(A play for A-2 or B-1 English Level)   

Compiled by Elaine Gallagher   

TEACHER: The NARRATORS can read their lines from a small card, if necessary.

PLAY  TITLE:           The Friendly Fox and  the Rapid Rabbit

SPECIFIC VOCABULARY: choose, baseball, coin, insects, soccer, tennis track, volleyball. I think it’s fun. Which is the fastest? fox, rabbit , thought, caught, decided, slept, came, found, invited, missed, ran, went, ate, jumped, entered, city, country, characters, setting, fable, summary, laughed, sleeping, going to, sing.

SETTING:                   The countryside 

CHARACTERS:         Friendly Fox

                                     Rapid Rabbit

                                     Narrators: 12

                                     Turtle

                                    The CROWD …The rest of the class

 

THE PLAY

NARRATOR 1:    Once upon a time there was a friendly fox, and a rapid rabbit.  Usually, foxes eat rabbits, but this fox was friendly. He just wanted to be friends with the animals. He was happy eating the left-over food that the farmer left near the big garbage bucket.

NARRATOR 2:    The rabbit could run very quickly and loved to have races with the other rabbits because Rapid Rabbit always won!

TURTLE:              Will you race with me, Rapid Rabbit?

RAPID RABBIT: No…you are too slow.  It would not be an exciting race.

TURTLE:               Please, race with me.  I always see only rabbits running the race.  I want to try, too.

CROWD:                Please race with the TURTLE, RAPID RABBIT. 

RAPID RABBIT: O.K., if you insist. But it won’t be fair.  I can run so much faster than you. 

TURTLE:              That’s OK”, said the Turtle.  I just want to have the opportunity to race against you. I don’t expect to win. 

NARRATOR 3:    So the turtle and the rabbit lined up.  The Friendly Fox said that he would be the judge. The rabbit and the turtle had to run all the way to the end of the field and back again to the Friendly Fox. 

FRIENDLY FOX: Ready…..set…..almost time to go. One, two, three….GO!!!! 

Compiled by Elaine Gallagher

DEVELOPING QUESTIONING SKILLS

 Suggestions for developing better questioning skills:

• Talk less but ask more.
• Analyze your questions.
• Use more divergent questions.
• Reduce the number of questions that     can be answered by only «yes» or «no.»
• Ask more questions to discover multi-talents.
• Do not stop the discussion with the right answer.
• Increase wait-time between asking and answering questions to at least five seconds.
• Lead more student-student «basketball» types of discussions.
• Provide good halting times.
• Avoid asking multiple questions.
• Develop sensitive listening techniques.
• Develop silent time.
• Ask questions appropriate to the developmental level.
• Provide direct instruction with interesting materials.
• Model good questioning skills.
• Create an atmosphere of trust and encourage questions.
• Include student questions later in the lesson, quiz, or assignments.
• Respond in an encouraging way.

Help children improve their questioning skills.

 

LEVELS OF QUESTIONING: AN EXERCISE

Different levels of questions address different cognitive abilities, including knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The following exercise, developed by Margaret Farguhar (Grosset & Dunlap, New York) and summarized by Dr. Judy Van Voorhis (Education Department, Muskingum College), applies these levels of questions to a well-known children’s story.

The Story: Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Goldilocks wanders into the house of the Three Bears. She tastes their porridge, finding one bowl «too hot,» one bowl «too cold,» and one bowl «just right.» Goldilocks also tries out their chairs, finding one chair «too big,» one «too small,» and one «just right.» Then she tries out the bears’ beds, finding one bed «too hard,» one «too soft,» and one «just right.» She falls asleep in Baby Bear’s «just right» bed. When the bears return, they find that someone has been eating their porridge, sitting in their chairs, and sleeping in their beds. They discover Goldilocks in the «just right» bed and she runs away.

The Questions

     Level 1: Knowledge

        List the characters in the story.

        What were the bears eating?

        Where was Goldilocks when the bears found her?

     Level 2: Comprehension

        Retell the events in the story in your own words.

        Why was Goldilocks afraid of the bears?

