Extend the Story: Communicative Follow Up

(TESOL Ideas--Communicative Follow Up)

Sample: docs, pub

One communicative follow up for reading or listening lessons is to expand on an element of the story.  This, obviously, is most appropriate for reading or listening texts that have some sort of a narrative element to them.

Here is an example from the Impact 4 textbook.  In this reading, the students have to read about Nizar Ibrahim and the search for Spinosaurus.  A key point in the story is when Nizar Ibrahim accidently runs into a man with a mustache that he has been looking for.  I asked the students to expand this scene into a movie script.

Imagine you are making a movie about Nizar Ibrahim and the search for Spinosaurus.  Below is the opening of one of the key scenes, in which Nizar Ibrahim finally finds the man from Erfoud.

Scene: Nizar is sitting at an outdoor cafe, drinking tea with his colleague.

Colleague: So, Nizar, how has your search for Spinosaurus been going?

Nizar: Oh, it’s all useless. I travelled all this way to Morocco, but I still can’t find the man I’m looking for.

Colleague: That’s too bad.  [Takes a drink of his tea, and then looks up.] Oh, look at that funny little man walking down the street.  Did you ever see such a distinctive mustache?

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Started: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Vocabulary Lesson for Latin Word Roots "funct" and "spir"

 (TESOL Materials--Latin Roots)

Model Text: docs, pub

Quizlet: Word Roots: funct and Spir

Kahoot: Word Roots: Funct and Spir

[Notes: This activity was developed to supplement Vocabulary Expansion Activities p.149 from Reflect Listening & Speaking 5, but I believe it can be used independently with any lesson on root words, so I'm posting it here.

The model text was created using AI. 

First, I give out the model text, and students answer the specific information questions.  After this task is finished, I collect all the texts back.

Then, for the noticing task, I gave them a version of the model text in which all the words had been blanked out, and posted the complete model text outside of the room.  The students had to reconstruct the text using a running dictation.  

Once the text had been completed, I clarified the vocabulary using Concept Checking Questions.  Then we played Quizlet Live to practice matching the words to the definitions, and then Kahoot to practice gap-fill sentences.]

1. What was the problem with the old machine?

2. What did the people try to do to fix the machine?

3. Why was it difficult to work on the machine in the hot office?

4. How did the excessive perspiration affect the work environment?

5. What was the impact of the dust on the people's health?

6. What did the people hope to do with the old machine?

7. Why was replacing the old machine difficult?

8. What did the people do to raise money for a new machine?

9. What happened to the money that was collected?

The old machine was nonfunctional and defunct, its gears grinding to a halt. Despite our best efforts to repair it, it continued to malfunction. In the hot office, we worked hard to repair it, and everyone started to sweat a lot.  The excessive perspiration made everything wet and slippery.  And because the machine was old and dusty, a lot of the dust got into the air and affected our respiration. Our spirits began to flag as we realized the machine was beyond repair. We aspired to replace it with a multifunctional model that could perform several tasks at once, but we knew it would be expensive. We started to collect money to fund the repair, but then several members of the office conspired to steal the money. 

The old machine was ____________ and ____________ , its gears grinding to a halt. Despite our best efforts to repair it, it continued to ____________ . In the hot office, we worked hard to repair it, and everyone started to sweat a lot.  The excessive ____________ made everything wet and slippery.  And because the machine was old and dusty, a lot of the dust got into the air and affected our ____________ . Our ____________ began to flag as we realized the machine was beyond repair. We ____________ to replace it with a ____________ model that could perform several tasks at once, but we knew it would be expensive. We started to collect money to fund the repair, but then several members of the office ____________ to steal the money.  

The old machine was nonfunctional and defunct, its gears grinding to a halt. Despite our best efforts to repair it, it continued to malfunction. In the hot office, we worked hard to repair it, and everyone started to sweat a lot.  The excessive perspiration made everything wet and slippery.  And because the machine was old and dusty, a lot of the dust got into the air and affected our respiration. Our spirits began to flag as we realized the machine was beyond repair. We aspired to replace it with a multifunctional model that could perform several tasks at once, but we knew it would be expensive. We started to collect money to fund the repair, but then several members of the office conspired to steal the money. 

The old machine was nonfunctional and defunct, its gears grinding to a halt. Despite our best efforts to repair it, it continued to malfunction. In the hot office, we worked hard to repair it, and everyone started to sweat a lot.  The excessive perspiration made everything wet and slippery.  And because the machine was old and dusty, a lot of the dust got into the air and affected our respiration. Our spirits began to flag as we realized the machine was beyond repair. We aspired to replace it with a multifunctional model that could perform several tasks at once, but we knew it would be expensive. We started to collect money to fund the repair, but then several members of the office conspired to steal the money.  

