Gritty,Grimy Notebook-Energising ESL activities for English Corners( and the classroom)

8/6/2019 Gritty,Grimy Notebook-Energising ESL activities for English Corners( and the classroom).

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By JonFields

Gritty,GrimyNotebook

(and theclassroom!)

Energising ESL activities

for English Corners


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Gritty,Grimy Notebook-Energizing ESL Activitiesfor English Corner (and the classrom!)

Self-published on Lulu.com by Jon Fields

Contact/General inquiries

[email protected]

All other inquiries (sales,delivery,complaints)https://support.lulu.com

Gritty,Grimy Notebook forum:

http://www.hostingphpbb.com/forum/grittygrimy.html

Copyright Notice

2010, Jon Fields. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication, whether in hard-copy or electronicformat, may be reproduced,transmitted,sold,stored,republished orredistributed in any manner except under the tems of prevailingU.S. copyright laws.

Disclaimer

THE AUTHOR OF THIS WORK MAKES NO GUARANTEES OR

WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND IN REGARDS TO THE COMPLETENESS OR

ACCURACY OF THIS WORK. THIS WORK IS OFFERED 'AS IS' AND MAY

CONTAIN ERRORS, INTENTIONAL OR OTHERWISE. NO GUARANTEES

OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND ARE MADE IN REGARDS TO THE

SUITABILITY OR USABILITY OF THIS WORK FOR A PARTICULAR

PURPOSE.THE AUTHOR SHALL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR DAMAGES

OF ANY KIND,INCLUDING ANY AND ALL REASONABLE LEGAL

FEES,ARISING FROM THE PURCHASE,POSSESSION,USE OR MISUSE

OF THIS WORK.


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About the Author

Jon Fields is a certified instructor for both eneral ESL and Business

Writing for ESL.

D

He has taught English at public and private schools and universitiesin China for over seven years.

He also has experience teaching business writing andmanagement soft skills.

Before eaching, he worked n the osplitality indust

ry and

wrote a weekly column for a local entertainment ma

gazine in

his hometown of KansasCity, Missouri.

He's married and has a daughter and a hyper-active Corgi. Helikes Italian food and chocolate-covered cherries.


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Yikes! I just realized I only used one semi-colonin this whole book! See if you can find the poorittle guy. Maybe you can add a few more to givehim company!

Note:


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A

How-toGuide

Within these pages,you'll find something for almost all ages and levels.Naturally,these activities can also be adapted to suit your needs as well.

Below is an overview of how this book works to get you started.

Organization- this book is divided into two major sections:

The Small Stuff- contains eight short activities which can be used

for warmers,finishers or just killing some time. There's no need toprint any handouts for these although the Ss will need a sheet ofpaper for them.

The Big Stuff- contains en lengthy ac vities which can be used 'as

is' for the the main class activity. The Big Stuff activities come in

four parts:

*

Student Worksheet-contains a mingler activity and adiscussion activity based around a specific topic. You'll need to

make copies of this one to give the Ss, of course.

Ac vity Gui e- contains e basic overview of the activity anhow to run it along with a tip of the day. Use it 'as is', modify it orincorporate it in your own lesson plan!

esson Plan- a blan page presented last. The dea is that

the teacher should read and complete the preceding pages for

the activity and then decide whether or not they want to

incorporate more things into it.

*

Teacher Challenge- consists of a series of questions designedto test the teacher's knowledge of the activity topic as well ashopefully inspire them to create exciting lessons!

*

*


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e s u en wor s ee s on rea y nee e ng w one excep on:each one contains two errors which should perfectly obvious to theteacher. Give the Ss a chance to spot the errors and ask about thembefore pointing them out.These errors can be used as a springboardfor additional ideas you would like to incorporate into your lessonplans.

Tone and style

Overall consistency and uniformity

Logical structure and clarity

c ve an ass ve vo ce

With this in mind,rather than going for a polis ed final ed t, this book

has been left open to a bit of revision by users who enjoy practicing

their editing or writing skills. Here's a few suggestions on what to edit

for:

Binders-Part of what makes Gritty,Grimy Notebook so fun is that itis designed as a scrapbooking project.Make sure both you and yourSs have a binder of some type to put your completed worksheets and

lessons plans in for lasting memories and future use!

Interaction-This book has been designed to be hands-on. Ss andteachers alike are encouraged to have fun and personalize theirnotebook pages. For many, if not all activities, you'll need to havetape,glue,scissors, writing instruments and assorted type of colors onhand to get the most out of them.

D

Editing Task-Rarely do two English teachers ever agree entirelyon how something should be written. While some may find this bookperfectly usable as it is,others may feel it could with a bit of editing or

rewriting.

How-toGuide(continued)

*

*

*

*


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Forum-None of this would be much fun if you couldn't tell anyoneabout what you've been up to, now would it? Join our online forum andshare your ideas and experiences and make new friends with otherGritty,Grimy Notebook users! Ss are invited to join as well. There arespecial areas on the forum just for them so they can get help with theirlanguage problems or just hang out with other Ss! Here's the URL:

http: /www.hostingphp b.com orum grit ygrmy.tm

ENJOY!

Have fun!

Breakaleg!

Hey I s oo eime


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oa A c ean page ou

know what this means!

It's doodle time!


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Contents

The Small Stuff...