        Why was Goldilocks sleeping in Baby Bear’s bed?

     Level 3: Application

        Tell what might have happened if you had been Goldilocks.

        Relate the story from the point of view of Baby Bear.

        Use the information from the story to help you build a model of the bears’ house.

     Level 4: Analysis

        Compare Goldilocks’ experience with that of Little Red Riding Hood’s.

        Identify parts of the story that could happen to you.

        Make a list of all the events in the story that indicate it is a fairy tale.

     Level 5: Synthesis

        Combine art and drama to create a new ending for the story.

        Suppose that Goldilocks had found the home of the Three Raccoons. What might have happened?

        What if Goldilocks had brought a friend to the home of the Three Bears. What might have happened?

     Level 6: Evaluation

        Judge whether or not Goldilocks made a good decision by running away from the bears. Explain.

        Pretend that Goldilocks was on trial for «breaking and entering.» Decide whether you would find her guilty. Justify your decision.

        Evaluate Goldilocks’ behavior as a guest in the bears’ house.

 

    We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
    But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
    One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
    Yet the plural of moose should never be meese..
    You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
    Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.
    If the plural of man is always called men,
    Then shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?
    If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
    And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
    If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
    Why shouldn’t the plural of booth be called beeth?
    Then one may be that, and three would be those,
    Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
    And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
    We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
    But though we say mother, we never say methren.
    Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
    But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!
    Let’s face it – English is a crazy language.
    There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
    Neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
    English muffins weren’t invented in England.
    We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
    We find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
    And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
    And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing,
    Grocers don’t groce and hammers don’t ham?
    Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
    If you have a bunch of odds and ends
    And get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
    If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught?
    If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
    Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
    Should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
    In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
    We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
    We have noses that run and feet that smell.
    We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
    And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
    While a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?
    You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
    In which your house can burn up as it burns
    Down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out,
    And in which an alarm goes off by going on.
    And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother’s not Mop?

Compiled by Elaine Gallagher   

Children’s Day was originally celebrated in the mid 1800’s by Protestants, who christened children on this day. But today, Children’s Day has become a time to honor all children from around the world.

The United Mations general Assembly recommended in 1954 that all countries institute Universal Children’s Day in order to observe worldwide fraternity and understanding between children and activities promoting their welfare.

Mexicans celebrate Children’s Day on April 30^th . Celebrations include parties at school with the traditional piñata as the highlight; where children take turns trying to break open the piñata with a big wooden stick eagerly anticipating the candies that will fall to the ground. Mexicans pay special attention to Children’s Day (Día del Niño) and gifts are given to children.

Though the forms and times of celebration around the world vary for Children’s Day, the importance of honoring the world’s children remains the focus. It is a special time, set aside, in which we can all remember how precious and valuable all children are.

 

By Elaine Gallagher         

PLAY TITLE A Gift for Mama (A play for Mother’s Day). Level of English: A-1 / A-2.

SPECIFIC VOCABULARY: family, purse, love, dog,boy, girl, sister, brother, gift, three, mother, surprise

TEACHER:

1. Practice the «th» sound: three, mother, Samantha, brother.
2. Narrators can READ their lines from a small card, if necessary.

SETTING: A living room in a home of the characters; outside the home in the garden.

CHARACTERS: 5 Narrators, Samantha, Timothy, Mother, Junior (a German Shepherd dog). A Chorus (the rest of the students in the class)

THE PLAY

 

NARRATOR 1: It is two weeks before Mother’s Day. Samantha and Tim, her brother, are talking with each other.

SAMANTHA: Mother’s Day will be in two weeks, Tim. What gift can we give to Mother?

TIM: I don’t  know . Let’s  ask Junior.   Hey, Junior, what would Mama like for a gift?

JUNIOR: WOOF, WOOF, WOOF….

SAMANTHA: You are so silly. Dogs don’t talk.

CHORUS: Dogs don’t talk.

TIM: Yes, they do.  Junior, what did you say? Tell me again.

JUNIOR: WOOF, WOOF, WOOF….

TIM: See, Samantha…Junior spoke……in dog talk.