Relative Clauses Scrambled Sentences (The Basic Mechanics)

(TESOL Materials--Relative Clauses)

Google drive: docs, pub

[Notes: This is a scrambled sentence activity for relative clauses.  It's actually now the third scrambled sentence activity I've designed for relative clauses (for the previous scrambled sentence activities see HERE and HERE.)  However, as with the board race that I published in the previous post, this scrambled sentence activity was designed to go back to the basics.  How do we form relative clauses with the relative pronoun as the object?  How do we form it with the relative pronoun as the subject?  Is it modifying the subject or the object of the main clause? Etc.  I usually use this activity in conjunction with the board race I previously posted.  Because this activity is slightly more scaffolded, it can work well before doing the board race.]

The boy kissed the girl.  I liked the girl. (The second sentence is the relative clause.)

I liked the girl.  The boy kissed the girl. (The second sentence is the relative clause.)

The boy kissed the girl.  The girl liked me. (The second sentence is the relative clause.)

The girl liked me.  The boy kissed the girl. (The second sentence is the relative clause.)

The boy kissed the girl.  I liked the boy. (The second sentence is the relative clause.)

I liked the boy.  The boy kissed the girl. (The second sentence is the relative clause.)

The boy kissed the girl.  The boy liked me. (The second sentence is the relative clause.)

The boy liked me.  The boy kissed the girl. (The second sentence is the relative clause.)

the boy	kissed	the girl	that	I	liked
I	liked	the girl	that	the boy	kissed
the boy	kissed	the girl	that	liked	me
the girl	that	the boy	kissed	liked	me
the boy	that	I	liked	kissed	the girl
I	liked	the boy	that	kissed	the girl
the boy	that	kissed	the girl	liked	me
the boy	that	liked	me	kissed	the girl

Board Race for Relative Clauses (the basic mechanics)

(TESOL Materials--Relative Clauses)

Google Drive: slides, pub

[Note: This is now the third board race I've made on relative clauses--the previous two board races are HERE and HERE.  However, those previous two board races were made for students who understood the basic idea of relative clauses, and just needed more practice.  This board race is for students who need practice with the basic formation of relative clauses.

I was teaching relative clause to a group of teen students, and I assumed that they knew the basics of relative clauses already, and that this lesson would be mostly review.  However, as the lesson progressed, I realized that they didn't know how to form relative clauses at all. So I devised a series of simple sentences based on similar situations, but in which I kept switching whether the relative pronoun refereed to the subject or the object of the relative clause.  I also switched up if the relative clause modified the subject or the object of the main sentence.

The first 8 slides in this board race are labelled "review" because they come from a presentation I had previously made on relative clauses.  The actual board race starts from slide 9.  As the board race progresses, I give feedback and reclarify where necessary.  By the end of the board race, they got it.

I also use this model text to teach the mechanics of relative clauses, and perhaps this board race works best after first going over the basics with this material.]

Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses

(TESOL Ideas and Worksheets Subdivisions)

* Using Strega Nona to Teach the Difference Between Defining and non-defining Relative Clauses

* Omitting the Relative Pronoun Worksheet (first page only)

* Relative Clauses: Grammar ESL Listening (from slide 38)

Garbage Man for Relative Clauses

 (TESOL Worksheets--Relative Clauses)

Google: docs, pub

[Notes: This game follows the standard rules for Garbage Man.  The students have to combine the two sentences using a relative clause.  Some of these sentences I've used before on a previous worksheet.]

This is the house. I live here.

This is the girl. I like the girl.

The pencil broke yesterday. I like to use the pencil.

My brother loves to eat pizza.  My brother’s hat is green.

Tom’s father goes swimming every day.  Tom’s father is 78.

I don’t like stories.  Stories have unhappy endings.

The man was on holiday.  I wanted to see the man.

This is the worst film.  I’ve seen this film.

Gerry works for a company.  The company makes typewriters.

The man has been married twice.  I met the man.

This is the house. I live here. This is the house where I live.

This is the girl. I like the girl. This is the girl who I like.

The pencil broke yesterday. I like to use the pencil. The pencil that I like to use broke yesterday.

My brother loves to eat pizza.  My brother’s hat is green. My brother, whose hat is green, loves to eat pizza.

Tom’s father goes swimming every day.  Tom’s father is 78. Tom’s father, who is 78, goes swimming  every day.

I don’t like stories.  Stories have unhappy endings. I don’t like stories that have unhappy endings.

The man was on holiday.  I wanted to see the man. The man who I wanted to see was on holiday.

This is the worst film.  I’ve seen this film. This is the worst film that I’ve ever seen.

Gerry works for a company.  The company makes typewriters. Gerry works for a company that makes typewriters.

The man has been married twice.  I met the man. The man that I met has been married twice.