Money Bags!....1

Hang therules!....2 Numerologists!.... 3

Hey,whatsyourface!....5Twitchy thumbs!....4

Nameless,shameless!....6

Wordybird!....7

Paper shower!.... 8

You,you and you!....9

The Big Stuff...

Head in the....!....13

Pop! Boom! Bang!....17

he doctor is in!....21

Spy Talk!....25

Mirror,mirror!.... 29

WarMachines!.... 33

1000 words!.... 39Sweet too

th!....43

Fond farewells!....51

DIYActivityTemplate.... 55


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Yup,you

guessed i

t. Here's

yet more r

oomto do

odle!

Whoohoo!


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Thesmall

stuff!

For warming up,finis

hing off orjust killing

some time!

Poor little guy!

Gee, I'm small!

I'll protect ya'!

Draw some ings a are rea ysmall on this page!


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oa ere s a coup e o more c eanmight be a good place to make some


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pages or you o ave un wi is a soediting notes!


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Money Bags!

Tell the Ss they're going to do a little activity related to talking aboutnumbers and money. At the end, someone is going to be declard thewinner and named 'Money Bags'. Do the Ss know what it means whenyou call someone that? If not, tell them.

Give each S a sheet of paper and have them fold an tape it

together into an envelope. You may have to show them how

to do this.Have each Ss place some coins (minimum 4) intheir envelope and tape it shut.

Have Ss continue around the room,pairing up until there

are only two Ss left or set a time limit.

Ask the Ss to bring a handful of coins with them on the day you

plan to use this activity. Have some extra coins handy just incase...

When everyone's envelopes are ready,let the fun begin! Here'show it works:

n pa rs,one w s a e e r enve ope w e e o er r es oguess many coins are in it. If a S can also correctly guess thetotal monetary value of the coins,they get to keep their partner'senvelope (only until the end of the game, of course).

If the number of coins in or total value of a S's envelope hasbeen correctly guessed, that S is out of the game.

If a S cannot make a correct guess in three tries, havethem switch to a new partner and try again.

At the end, have the remaining Ss open their envelopes to see whosecoins have the highest total monetary value. The S with the mostmoney will now be known as 'Money Bags' (if they agree to it).Otherwise, award the name to someone with the next largest amount!

Make sure everyone gets heir envelopes and money back. ave the

Ss tape them shut again with the money inside, punch a hole in itand put it in their binder.

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Hang the rules!

D

On the first day of class, elicit the school rules fromthe Ss,write them on the board and check to makesure everyone understands them. Be sure to alsodiscuss any rules they may not be aware of or forgotto mention and add those to the board as well.

Divide Ss into pairs or groups and divide the rules on the boardinto sets by the number of pairs or groups you have. Randomlyassign sets of rules to each pair or group.

Distribute sheets of paper to the Ss, one sheet per rule. Havethe pairs or groups now draw pictures which represent the rulesyou assigned to them,one rule per sheet. Now might be a goodtime to have some markers or colored pencils handy!

When the Ss are finished, give them some tape and tell themthat today is their one chance to "hang" the rules, in amanner of speaking! Have the pairs or groups randomly"hang" their drawings of the rules around the room.

While the Ss are drawing, introduce them tothe expression

"hang the rules" and explain what this means. Pick a rule on the

board ask the Ss to tell you what might happen if they decided

to "hang" it. Do a few more rules with themor have them take

over and continue the discussion among themselves while they

draw.

As a rolling activity, encourage the Ss from now on to silentlypoint at the appropriate picture on the wall whenever theycatch another S "hanging" the rules. No need to mentionnames or make a fuss,just point! This should be enough tohelp Ss keep each other in check if a majority of them arewilling to participate.

(Don't forget to have the Ss put their drawings intheir binders when it comes timeto take them down. They'll have to haggle with each other over who gets which

pictures, of course.)

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Numerologists!

D

Give each S a half-sheet of paper.Have them write a numberon it that represents something about themselves (shoesize,birthday,etc.) and tape it to their chest.

Have everyone get up and mingle. Ss should pair up and ask eachquestions to try guess what their partner's numbers represents.Have them keep going until each S has paired up with everyone elsein the room.

When the discussions are finished, put everyone in groups. Have

each group pick a space on a wall in the room and hang their papers

up on it.

Give each group five minutes to create a short story usingtheir numbers on the wall and the things they represent.

Have each group take turns telling their story while therest of the Ss gather round and listen.

When all the groups have finished,take a vote to see which

story the Ss thought was the best.

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Twitchy thumbs!

DHave the Ss race to grab a strip,input the message into theirphones and send it to you as fast as they can without makingany mistakes. Have prizes for first,second and third best times!

Before class,divide the back of this worksheet up into strips, one foreach S. Write a short SMS message of no more than 120 characters

long on each strip.

Start the activity by putt ing he str ps on a

a le in the front or

middle of the room and making sure ever

yone has their

phones turned on and in hand.

Divide the Ss into teams and line them up in rows,eithersitting or standing.

This activity requ res the everyone to have MS-capable mobile

phones. If this scenario isn't possible, see the alternate activity at

the bottom.

Alternate

Give the end S in each row a strip. Give them 20

seconds to memorize the message and then get thestrip back.

The Ss must pass the message as quickly as possible,without making any mistakes, from one end of the rowto the other by whispering it to each other.

When all the teams have finished passing the message,have the last person to receive the message say italoud. Choose the winners based on speed andaccuracy!