SAMANTHA: Yes, but what does it mean?

                            Let’s go ask Mama what she wants for a Mother’s Day gift..

 BOTH CHILDREN: MAMA!  MAMA!

CHORUS: MAMA! MAMA!

                    (Mother walks quickly into the room.)

MOTHER: Is something wrong, Samantha and Timothy?

BOTH CHILDREN: We want to know what gift you want for Mother’s Day. 

MOTHER: Hmmm………Let me think for a minute. Hmmmmm……

                     I know what I would like!

BOTH CHILDREN: What? Tell us, please!

CHORUS: Tell us, please!

MOTHER: I would love something that you make with your own hands. 

SAMANTHA: But, like what, Mama.  Give us an idea.

MOTHER: No, you need to decide for yourselves. I like surprises.

NARRATOR 2: Samantha and Tim went outside to sit with Junior and to think.

BOTH CHILDREN: What can we make?  What can we make?”

JUNIOR: WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

NARRATOR 3: The two children, with their dog, Junior, sat, and sat, and thought, and thought.

SAMANTHA: I have a great idea, Tim!

TIM: What is it ?

CHORUS:  Yes, Tim, Tell us. Tell us!

SAMANTHA: Why don’t we make Mama a cute little purse out of paper?

TIM: What will she do with a paper purse?  That’s a silly idea!

SAMANTHA: It will not be just an ordinary purse.  It will be a special purse with a special note inside.

TIM: What kind of a note?

SAMANTHA: A note with the best words a mother wants to hear.

TIM: Mama said that anything made with love is a great gift.

SAMANTHA: We’ll make a paper purse, and put a note inside that we write with gold or silver ink.

TIM: How do we make the purse?

SAMANTHA: I’ll show you. It’s just like making an envelope.

TIM: What will we write on the note?

SAMANTHA: The nicest three words in English…..

TIM: What words?

SAMANTHA: I LOVE YOU.

CHORUS: (softly) I OVE YOU. I OVE YOU.

JUNIOR: WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

TIM: Did you listen, Samantha? Junior just barked «I LOVE YOU.»

NARRATOR 4: Tim and Samantha worked quietly. When they were done making the purse, they took a pen with gold ink, and two pieces of paper that they cut into two heart shapes. On one heart Samantha wrote: «I LOVE YOU, MAMA, Love, Samantha”. On the other heart Tim wrote: “I LOVE YOU MAMA, Love, Tim.”

SAMANTHA: Let’s put these away until Mother’s Day, Tim.

TIM: O.K. Samantha.

NARRATOR 5: The two weeks flew quickly. On Mother’s Day, Mother received the little paper purse her children made… She was so happy when she saw the two notes inside.

MOTHER: I love you, too, Samantha and Tim. This is the best gift I could ever receive!

CHORUS: This is the best gift I could ever receive!

JUNIOR: WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!                       I LOVE YOU ALL!

TIM:  See….I told you Junior could talk!

EVERYONE: (LAUGHING…)

                                                           THE END

 

 

The question above was the topic for writing a 150 word essay and win a trip to the Cambridge English Language Assessment head office in the beautiful, historic city of Cambridge and attend a series of talks and seminars.

The competition was aimed to the school principals and English coordinators of over 400 schools that apply the UNO Internacional methodology in Colombia, Guatemala and México.

The selected work for the prize was the one submitted by Ivett López Cano from Colegio Larrea. Following is the winning text and two other pieces that deserved a special mention by the judges.

1^st Place: Ivett López Cano

Highschool English Coordinator

Colegio Larrea

Hermosillo, Sonora. México

 English Language learning is important in Colegio Larrea because in our school we believe that education must evolve according to our current society’s needs as well as anticipate the demands of the future global society.       English is considered an international language; therefore, it allows our students to have an unlimited access to information and knowledge in areas such as science, technology, and sports. Even everyday information that currently surrounds kids such as music, internet and television is in English.       With globalization, learning English has become an indispensable tool to have better career and job opportunities. By learning English at an early stage in life, this gives our students a head start in reaching their goals for a successful future.   I strongly agree with my school’s philosophy which states that we are forming and educating citizens of the world. English language learning is definitely a gateway to better opportunities in life.

