Using Strega Nona to Teach the Difference Between Defining and non-defining Relative Clauses (i.e. defining and describing)

(TESOL Materials--Relative Clauses)

Strega Nona slideshow (originally from this post HERE): slides, pub

Specific information questions (these were made by my co-teacher--and originally from this post): docs, pub

Relative clause sentences: docs, pub

Full text gap-fill: docs, pub

Video on Youtube: HERE 

Kahoot: Strega Nona Relative Clauses

Notes:

This is my second time using Strega Nona to illustrate a grammar point.  For the previous time, when see HERE.  This time, it is to illustrate the difference between defining and non-defining relative clauses. 

The staging is as follows:

* Present the Strega Nona story--either using the slideshow or the video.  You can use the specific information questions if you want, but they're not mandatory.  

* Use the first page of this worksheet.  I typically either cut it in half, or fold it in half, so that students first can only see the left-hand table, and must discuss: "In which sentences do you know what thing is being referred to?  In which sentences do you need more information?"  Then, once students have decided which sentences need more information, I hand out the second half of the table  (or allow students to unfold their sheet), and they can match the sentence halves.

* There's an option extra step, in which I play the audio again, and students match the relative clause sentences to the gaps using this worksheet.

* Then, students are given the second page of this worksheet, and must work out which relative clauses define the thing, and which describe it.  Feedback is with the Kahoot game.  

Here are some sentences from the story.  In which sentences do you know what thing is being referred to?  In which sentences do you need more information?	Here is some more information.  Which sentences do they go with?  Can you make new sentences using this information?
there lived an old lady. She made special potions for the girls. Big Anthony went to see her. The one thing is touch the pasta pot.  Strega Nona met with the people. everyone laughed at him, because it sounded so silly--a pot? How ridiculous!  she took a fork from a lady.	Big Anthony didn’t pay attention. The lady was standing nearby. Everyone called the old lady Strega Nona. The girls wanted husbands. Strega Nona meant grandma witch. the pot cooked pasta all by itself You must never do this thing. The people came to see Strega Nona for headaches and husbands and warts.

there lived an old lady who everyone called Strega Nona 

1. this tells us which old lady we are talking about

2. this gives us extra information about the old lady

everyone called her Strega Nona which meant “Grandma Witch”

1. this tells us what Strega Nona means

2. this gives us extra information about Strega Nona

She made special potions for the girls who wanted husbands.

1. this tells us which girls we are talking about

2. this gives us extra information about the girls

Big Anthony, who didn’t pay attention, went to see her

1. this tells us who Big Anthony is

2. this gives us extra information about Big Anthony

The one thing that you must never do is touch the pasta pot

1. this tells us what the thing is

2. this gives us extra information about the thing

Strega Nona met with the people who came to see her for headaches and husbands and warts.

1. this tells us which people Strega Nona is meeting

2. this gives us extra information about the people

a pot that cooked pasta all by itself?

1. this tells us which pot we are talking about

2. this gives us extra information about the pot

she took a fork from a lady who was standing nearby

1. this tells us which lady it was

2. this gives us extra information about the lady