Activity:

30?

-4-

Try rawing a i olthumb here! I couldn'tdo it!


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Hey,whatsyourface!

D

Before class,divide and cut up the back of this worksheetinto name badge-sized squares. Depending on the classsize, you may need to use more than one sheet, ofcourse.

This activity is ideal for groups of eight or more students(orteachers) who are meeting for the first time. Skip the usualboring ways of making introductions and do this instead:

Have the Ss get up and mingle. They must now try to work whoeveryone is and exchange name badges using only bodylanguage!

Give each S one of the badges you made and have them w

rite

their name on it. Go around the room and collect the badges

in

a bag.

o the front of e room with the bag. Have the Sscome to you, one at a time, and draw a badge from thebag. M

ake sure it's not their own. Have them tape thebadges their shirts.

Once a S has been correctly identified and given their ownname badge, have them write their name on the board andsit down. Continue the activity until everyone is seated.

Have the Ss wear their name badges for the rest of theclass. Before they leave, have them punch a hole in thename badge and put it in their binder.

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Nameless,shameless!

A

DWhen the Ss finished, have them fold up their paper. Passaround a bag and have the them put their paper in it.

Ask the Ss if they've ever done something they were ashamed ofand if they would like their stories anonymously with the rest of theclass anonymously with the rest of the class. If so, continue bysharing a story of your own and egg them on to think of somethingthey've done that can top you.

Give each Ss a half-sheet of paper and h

ave them write down

one thing they've done that they're asham

ed of and why they

feel ashamed.

When the bag reaches the last S, have he or she usetheir hand to mix up the papers inside.

e warne ! h s act vityis onlyformore aring s who aren' eas yoffended orembarrassed.

Once the papers are all nice and mixed up, have the last S drawa paper from the bag, read it aloud and pass the bag back in theopposite direction. As the bag is being passed back, have each Sdraw a paper, read it aloud and then keep it before passing thebag to the next S. Remind everyone that body language andfacial expressions are a dead giveaway of who did what. So, theyshould try to remain calm and poker-faced when their paper is

being read.

G

en a e papers ave een rawn an rea , a e a vo eto see which stories had the most shameful things in them.Discourage people from trying to guess who did what. Youwant it all remain a mystery for as long as possible.

If he exercise went smoot ly, you shoul have ro endown a few polished, pretentious barriers between theSs and made the environment a little more relaxed-in agritty, grimysort ofway!

-6-

..


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Wordy bird!

A

D

AI

D T S

M L P

Draw the ta le elow on the board:

Write 'A' on one side o e able and 'B' on the other. Divide e sinto teams 'A' and 'B'. Have a race to see which team can make themost correctly spelled words from the letters in the table and putthem up on their side of the board in three minutes.

Think you've got a winner? Hey, it isn't over just yet! Now, assign point

values to the letters in each row (top row-5 points, middle row-10points,bottom row-15 points). Have each team add up the point values

of each word in their list and then come up with a grand total. That will

determine your true winner!

As an extension, use the activity to do pronunciation drills of words

and numbers. Be creative!

-7-

Twee

t?


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Paper shower!

GIve each ofyourSs a half-sheet ofpaper. Have them writedown three things about themselves that no one in the roomwould know. Make sure they don't write theirname on theirpaper.

en everyone s n s e wr ng, as em ey oo ashower today(hopefully everyone says 'yes'). Tell them they'regoing to take another one, this time using paper instead of water!

ave t e Ss stand up and form a tigh group

in the middle

of the room,backs toeach other and facing

outwards.

Have everyone wad up their half-sheet of paper. After that, on thecount of three, have them toss their paper balls in air above thegroup. They will now experience a paper shower! Ahhh! Isn't thatrefreshing?

D

Finally, have each pick up a paper ball, open it up and read it.They should now mingle, asking questions about their partner inrelation

to what's written on the paper until they find the owner.Have the Ss give the paper back to owner when they find them.The activity ends when everyone gets their paper back.

-8-


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Draw yoursea

a sack o

money here to get this doodle

page started!


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The BIG stuff!

For getting down to

business or just killi

ng LOTS of time!

Draw some ing a

s rea y BIG

here!

I'm a big shot!

What a runt!Meh. Whatever!


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Well,well...another blank spread!


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Hmm...What could we draw here?


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Write down the names of three people who know you:a

B Write down three adjectives these people might use todescribe you:

CWrite down three things you like to do in your free time:

D Wait for your teacher to tell you what to do next...

Questions:

*Whatareyourmainamb

itionsinlife?Why?

*Whatareyougoinghave

todotofulfillyourambition

s?

*Isfame,wealth,orpower

importanttoyou?Whyor

whynot?

*Rankthefollowingfrommosttoleastim

portant(1-3)anddiscussw

hy:

___you __

_friends ___family

*Areyouwillingto'bend'

orbreakrulestofulfillyou

rambitions?

*Don't forget to put this worksheet in your binder after you're done!*

StudentWorksheet

-9-

Pastea

pictureof

yourself here

!


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Give the Ss their worksheets have them complete A,B

and C.a

B Have the Ss wad up their worksheet into a ball.

C Have the Ss form opposing lines and throw their balls at each otherOR

Draw a bull's eye on the board and assign points for each ring. See who

can get the most points in three tries.