 

2^nd Place: Mariana Ávila Yáñez

Directora del área académica de inglés

Colegio Buckingham

Coyoacán, D.F. México

English, a must-have tool for a limitless global world.    We, visionaries, have always existed and invested our wakeful nights dreaming of people building a world that does not have any frontiers, and sharing their knowledge to benefit from commonwealth.    Nowadays, every time we look around, we can see a CEO opening a branch office in China, hiring an agent in New York, a new outsourcer in Brazil, a coach in England and holding a meeting through Skype with all of them to agree on something: globalization. Reality surpassed fiction not only because of technology, but also thanks to a shared language, English.    We have the commitment of preparing our kids for a world that will be more complex than the one we share today and lead them to more demanding challenges. English helped people in the past, allows worldwide communication today, and will surely build networks among the future generations.

 

3^rd Place: Brenda Olvera Martínez

Preschool and Elementary English Teaching Specialist

Anrod School

Puebla, Puebla. México

 Success in life is about sensing and identifying opportunities, and taking action. Throughout the history of mankind the chance to move forward, upward and outward has always been present. What has changed? People have changed. Their curiosity and creativity has led them to question, discover, and construct. Tools and strategies have changed also. They are continuously adapted to the challenges people set for themselves. They have evolved according to man’s needs and creativity. Nowadays the knowledge of various languages and application of technology are indispensable to be a part of the projects that are making a difference. At Anrod School, we teach English to guide our students towards discovering their potential for solving problems, applying it through various skills. They feel confident to form an essential part of our world’s growth because they possess the ability to do so using another language. They know they can make a difference.

 

by Elaine Gallagher   

Many times people might comment or ask you: «Is this book/movie based on British or American English?»

Having grown up in the northeastern region of the USA, known as «New England», I had never, ever heard that question until I moved to Mexico. We might have referred to the accent, but nothing more. 

It honestly seemed to me to be a silly question, about the equivalent as, «Is this book based on Spain’s Spanish or Mexican Spanish?»

Those of you concerned about Cambridge Exams, Trinity Exams, TOEFL and the like, let me assure you. NO student will obtain a low score simply because of the country of origin of the exam, the examiner, or the student. It is a very poor excuse when one doesn’t do well on an exam, saying as an excuse, «Well, our teacher is an American from USA, but the test was the Cambridge exam.» 

About eight years ago, the British Council in San Sebastian, País Vasco, Spain, told me…

WE DO NOT DIFFERENTIATE ANYMORE…WE NOW TALK ABOUT «INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH».

 FURTHERMORE 90% OF ENGLISH NOW USED IN SCIENCE, MEDICINE, and TECHNOLOGY IS AMERICAN ENGLISH, NOT THE QUEEN’S TONGUE.»      

So, administrators, teachers, students, and parents: RELAX. Learn and practice English based on CLIL philosophy, and you’ll do fine.

Yes, there are some words and spelling differences between the two countries (USA/England).

Below I’ve included some charts with words or phrases that exhibit differences. Be prepared…but don’t worry. You’ll do well!

                                                      AMERICAN / BRITISH ENGLISH

American	British
apartment	Flat
argument	Row
baby carriage	Pram
band-aid	Plaster
bathroom	loo or WC
can	Tin
chopped beef	Mince
cookie	Biscuit
corn	Maize
diaper	Nappy
elevator	Lift
eraser	Rubber
flashlight	Torch
fries	Chips
gas	Petrol
guy	bloke, chap
highway	Motorway
hood (car)	Bonnet
jello	Jelly
jelly	Jam
kerosene	Paraffin
lawyer	Solicitor
license plate	number plate
line  (to line up)	Queue
mail	Post
motor home	Caravan
movie theater	Cinema
muffler	Silencer
napkin	Serviette
nothing	Nought
overpass	Flyover
pacifier	Dummy
pants	Trousers
parking lot	car park
period	full stop
pharmacist	Chemist
potato chips	Crisps
rent	Hire
sausage	Banger
sidewalk	Pavement
soccer	Football
sweater	Jumper
trash can	Bin
truck	Lorry
trunk (car)	Boot
vacation	Holiday
vest	Waistcoat
windshield (car)	Windscreen
zip code	postal code

