (worksheet)
- How much is that doggie in the window? (song from British Council. LearnEnglishKids)
- Oh, where has my little dog gone? (YouTube. Muffin Songs)
- British Council - more songs on Pets (LearnEnglishKids)
- The BBC KS1 Bitesize on Literacy This is a good resource although not all links on this site can be shown in Norway.
Preparations
Use visual support: toy pets, pictures, drawings, miming, flash cards and synonyms/similar words (lucky/happy - see Resources). Print out flashcards showing keywords and structures necessary for understanding the story:
My Pet
Main structures
This is…
I take her ...
When she is..., I…
She is…
Keywords:
pet
a walk
shopping
to play
dirty
to wash
tired
home
to make dinner
dinner
lucky
Plan of Lessons
PRE-READING
Activity 1: Provide a context for the story.
Talk about pets with the pupils, alternatively start with the song How much is that doggie in the window? (see Resources).
- What do we mean by a ‘pet’?
(Here you can list some known animals and vote if they are pets or not) - How many of you have a pet?
- What kind of pet do you have?
- What kind of pet do you like best? Why?
Try to elicit names of the different types of pets in English, and if given in Norwegian, write the English translation on the blackboard
- rabbit, cat, dog, fish, hamster, guinea pig, bird.
Talk about what they can do with their pets. Write down keywords in English.
- to take (the pet) for a walk
- to play with
- to feed the pet
Gather the pupils in a circle and show them the front cover of the book. Ask them to predict what the story is about. You may flip through the pages without reading, just showing the pictures.
READING
Activity 2: Read aloud and comprehension
Read the book aloud to them pausing on each page to let them look at the illustrations.
Talk about the meaning. Discuss with the class who is the pet (girl or dog?). Draw attention to words that are transparent (eg wash, home, take)
Activity 3: Read and repeat
Pay attention to pronunciation and intonation, and read the story again sentence by sentence making the pupils repeat after the teacher.
POST-READING
Activity 4: Question and answer - whole class/group response
Look at the illustrations again and ask simple questions. Make the whole class/group repeat each answer.
• Who is the pet? (The dog is the pet.)
• What does the girl do? (She takes her for a walk, takes her shopping, plays with her, washes her, takes her home.)
• Why does she take her home? (She takes her pet home because the pet is tired.)
• What does she do when she gets home? (She makes dinner.)
Activity 5: Play Simon says
If you have Simon says before the action, the pupils are supposed to act it out. If you just say the action, they are to remain still. Those who move are out!
Simon says take your dog for a walk (pupils stand up)
Simon says play with your dog (pupils act)
Simon says she is tired (pupils act)
Make dinner (nobody moves).
Activity 6: Memory game
Use the illustrations in the story or find your own. Make strips with the sentences on. One sentence on each strip. Play lotto where pupils are supposed to match illustration and sentence.
Activity 7: Theme song- pet
Sing the song "Oh Where has my little dog gone?" (see Resources)
Activity 8: Computer based activities
The BBC KS1 Bitesize on Literacy has fun and useful interactive tasks. Especially recommended are tasks under Phonics, Rhyming words, Spelling and Sentence construction. The pupils should start at medium level and advance to a higher level when ready. The worksheets are good. The options under Using pronouns and Synonyms can be used with quite strong pupils whose English is at a higher level than grade 2.
Activity 9: Show and tell
Ask the pupils to bring a picture of their pet/a pet they know or a pet they would like to have. Ask them to talk about the pet in class. Provide a 'writing' frame to help them:
- My pet is called..
- My pet is a cat/hamster etc
- My pet is …..old.
- My pet is …..
- I take my pet …..
Follow- up
Activity 10: Finding facts
Ask the pupils to find 5 facts about their pet in Norwegian or English.
Activity 11: Extensive reading
Read other stories about animals with the class or make them chose books and read individually (e.g. see Comments below).
Comments
This storybook belongs to level 1 in Cappelen Damm’s Galaxy, a reading series that has eight levels of difficulties, including 68 different books. There are 16 different stories at level 1, stories with topics like Boxes, Bears and Bubbles, Monsters, Dogs and Spiders, Clocks, Spots and Dragons. Having different books at each level and/or having several books at different levels allows for differentiation in interests of each pupil and their reading level.
Other books about pets with more texts:
Wanted - The Perfect Pet by Fiona Roberton (2012). Link to Book Depository.
The Perfect Pet by by Margie Palatini (Author) and Bruce Whatley (Illustrator) (2009). Link to Amazon.
Developed by
Anna Birketveit, senior lecturer at Høgskolen i Bergen (2008).
Updated by Virginia-Lockhart Pedersen and Karin D. Pettersen, Fremmedspråksenteret 2019.