DFinally, have the Ss pick up a ball at random, read the answers and

mingle until they find the owner. Give the owner back their worksheet and

then discuss their answers with them in more detail. The activity ends

when everyone has gotten their worksheet back and discussed their

answers with at least one person.

*

*

While the Ss are still up out of their chairs, put them together into

pairs or small groups and have them sit together(or continue

standing).

Questions:

BRIEFLY introduce the discussion topic and then let the Ss work

through the questions together in their pairs or small groups.

During the discussion, facilitate and observe. Occasionally

mingle with students to answer questions or pep up dyingconversations.

ActivityGuide

-10-

Pastea

pictureof

yourself here

!


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eacherChallenge

What do ou know?

Define ambition in 20 words or less :

Name a person whose ambitions benefited the world:

a.

b.

What did they do and what was the benefit?

Which adjectives best describe this person?

Noc ea in

g,e

Uh,you DID use pencil, didn't you? Go compare your answers withany available resources and then come back and modify them asneeded.

Name a person whose ambitions harmed the world:

a.

b.

What did they do and what harm was done?

Which adjectives best describe this person?

D-11-

Pastea

pictureof

this person

here!

Pasteapicture ofthis personhere!


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esson anIt's all about you,Baby!)

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Student Worksheet

Use this worksheet to make a paper-airplane. If you don't know

how,ask another student to help you!a

B Use a pen or pencil and draw some cool-looking designson your airplane.

CWaitfortheteachertotellwhatdonext...

D Don't worry. You can always fold this worksheet back up into your niftylittle airplane later.

*

Questions:

If you could fly anywhere in the world,where would

you like to go and what would you do there?

Head in the !

*

*

*

What you dislike the most about flying?

Have you ever flown before?

a.If so,did you like flying and where did you go?b.If not, why? Would you like to fly?

What are some of the dangers of flying?

(Don't forget to put this worksheet in your binder after you're done!)

raw a c ou ere!

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Give the Ss their worksheets and have them complete A and B.a

B Give everyone a chance to show their planes to the restof the class. Vote on which one looks the best.

C Teach them: nose, tail, wing, wingtip,and flap. Have them labelthese parts on their airplanes. Now explain 'aerodynamic' to

D Put Ss together in pairs or small groups and have them pick which onetheir airplanes they think is the most aerodynamic. Organize a

competition to see which pair or group's airplane can fly the farthest or

fastest. Don't forget to hand out prizes!

*

Questions:

Head in the !

*

*

Have the pairs or small groups sit together(or continue standing).

Have everyone unfold their cool airplanes so they can read

and go through the discussion questions together.

Invite the Ss to fold their papers back up into their awesome airplanes

towards the end of the class. Use the time to do review.

Give feedback and corrections at the end to

avoid disrupting activities or discussions.

Activity Guide

s oo s e ano er gooplace for a

cloud!

-14-


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Teacher ChallengeAre you

up or is o ay?

Head in the !

What do ou know?

Name at least 10 parts of an airplane:

What is the officiial paper size used for professonal paper-airplanecompetitions?

Get ready to rub that eraser down to a nub! Go compare youranswers with any available resources and then come back andmodify them as needed.

True or False: Walking on a sidewalk is more dangerous than flying.

D

What four physical forces affect flight?

What medical term means 'an irrational fear of flying'?

e , oo y ere spoor ye

another cloud!

-15-


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esson an(Feeling under the we

ather yet? How abouta Nap?)

-16-


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Is today a special day? It just might be because your teacher is going tolet you make something really cool to use during class! Wash as he/shedemonstrates how.

After your done making your fun,new toy, yo

ur teacher will tell you

what to do next.

(Don't forget to put this worksheet in your binder when you're done!)

Part I-Mingler

Part II-Discussion:Fireworks

* Do fireworks be important for celebrations in your country? If so,what are they normally used for?

Questions:

ave you ever p ayed wit fireworks before

If so, when and why? Did you enjoy yourself?

If not, would you like to?

What are some of the dangers related to fireworks?

b.

a.

sh ee t

Stu

den

Work

Do you know anyone who's been hurt from using fireworks?

op

oom an

-17-


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Act ty

ivi

G

ui

d

e

Part I-Mingler

Your prop for this activity is a paper popper.D

o an online search for

instructions on how tomake it ,keywords: pa

per,popper.

Give the Ss their worksheets and then demonstrate how to make thepopper. Have the Ss follow along with you and make their own using

the worksheet. Have a chat with them about the holiday while you're

You can use this activity during holidays or other events which involvefireworks or other kinds of loud noisemakers.

D

Have contests to see which Ss have the best-looking poppers or can make the loudest pops.

Have the Ss draw/decorate their poppers withholiday-related art.

When you're finished with the contest,keep everyonestanding. Have the Ss unfold their poppers and then pair upand discuss the questions. Many Ss will liklely rip theirpoppers during this activity. That's great! Have some cleartape on hand so they can repair their worksheets.

Tip:Avoid using 'yes' or 'no' questions when checking

for understanding. Use elicitation questionsinstead.

Part II-Discussion:Fireworks

op

oom ang

-18-


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op

oom anTeac h

e r

Ch

all

ge

en

D

What do ou know?

Hey, you dn't forge o use penc again, di you?! Go compareyour answers with any available resources and

then come back andmodify them as needed.

What are the primary ingredients used in making fireworks?

According to legend,how and when was gunpowder first discovered?