 

SPELLING

BRITISH / AMERICAN  ENGLISH

-or vs. –our
American	British
color	Colour
favorite	Favourite
honor	Honour

 

-ll vs. –l
American	British
enrollment	Enrolment
fulfill	Fulfil
skillful	Skilful

 

-og vs. –ogue
American	British
analog	Analogue
catalog	Catalogue
dialog	Dialogue

 

-ck or -k vs. –que
American	British
bank	Banque
check	Cheque
checker	Chequer

? 

-ense vs. –enze
American	British
defense	Defence
license	Licence

               

-ze vs. –se
American	British
analyze	Analyse
criticize	Criticize
memorize	Memorise

 

-er vs. –re
American	British
center	Centre
meter	Metre
theater	Theatre

 

-e vs. -oe or –ae
American	British
encyclopedia	encyclopaedia
maneuver	Maneuver
medieval	Mediaeval

 

-dg vs. -dge (or -g vs. -gu)
American	British
aging	Ageing
argument	Argument
judgment	Judgement

 

Other
American	British
jewelry	Jewellery
draft	Draught
pajamas	pyjamas
plow	Plough
program	Programme
tire	Tyre

——————————————————————————————————–                                                 

IDIOMS

BRITISH / AMERICAN ENGLISH

 

British English	American English
not touch something with a bargepole	not touch something with a ten-foot pole
sweep under the carpet	sweep under the rug
touch wood	knock on wood
see the wood for the trees	see the forest for the trees
throw a spanner (in the works)	throw a (monkey) wrench (in the works)
tuppence worth also two pennies’ worth, two pence worth, two pennyworth, two penny ‘th,	two cents’ worth
skeleton in the cupboard	skeleton in the closet
a home from home	a home away from home
blow one’s trumpet	blow (or toot) one’s horn
a drop in the ocean	a drop in the bucket
storm in a teacup	tempest in a teapot
flogging a dead horse	beating a dead horse
haven’t (got) a clue	don’t have a clue or have no clue
a new lease of life	a new lease on life
if the cap fits (wear it)	if the shoe fits (wear it)
lie of the land	lay of the land

In some cases, the «American» variant is also used in BrE, or vice versa.

 

by Elaine Gallagher

Knowledge	The recall of specific information            List the characters in the story.          What were the bears eating?          Where was Goldilocks when the bears found her?
Comprehension	An understanding of what was read            Retell the events in the story in your own words.          Why was Goldilocks afraid of the bears?          Why was Goldilocks sleeping in Baby Bear’s bed?
Application	The using of what is understood in a new situation            Tell what might have happened if you had been Goldilocks.          Relate the story from the point of view of Baby Bear.          Use the information in the story to build a model of the bears’ house.
Analysis	The breaking down of information into parts            Compare Goldilocks’ experience with that of Little Red Riding Hood’s          Identify the parts of the story that could happen to you.          What are all the elements in the story that indicate it is a fairy tale.
Synthesis	The combining of parts into something new                   Suppose that Goldilocks had found the home of the Three Raccoons.           What might have happened?          Create a new ending for this story.          What if Goldilocks had brought a friend to the home of the Three Bears.          How might the story have changed?
Evaluation	Making a judgment about the value of something            Judge whether or not Goldilocks made a good decision by running away from the bears.  Explain.          Pretend that Goldilocks was on trial for “breaking and entering.”  Decide whether you would find her guilty.  Justify your decision.         Evaluate Goldilocks’ behavior as a guest in the bears’ house.

 

Updated Version by Elaine Gallagher  

Once upon a time, a little girl named Goldilocks went for a walk to visit her grandmother.  It was a long walk through the forest and through a beautiful clearing with green grass and cozy cottages. Goldilocks loved her Grandmother, and walked to visit her every Saturday. 

