module 5

Lesson planning

45 minutes

Objectives

Plan a short lesson, including a warm-up, lesson, practice time, and a homework assignment
Define each of Gardner's Multiple Intelligences
Select appropriate activities for each area of literacy

introduction

In Module 4, you practiced breaking down long-term goals into multiple short-term goals. These short-term goals will guide the content of the lessons and practice you do during class with your students.

You should have a few scenarios from the previous lesson for which you have written both long-term and short-term goals. Select one, and then brainstorm as many activities as you can think of to teach and practice the skills required to complete each goal. What might you include in a real lesson plan with your student?

Since it's a brainstorming activity, try to write for a full 5 minutes, even when you feel like you've run out of ideas. Think outside the box to find creative ways to engage students in their lessons.

lesson

Class sessions are only an hour long, and the bulk of that time will be practicing skills with your students. The time to teach a "lesson" will be short. Planning this lesson to make good use of a short time is critical to helping your students succeed.

You don't need to spend a lot of time planning the lesson, but knowing what you hope to accomplish with your students before you arrive will yield significant benefits.

A good time to consider the lesson plan would be just after class. You can plan ideas for the next class before you go home, so you will know in advance if you need to bring or request any additional resources (worksheets, objects, etc.).

lesson structure

You learned in a previous lesson about the Daily Routine. Each lesson should include:

Followup
Warmup
Lesson
Practice
Homework Assignment

Use these categories to plan your lessons. For example, if a student's goal is to prepare for a job interview :

Followup: Ask student about their homework assignment and progress toward their current goal (5mins)
Warmup: Role play the question, "What did you do at your previous job?" we discussed last week (5mins)
Lesson: Responses to the question, "Why are you interested in this position?" Discuss the sorts of answers employers are looking for, strategies the student learned in job seeking class, and then write and read several possible answers with student (15mins)
Practice: Student brainstorms what they want to say to answer the question. Role play several times and assist with/explain vocabulary and grammar questions as needed. Student should make notes on phrases to practice during the week.
Homework Assignment: Practice answering the question in the mirror each day for 15-20 minutes. Try to look confident and comfortable.

multiple intelligences

Traditional classrooms place a heavy emphasis on bookwork and lectures. However, while those strategies may be ideal for some, many students have stronger aptitudes for learning in other ways. Since you have a lot of autonomy for what happens during lessons, you can build activities around your students' interests and strengths.

Read this article on Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Then complete a self-assessment to learn more about your own learning aptitudes.

Consider some "nontraditional" ideas for lessons:
Having class outside
Have a hands-on activity with relevant objects
Play music during the lesson
Use songs to learn relevant concepts
Do journaling activities
Join with another group to do a more interactive activity
Do an online activity, like blogging or web design
Do a related art project, like having students draw or take relevant photos

There are many other options to consider! Be creative as you keep your students' interests in mind. Getting to know them during the "Welcome" portion will give you valuable insight into what activities they might enjoy.

literacy skills

In addition to considering students' learning aptitudes, also keep in mind the four major literacy skills:

Reading
Writing
Speaking
Listening

Students may be more proficient in one than another. Focus your efforts on the skills they want to improve in the most, but consider ways to incorporate all of them as you plan lessons. Ultimately, students need to be able to be proficient in all of the skills to fully succeed in their goals.

practice

Create four lesson plans using the format in the example from "Lesson Structure." The scenarios for this practice are the same as those from Module 4. You may use the ones you already created goals for, or you may select another one. If you have not yet written short-term goals for them, write those first, and then write up the lesson plan.

Consider Multiple Intelligences Theory and the areas of literacy as you create the lesson plans.

scenarios

Maya wants to learn how to drive.
Rafael wants to understand English fictions novels better.
Carla wants to apply to college.
Josue wants to get a job in marketing, like he did had in his home country, but is not yet confident in his English skills.
Abdulla needs to give a short presentation at work.
Astur wants to write a newsletter for the organization she volunteers for.
Santiago wants to advertise his cleaning company.
Franklin wants to learn to cook following English recipes.

You may also use the scenario from the "Assessment" section from Module 4:

9. Marilede is a mother who wants to be able to speak to her children’s schoolteachers with more confidence. She primarily struggles with school-related vocabulary and the speed of the teacher’s speech.

assessment

For each of the domains of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences listed below, brainstorm three activities relevant to the domain:

Musical-Rhythmic
Visual-Spatial
Verbal-Linguistic
Logical-Mathematical
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic

For each of the aspects of linguistic literacy below, brainstorm three activities that emphasize the particular skill:

Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking

MODULE 6