Most of the world's fireworks are made in which country?

Name five holidays or other eventsaround the world which include

the use of fireworks:

How many fireworks-related deaths occur each year around

the world?

This will ad

d som

e bang

toyou

r day!

-19-


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esson an(Let's not blow our whole day on this,okay?)

-20-


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The doctor is in!


Part I-Mingler

Part II-Discussion:HealthQuestions:

Student Worksheet

Once you've been assaigned a role, do thefollowing using the back of this worksheet:

b.

a.

c.

Doctor- Draw a stethoscope. Cut it out and tape it toyour chest.

Nurse- Draw a nurse's hat. Cut it out, tape ittogether and wear it on your head.

Patient- Draw an IV bag. Cut it out and tape a piece ofstring to the back of it. Tape the other end of the stringto your wrist. Hold the bag in the opposite hand.

Wait for your teacher to tell you what to do next.

Time to have some

fun!

What are hospitals like in your country?

Does going to t e hospital make you uncomfortable? Why or why not?

Are there any famous doctors in your country? If so, what are they known

for?

Have you ever had a serious illness or injury? If so, tell your partners about

it.

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The doctor is in!

Activity Guide

Part I-Mingler

Bave the groups take turns ad bbing a hospital scenario in ront ofthe otherSs. Theyshould practice talking about symptoms(headache,stomach ache,etc..) and how to deal with them.

onitor the Ss dialogue and give prompts as neede o ma esure each person is using the target language appropriate fortheir role.

Let the Ss know they're going to do a role play. Put them in groups ofthree and assign roles: doctor, nurse and patient. Give them theirhandouts and have them do part A.

D

When all the groups are finished, take a vote to

see which one had the best role-play. Treateveryone with a candy!

en e ro e-p ays are n s e , ave e s s own. assaround some clear tape and band-aids. Invite the Ss to put their

worksheets back together using both of these items(make sure theydon't cover up the discussion questions with the band-aids).

Tip:

Avoid using negative words and phrases such as'No','Wrong' or 'That's not correct.' when teaching. Youdon't want Ss to get discouraged and stop participating.

Try positive phrases such as 'That's a good answer but...'instead.

Part II-Discussion:Health

Have the Ss stand up and discuss the questions in pairs orgroups.

-22-

Dooe


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The doctor is in!

Teacher Challenge

D

What do you know?

Okay,you know the drill. Go compare your answers w h anyavailable resources and then come back and modify them as

needed.

The hollow needle was invented by whom and when?

'Syringe' comes from which Greek word?

Where the idea for band-a s come from?

What are the mos common ouse o accidents?

My,my..

.what'

vewe go

here?

-23-

Doo e some more


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esson anFergeddaboutit! These things'll

give you a headache, right?

-24-


42/76

py Ta

Student Worksheet

Part I-Mingler

lpha

ravo

harlie

When your e done writing down your code,your teacher is goingto give you and your partner a piece of paper with a question on

it.

Wait for your eac er to tell you what to do next.

o d and tear this worksheet into two equal halves. With a partner,

create a secret code by giving each letter of the (alphabet a number

A=12,C=3,etc.). Write the code down on the back of one of the half

pieces.

Delta

Part II-Discussion:Es ionage

Turn the question into a coded question and write down it

on the back of the other half of your worksheet.


-25-


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Activity Guide

Part I-Mingler

lpha

ravo

harlie

Cut ou the discussion question strips elow, give one o each

pair and then have the Ss complete Charlie on their worksheet.

Divide the Ss into pairs and have them complete Alpha.

elta

When all the Ss are finished, collect the coded question

with the code key from each pair and redistribute them so

that no one has their own.

cho

ave e pa rs o s eco e e r ques on. en, ave emgo around and discuss and exchange decoded questionswith the other pairs while writing them down next to the bulletpoints in the Discussion half of their worksheets. Contnueuntil everyone has discussed and written down all fivequesions.

Part II-Discussion:Es ionage

Tip:Encourage your Ss to practice using English-languagesearch engines to find answers to their language-related

questions. The search results will be more useful andaccurate than if they are searching using their Mothertongue.

Can you name a famous real-life or fictitious spy?

When the actvity is finished, have everyone get back both

parts of their worksheet and tape them back together.

Would you like to be a spy? Why or why not?

Which countries do MI6 an the CIA belong o?

What's the best spy movie you've ever seen?

If you were a spy, could you keep it a secret?

py Ta

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Nah, let's wa ch a spy movie instead...

Teacher Challenge

D

What do ou know?

nk you've got this one cked? Okay...go compare your answerswith any available resources and then come back and modify themas needed.

Name five of the world's top spy agencies and where they are located.

Federalnaya Sluzhba Kontrrazvedkiwas the successor to whichorganization and what is it now known as?

Name and briefly describe two spygadgets that were used during

World War II.

What are the possible penalites in your country for spying?

py Ta

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esson anYeah, I know what you're thinking: 'This? AGAIN!?'

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Mirror,mirror!Activity Guide

Part I-Mingler

Using their mirrors,have the Ss complete A-D.

Have the Ss tape eir worksheets to t e r chests, divide them n o

pairs and then give each pair a mirror. Have one student hold the

mirror up so the other student can read the worksheet taped to his or

her chest.