On one Saturday, as Goldilocks was walking, it was getting very warm. She was getting tired and hungry because she had awakened early, and didn’t eat breakfast.  Goldilocks wanted to arrive at Grandmother’s home earlier than usual, because she knew Grandmother had a surprise for her.

Halfway to her Grandmother’s house, Goldilocks saw a cute, cozy little cottage, with the door partially open. It was set in a clearing of some large tress. She knew that the Three Bears Family lived in the cottage, so she decided to visit there for a short time to rest, before continuing to her Grandmother’s house.

Goldilocks walked into the house and called out, “Papa Bear…are you here?”  There was no answer, so she shouted, “Mama Bear, Baby Bear, are you here?”  No one answered.

So Goldilocks continued into the house because the door was open.  On the kitchen table were three bowls of porridge. Since Goldilocks was sooooo hungry, she decided to eat just a little of the porridge.  She put a spoon into the Papa Bear’s porridge and tasted it.

“OoooHHH!!  This is too hot!”, exclaimed Goldilocks. 

So she tries the next bowl.  “Oh! This is too cool”, said Goldilocks. 

Then she tried the smallest bowl, the one that belonged to Baby Bear.  “Mmmmm…this is just right”, and she ate all the porridge in the bowl.

Just as she finished eating, the little chair she was sitting on broke.  It was Baby Bear’s chair she was using, because Papa Bear’s chair was too big, and Mama Bear’s chair was too hard. Goldilocks was scared.  “Oh, dear, what can I do?  I broke the chair?”  But she left the chair where it was because she did not know how to fix it.

Then Goldilocks thought to herself, “I need to rest just a few minutes before I continue to my Grandmother’s house.”  She found a bedroom with three beds.  A BIG bed for Papa Bear, a medium bed for Mama Bear, and a little bed, just her size, that belonged to Baby Bear. 

First she sat on Papa Bear’s bed, but decided that it was too hard.  Then she sat on Mama Bear’s bed, but felt it was too soft.  Finally, she rested on Baby Bear’s bed, and said to herself, “This is just right.”  She closed her eyes for a few minutes, and fell asleep.

While she was sleeping, the Three Bears Family came back home.  They had gone out for a few minutes to walk while their porridge was cooling. When they came into the kitchen, Papa Bear gruffly said, “Someone has tried my porridge.”  Mama Bear exclaimed, “And someone had taken a taste of my porridge, too.”  Baby Bear squeaked, “Someone has tried my porridge, too, and they ate it all!!!  And someone sat on my chair and broke it, too», cried little Baby Bear.

Then, the three bears looked into the living room.  No one was there.  They went into the bedroom.  “Someone has been sitting on my bed», said Papa Bear in an angry voice.  “Someone has been on my bed, too,” said Mama Bear, softly.  Baby Bear yelled, “Someone is sleeping in my bed, and here she is, here she is!”

Goldilocks awakened with Baby Bear’s yell, saw the Three Bears Family looking at her angrily.  She was scared!  So she jumped out of bed, and ran all the way to her Grandmother’s house, leaving the Bear Family far behind her.

When Goldilocks arrived at her Grandmother’s house, she told her what had happened. Grandmother scolded Goldilocks, saying,

“You should NEVER go into someone’s house without permission, Goldilocks.  It is unsafe and it shows poor manners.  You will not get your surprise today.  I was going to take you to the movies; but, instead, we will walk back to the Three Bears Family and apologize to them.

Perhaps we can go to the movies next week, but for now, we are going for a walk together so you can tell Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear that you apologize for what you did.  We will take them some cookies that I had baked for you, and a basket of fruit..”

And that’s what Goldilocks and her Grandmother did.  Goldilocks promised herself that she would never be rude again. She had learned her lesson.

