Sample Units

COM, CCT, PSVS

Recognize that talk is an important tool for communicating, thinking, and learning. (CEL:COM)

Practise the behaviours of listeners.

Speak to share thoughts and opinions.

Practise the behaviours of effective writers.

Introduce people in an informal setting.

Introductory Activities

Take time at the beginning of a new term to discuss the following:

• the purpose of the course

• expectations (see handout/letter on p. 130)

• classroom and assignment routines

• evaluation procedures and mark allocations.

If students do not know each other, consider an activity such as the introduction of a classmate:

• Students can find a partner using a puzzle piece or a torn piece of paper which has one of two matching words related to the theme (e.g., Space Ship/Future Car; Willow/Bilbo; Loch Ness Monster/Sasquatch). The teacher can act as the partner if there is an "odd-person out".

• Students interview their partners by asking open-ended, provocative, or creative questions such as, "If you were an animal, vegetable, or object, what would you be? Why ? How does this reveal your personality?" They could also ask questions about personal experiences with the unknown and the student's interest or fascination with the theme. Sample questions could be brainstormed by the class as a whole.

• As a result of the interview, students determine what award they might present to their partner. (This should remain a secret until announced during the introduction.)

• Model an introduction and an award presentation. Have students write their introductions and provide time for them to practise their oral presentation.

• Mysteries
• The Unexplained
• Fantasy
• The Future
• Science Fiction.

Using the brainstorm activity as a base, map the language strategies and literary selections that will be studied in this unit.

Objectives

COM, CCT, PSVS, IL

Recognize listening as an active process that requires listeners to:

• anticipate a message and set a purpose
• attend
• seek and check understanding by making connections, and making and confirming predictions and inferences
• interpret and summarize
• evaluate and analyze. (CEL:CCT)

Practise the behaviours of effective listeners.

Identify speaker's purpose.

Recognize and recall main and supporting ideas in presentations.

Write fluently and confidently for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Activities

Language plays a key role in learning and in thinking. When people use any of the language processes--speaking, listening, writing, reading--they learn as they work with language. Throughout this course, we will have opportunities to think with language as we explore the different language processes.

• Discuss effective listening behaviours, such as TQLR or consider these guidelines:
  • keep an open mind about the speaker and topic
  • stay focused on the speaker and topic
  • identify the purpose and main ideas
  • listen and watch for special elements
  • anticipate what comes next
  • summarize the speaker's main points.

• Read an excerpt or play a recording of "The War of the Worlds" or similar piece.

• Introduce Response Log/Reader's Journal. Use an overhead to illustrate the process. Ask students to record an entry for the day after the event as they might have written it had they lived at that time.

• Introduce Verbatim Split Page Procedure (VSPP).

• Read to students "Radio Listeners in Panic, Taking War Drama As Fact" and have students use VSPP.

• Discuss the meaning of the word "xenophobia". New words are best learned and remembered when students encounter them in a meaningful context. Key words that add important meaning and cannot be inferred from context should be discussed and explained.