D

Give the s their worksheet. ,oh! It's printed backwards and they

need to find some way to read it!

ave e s look around the room or check their belongings o seethere's anything they could use to help them read the worksheet. They'll

probably suggets using a window or a mirror. Today's their lucky day,you just happen to have some mirrors handy! (I recommend using hairbrush mirrors.)

en e s are one w e wr ng par , go aroun an ave afew of them share what they wrote along with what their partnerthought of their description of them.

Tip:When doing presentations, 'black out' the computerscreen or cover the projector lens when you're not using

the slides. You want people to focus on you when you're

speaking.

Part II-Discussion:A earances

Have the Ss put the worksheets back on their chests and dothe discussion questions using their mirror.

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ops Iorgo

o

adddoodles

to

this activity

!

Oh,well...


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Mirror,mirror!Teacher Challenge

Thiskin o str

ess will ru

in

yourgood

looks,you know?

D

What do ou know?

eeling frazz ed? Check yourself in e mirror, go compare youranswers with any available resources and then come back and

modify them as needed.

What do you think causes peop e o ecome desperate for

attention or admiration?

'Vanity' has several complementary words. Name at least

wo of them:

There's an old saying which goes 'The clothes make the man.'

This saying has been in use for a long time, particularly by the

fashion industry,to get people to buy more clothes. What do you

think? Should clothes be about comfort and protection or

making a statement?

Accor ng o anc en story, who fell in love with his image afterseeing his reflection in a lake? What modern term comes from thisstory?

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esson an(Say,this might be a good time tomakea shopping list for clothes!

)

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B

ar mac nesPreparation

D

Room Se up:

lace the esks an chairs around e back o the room.

Place a tape line down the center of the room.

Designate a target on each side of the room for the opposing teamto aim for,e.g.,desk,carboard box,trashbin,etc.

D

Place a box on each side of the room,just behind the tape

line. These boxes are the 'ammo dumps' for each team'spaper balls.

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ar mac nesActivity Guide

B

Give each S a sheet of paper. Have them raw a picture o aweapon on it. It could be anything real or ficticious. Many Ss maywant to draw something they like which comes from videogames,movies or cartoons and that's perfectly fine!

Divide the class into two teams of six or less Ss each. one oneach side of the tape line. Have the teams wad up their sheetsof paper and put them into their ammo dumps.

Part I-Mingler

e game s now se ere are e ru es:

Ss can move anywhere on their team's side of the tape line.

If they cross the line with their feet, they're out.

The object of the game is to land as many paper balls aspossible in (if you're using a box) or on (if you're using a flatsurface) the target in three minutes.Teams may try to knockthe balls out of the air or catch them before they reach thetarget.

Ss are not allowed to knock balls out of or off of thetargets. Doing so results in a lose for the responsible S'steam.

Ss can tag out opposing team members who stray too close tothe tape line using their arms. A S who crosses the line with theirfeet while tagging is out and the person they tagged remains inthe game.

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Part I-Mingler (continued)


D

When finished,count up the number of balls thatmade the targets to see which team is the winner.

ave e a e s eac p c up a a ,open an see w a s

drawn on the sheet. Encougrage them to compare and discussthe drawings with each other for a few minutes. See if they canfind the owner and then give it back to them. Take a vote and seewhich drawings the Ss think are the best.

inally,have e Ss put their sheet into heir b nders, f theyhave one. Pair them up and let them do the discussion

Ss may only carry two paper balls a a me, one in each hand. Ssmay not pick up balls from the floor,they must be taken from theammo dump. One person from each side should be designated toretrieve balls from the floor and put them in their team's ammo

here are wo ways to w n: tag outall the players on one

side or have the most paper ballsin or on the target.Also, if

a team hoards paper balls so thatnone are available for the

other side, they automatically lose. Give the winning team a

prize such as a bag of candy.

G

Go as many rounds with the game as you'd like. If you have a

lot of Ss, simply restart each round with fresh playersreplacing the losing sides. While the game's going on,write upthe discussion questions on the board.

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Would you like to be a soldier? Why or why not?

Tip:Avoid using multiple questions. Ask one question at atime. Don't be afraid of silence. Give Ss a reasonableamount of time to answer. If they don't or can't answer,simply move on to the next question. You can alwaysgo back to unanswered questions later.

Part II-Discussion:The Militar

oes your coun ry ave man a ory m ary serv ng so,how many years is it for?

Questions:

(Write these on the board as they are. See if they catch

the mistakes.

How many branches does your countrie's military have? Namethem and describe what each one does.

Has anyone in your family ever been in the military? Ifso,when and what did they do?

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ar mac nes

Teacher Challenge

B

D

What do ou know?Now

thisshou

le a

last

Name three countries which have compulsory military service.For each one, how long does it last and what's the target agegroup?

Which city is guarded by the smallest and oldestrecognized army in the world?

Hand grenades first appeared when and wh

at were

hey made of?

There are still around 4 million landmines in which country?

Which resource shortage is deemed most likely totrigger war in the future?

Pu on your war face and arm yoursel with an eraser! It's time o gocompare your answers with an

y available resources and then comeback and modify them as needed.

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esson an(Whatever you do,don't bomb this one!)

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Student Worksheet

1,000 words!

Part I-Mingler

Part II-Discussion:Photography

Hopeful y,you've broug t a nice picture wi you to ay.he picture shouldn't have you in it. If you are in the

picture,get some scissors and cut yourself out!Don't share your picture with anyone just yet!

ape or g ue your p c ure ere ns e e o e squareand then place the worksheet face down on your desk.