__________________________________________________

_{NEW WORKSHEET: (EXPANDING VOCABULARY)}

 

_{Use the letters in the name GOLDILOCKS to create words from the story or that could be connected with the story.} 

_{The first one is done for you.}

                _{G- GIRL}

                _O

                _L

                _D

                _I

                _L

                _O

                _C

                _K

                _S

 _{ANOTHER WORKSHEET (SPATIAL INTELLIGENCE and MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE)} 

• _{Divide a sheet of paper into 4 sections. (Fold it in half, and then in ½ again.)}

                               _{In each section, draw one scene from the story. Then number the scenes from 1-4, in t he order}

                                _{in which they appeared in the story about Goldilocks.} 

• _{Listen to classical music while you work if your teacher has a CD of relaxing music.}

 _{_______________________________________}

 

by Elaine Gallagher   

Another technique that helps all students is called “scaffolding”. A scaffold is used by painters of a large building to help support them so they do not fall.

In teaching,  SCAFFOLDING  can be:    

 

• Providing students with blank lines on which they can write their answers
• Outline of a map that they can fill in or grids that can be used to construct graphs
• Underlining key words in the instructions
• Providing pictures, diagrams, or story maps
• Clarifying what should be included in the student’s response
• Indicating what reference materials may be used
• Providing some background information or context
• Reminding them of classroom readings or discussion
• Giving hints
• Asking the student to focus on things the class has read or discussed
• Providing the students with a checklist they can use to check their work

Examples of performance assessments with and without scaffolding:

 

TASK ONE:  without scaffolding 

• Write an essay telling how life twenty years from now may be like the present and how it might be different.  You may want to conclude with an evaluation:  Will the future be better or worse than the present?

TASK TWO:  with scaffolding

• When you studied American history, you studied the past and compared it to the present.  Now, consider how life twenty years from now may be like the present and how it might be different.  Some areas you might write about in your comparison are family life, transportation, education, food, housing, and government.  You may want to conclude with an evaluation.  Will the future be better or worse than the present?

 Another Example:

EXPOSITORY ESSAY  (WITH SCAFFOLDING)

Student Checklist

STANDARDS ADDRESSED: 

The student will develop a topic or theme; organize written thoughts with a clear beginning, middle, and end; use transitional sentences and phrases to connect related ideas; and write coherently and effectively. 

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY:Once the essay format has been taught and topics have been determined, direct each student to print, photocopy, or take notes on specific information that contributes to the expositional thesis of his or her paper.  Provide a reference log for each student to complete about each source of material or information. Since the body of an essay typically includes at least three main points, direct each student to cut up the material into individual pieces of information and sort them into three piles – one for each of the main points of his or her paper.  The paper slips can be stored in separate envelopes until the activity is completed. At this time, each student must examine the information, one “pile” at a time, to determine which pieces of information best contribute to the paper’s thesis.  Since the purpose of an expository essay is to inform or explain, each student must exercise caution to include facts with supporting details and examples.  Personal opinions from authors, contributors, and the students themselves should not be included. The student should use the data to write one cohesive paragraph in his/her own words for each main point of the essay. Transitional statements connecting the paragraphs should be added as needed.  The resulting body of the paper should then be combined with the introduction and conclusion to complete the expository essay draft.  A word of caution about plagiarism would be appropriate at this time. Encourage students to use the “Student Checklist for an Expository Essay.”  This will help them complete all of the requirements for the task and organize their thoughts. Note:  If computers and scanners are available, students can gather the information and cut and paste it electronically into three files within a folder rather than using scissors and envelopes. Essays can then be written directly on the computer.

Student Checklist for an Expository Essay

___  Determine the main topic for your essay.

        TOPIC:  ______________________________

Determine the three main points for your essay. 

1. ____________________________________
2. ____________________________________
3. ____________________________________

 

___  Gather information relative to your topic

___  Complete the reference log for each source you site. 

___  Divide the material/information you gathered relative to your topic into three piles, each representing a main point.

___  Carefully look at each pile of information to determine what pieces of information will best support your thesis.

___  Write a paragraph for the first main point.

___  Write a paragraph for the second main point.

___  Write a paragraph for the third main point.

___  Write transition sentences to connect each of the paragraphs.

___  Write a good introductory paragraph.

___  Write a good concluding paragraph.

___  Read through your entire paper and edit your work.

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THIS ACTIVITY WILL HELP STUDENTS IMPROVE THEIR WRITING SKILLS.