Wait for the teacher to tell you what to do next.

How does this picture make you feel? Why?

Where do you think this picture was taken and what was the

occasion?

Is there anything in the picture that you don't know the Englishword for? If so, see if another student knows.

Which student do you think this picture belongs to? Why?


Questions:

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ActivityGuide

Part I-Mingler

Part II-Discussion:Photography

D

Before the c ass,pr nt a copy of the Student Wor sheet. hink

of three questions you'd like the Ss to use for the discussion

part and write them down on the worksheet. Make a

photocopy for each S.

Give each student a copy of the worksheet and have themcomplete parts A and B. Tell them not to share their picturewith anyone at this point. Have them place the worksheet facedown when finished glueing/taping their picture onto the sheet.

Tell the Ss the day before you do this activity that you want themto bring a photograph taken by them or a family member fromhome. It can be of anything so long as the S is not in the picture.

Collect all of the worksheets and randomly redistributethem face up. Have tape handy and invite the Ss to hangtheir worksheets on the wall.

Once the sheets are all hung, invite the Ss to walk aroundin pairs or groups, look at the pictures and talk about themusing the discussion questions under each one as their

guide.

Tip:Avoid information overload,the average person canonly remember about three or four things at a time intheir short-term memory. Break your lessons down into

small parts and do concept checking after each one.

When everyone's finished,have the owner of each picture share

their story about it with the class to see how many Ss answered the

second and fourth question correctly.

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1,000 words!


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Teacher Challenge

C

D

The very first photograph was taken when and by whom?

A photographicmemory would e han y right a ou now,eh?

Which company introduced the first digital camera prototype in1975?

e world's largest seamess photograph made

from a s ngle

exposure was taken where?

What famous brand of camera film stopped being made in 2009?

What are the advantages film cameras have over digital ones?

Yes,yes. It's t at time aga n. Go compare your answers with anyavailable resources and then come back and modify them asneeded.

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1,000 words!


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esson an(Hmm...What can you develop this time around?)

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Student Worksheet


Glue one can y wrapper ha f

here.

When you're finished withA and B::

G ue the other candy wrapperhalf here.

Part II-Discussion:Candy

Part I-Mingler

Wait for your teacher to tell you what to do...

First, while you're sipping your candy,do the writing exercise below:

Now,compare and talk about your answers with your partner. Change anyof your answers you feel aren't quite right.

On the back of this worksheet,write down the adjectives(taste,texture,color,size,and shape) which best describe your candyalong with the ingredients you think are in it.

Do the same with the piece of candy you got at your partner.

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Sweet tooth!


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Activity Guide

Sweet tooth!

Part I-Mingler

Part II-Discussion:Candy

D

Tip:

The classroom is not always the best place to try to'iron out wrinkles' in your lesson plan. If you can't getan activity to work, It's better to quickly drop it. Keep

one or two back-up activities ready just in case thingsgo wrong.

The day before you run this actitivty, tell the Ss to each bring onepackage of their favorite candy the next day.You might want to set aprice limit per item just to keep things fair. Ideally,it should be a retailbrand with a proper box/wrapper. Ask them to wrap it up at home insome tissue or other paper before bringing it to class. You want theircandy to be a mystery at the start of the activity.

At the start of class,have the Ss stand around in a circle holding theircandy. Have one person in the circle name a candy. If they pronounce itcorrectly, have everyone pass their candy to the person on their left.Keep going until each S has had a turn naming a candy.

Send everyone back to their seats with their candy. Havethem unwrap it and see what they got. Give everyone aStudent Worksheet.

When f nis ed, everyone shouldnow have their own candy

back. Have everyone now pass their candy to the right

twice so they don't have their own.

Finally, have the Ss take turns guessing what their candy might be .

Have the Ss complete A-C of their worksheet.

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Draw your

favorite candyhere...


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Teacher Challenge

D

Time

ora sugar

rush M

mmHow

about

a choc

olate bar?

Name a famous brand of candy in the country you're teaching.Whyis it famous and what's it's history?

The manufacturing of sugar began in what period ofhistory?

List five ingredients that are commonly found in candy barstoday.

How was chocolate prepared an serve by the Mayaand Aztec people?

What is the ancient name of Bengal? What does itmean and why was it called that?

Sweet tooth!

Ref that coffee mug and le the fun begin! Go compare youranswers with any available resources and then come b

ack andmodify them as needed.

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esson an(Have a sweet time!)

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Student Worksheet

Part I-Mingler

A

D

Part II-Discussion:Letters

Take a look at the names on the board and decide who you'regoing to write to. Think about why you are writing to this personand what you want to say.

Write your letter on the back of this worksheet keeping in mindwhat you just learned in class about letter writing. Keep your

letter short. Two or three paragraphs should be enough.

Be sure to mention in your let er tha you are oing a class projecton letter writing.

When you're done, exchange letters witha partner,see what they

wrote and then move on to the discussionquestiions below.

After the discussion. give your partner back their letter. Have a

last look at your letter to see if there's anything you'd to change.If you're happy with your letter, give it to your teacher if you want

it to be mailed. If you don't want it mailed, put in your binder.

(Don't forget to put this worksheet in your binder later! If you're having

your letter sent, good luck! If you get a letter back, don't forget to share itwith the class!)

Questio

ns:

Why are you writing to this person?

What as this person done that seems interes ing to you?

What kind of answer to you hope to get back from them?

If they don't personally reply to your letter, how you will feel?

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Activity Guide

Tip:Keep a short outline of how each day went. Jot down anytough questions you couldn't asnwer during class andthen look up the answers.

Part I-Mingler

Part II-Discussion:Letters

D

Ask the Ss about the ways they typicallycommunicate wit friends

and family on a regular basis and list them on board. Chances are

good, in many cases, that few or none of them will say they write

letters. Letter writing is becoming a lost art in today's fast-moving

digital world.

Before doing this activity, you want to come with a list of notable peoplewho live in the country you're teaching in and mailing addresses for them.You should be able to find addressed for these kinds of people throughlawyers,agents, government bodies,companies,universities or fan clubs.Don't be afraid to ask around for help on this one. The pay-off forsuccessfully completing this activity could be pretty big.

List the names of the people you came up with on the board and askthe Ss if they would be interested in writing a letter to any one of themand why. If not, ask for suggesttions and add them to your list. You'llnow need to try to track down those mailing addresses as well.

Ge permission rom the Ss to send their letters to the peoplethey're writing to. Decide whether to use the school or Ss home asthe return address on the letters. Keep in mind, using the school'saddress might generate better responses

Introduce the Ss to the basics of letter writing and then invitethem to complete A-C of their worksheet.

When the Ss have finished the discussion. collect any letters that aregoing to be mailed out.

Encourage the Ss to share letters they receive back. Hang themon the wall in the classroom. For any Ss who didn't want theirletters sent, have them just put their worksheet in their binder.

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Spec a e very


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Teacher Challenge

Hey!You

're not s

till usinga pe

n for

thisstuf

f, are

ou?

D

The study of stamps is called what?

What were the first known envelopes made of?

The first postal system was established in which city in 1653?

It is widely believed that the height of letter writing occurredduring two periods in history. What were they?

The decline of letter writing began with the appearance of which invention?

Write le er or ema o a friend and see if t ey can help you with t eanswers! When you're ready, go compare your answers with anyavailable resources and then come back and modify them as

needed.

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esson an(No frowning,okay? Lessons are best delivered with a smile!)

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Student Worksheet

Part I-Mingler

A

Part II-Discussion:Goodb es

Tear the worksheet into two halves at the dashed line below. On the backof the top half,write your name,postal address and email address.

How many languages can you say 'goodbye' in?

Do you usually stay in touch with people you can't see or tal

k to

everyday?

When you contact your classmate, what do think you will want to

say them? (Don't say who it is!)

What o you thin you're li e will be like when you write or emailthem?

Wait for the teac er to tell you what o do nex ...

Fond Farewells!*

*

(Don't forget to put both halves of the worksheet in your binderwhen you're done!)

Questions:

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ActivityGuide

Don't dig yourself into a hole. If you don't the answer to aquestion,don't be afraid to admit it. Let the Ss know theyasked you a great question and that you'll need to go find

the answer and get back to them later.

Part I-Mingler

Part II-Discussion:Goodbyes

B

This act vity s best-suited for you inal day with your Ss. As

they say, 'Parting is such sweet sorrow'.Ask the Ss to tell you

what they think this means and if they have a similar saying in

their country.

e e c ass now a ey s ou p c ano er o wr e oremail at some point in the future. Suggest that they should wait at

least one year before writing/emailing as it will give them more totalk about when the do and make it more challengling to keeptheir promise.

Once the discussion part is finished, have everyone put the twohalves of their worksheet into the envelope they made for the'Money Bags' activity, along with the coins. Otherwise, have themtape,staple or clip it to another activity they've saved in their binder.

Have the Ss complete A of their worksheet and then have themtape the top half of their worksheet to a wall at the front of theroom with their contact information facing out.

Say farewell to your Ss and tell them to be sure to write!

Fond Farewells!*

*

D

Once all the papers are taped up, have the Ss form a linefacing the back wall. Let the Ss come to the board one a

time, find someone they want to keep in touch with, take thepaper for that person and then sit back down. Have them putthe paper away where no one can see it!

Move on to the discussion questions and have the Ss do themin groups or pairs. Make sure they don't tell anyone whothey're writing to or emailing!

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Teacher Challenge

Aww...

here, h

ere. Don't

crynow

.

D

Fond Farewells!*

*

How many languages can you say 'goodbye' in?

hat's a common goodbye ritual in your country where you're

teaching?

In Russia, it's common practice not to clean a guest's room untilthey've left. Why?

In which part of the world does saying goodbye involve throwingwater behind the car of a leaving guest as they drive away? What

does the water symbolize?

e , a s i rom me I ope you en oye eseactivities!The rest is up to you now.Take careand

be sure tostay in touch with me online at theritty,Grimy Forums!

-Jon

Okay, here we go! Get tha eraser rea y one last me and gocompare your answers with any available resources and then comeback and modify them as needed.

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esson an(This is the last hurrah! Let's give 'em a good show, eh?)

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Student Worksheet

Title:___________

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Activity Guide

Title:___________

It's all your

s! Show us what you

've got

Tip:-56-


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Teacher Challenge

Title:___________

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esson an

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Aww....Last chance to oo le I

t's the en o the

book! Enjoy!

Documents

Gritty,Grimy Notebook-Energising ESL activities for English Corners( and the classroom)