Useful Ideas: Projects, Spelling Bee Useful Ideas: Projects, Spelling Bee and Bulletin Boardsand Bulletin Boards

Building up teaching school materialsBuilding up teaching school materials

Cecilia Maller A.Cecilia Maller A.

Universidad Santo TomásUniversidad Santo Tomás

English PedagogyEnglish Pedagogy

Project WorkProject Work

You may create a You may create a Project out of any Project out of any grammar point or grammar point or

topic.topic.

Answer:Answer:

What is a project?What is a project?

ProjectProject (PIECE OF (PIECE OF WORK)   WORK)   

11 “A piece of planned work “A piece of planned work or an activity which is or an activity which is completed over a period of completed over a period of time and intended to achieve time and intended to achieve a particular aim”.a particular aim”.

You could ask your students to You could ask your students to write something based on the write something based on the contents covered.contents covered.

Ex. Simple present Ex. Simple present tense- write about a tense- write about a day in their lives.day in their lives.

What to consider when What to consider when

asking your students to asking your students to prepare a project work. prepare a project work.

Things to consider:Things to consider:

Length of the Length of the paragraph.paragraph.

TitleTitle

Pictures illustrating the Pictures illustrating the ideas.ideas.

Structure(s) you want Structure(s) you want to emphasize and to emphasize and reinforce.reinforce.

Always better to produce your own Always better to produce your own storystory

What is it and what is it for?What is it and what is it for? Creative writingCreative writing

Assignment;Assignment;

*Adaptable to a variety of *Adaptable to a variety of

disciplines anddisciplines and

intended to elicitintended to elicit

thoughtful responses from thoughtful responses from

Students.Students.

Because you improve your Because you improve your students´writing abilities.students´writing abilities.

Stds. are motivated to write- Stds. are motivated to write- their own life.their own life.

Brief enough to fit easily into a Brief enough to fit easily into a lesson( supplemental worklesson( supplemental work

to be completed at home or in to be completed at home or in class).class).

Examples:Examples:

Holidays:Holidays:

-Trick or -Trick or treattreat

-Easter-Easter

-Mother´s -Mother´s dayday

..

People:People:

-What makes you -What makes you happy?happy?

-My biggest lie-My biggest lie

Social StudiesSocial Studies::

-Famous people.-Famous people.

-Important places.-Important places.

Science:Science:

-The year without a -The year without a summer.summer.

-The solar system-The solar system

How to work it:How to work it:

Give the students the Give the students the theme and all the theme and all the “coordinates”“coordinates”

( Suggested title, length, ( Suggested title, length, structure or words structure or words involved, pictures)involved, pictures)

Then they must keep all Then they must keep all the projects till the end of the projects till the end of the year and create a the year and create a magazine-foldier, give it a magazine-foldier, give it a name, index and make a name, index and make a project exhibition for project exhibition for parents to see them – parents to see them – Parents´meetingParents´meeting

On desks- Class, On desks- Class, Objective and themes Objective and themes in English and Spanishin English and Spanish

Activity 1:Activity 1:

Create your own Project; think Create your own Project; think of your Practicum students, of your Practicum students, think of a special content, then think of a special content, then design the appropiate page design the appropiate page where they are going to write it where they are going to write it onon

2.Spelling Bee Competition:2.Spelling Bee Competition:

1. Spelling bee1. Spelling bee noun- US noun- USa competition in which the a competition in which the winner is the person or winner is the person or group who is able to form group who is able to form correctly the highest correctly the highest number of the words they number of the words they are asked to spell. are asked to spell.

A A spelling beespelling bee is a competition is a competition where contestants, usually where contestants, usually children, are asked to spell children, are asked to spell English words. English words.

The concept originated in the The concept originated in the United States, and is usually United States, and is usually perceived to be an American perceived to be an American practicepractice

[1]; part of the reason could be [1]; part of the reason could be that English has an that English has an exceptionally complex and exceptionally complex and arbitrary orthography.[2]arbitrary orthography.[2]

EtymologyEtymology Although its only modern usage Although its only modern usage

is in is in spelling beespelling bee, the word , the word beebee has historically been used to has historically been used to describe a get-together where a describe a get-together where a specific action is being carried specific action is being carried out, like an apple bee. Its out, like an apple bee. Its etymology is unclear but etymology is unclear but possibly derived from the Old possibly derived from the Old English word English word bēnbēn for prayer[3]. for prayer[3].

How to do it:How to do it:

Handout:certain number of Handout:certain number of words, separated in words, separated in categories(i.e. animals, body categories(i.e. animals, body parts, nouns, public places, parts, nouns, public places, food, adjectives, etc)food, adjectives, etc)

Every week or class: Every week or class: practice a few words and practice a few words and add more from the list add more from the list provided.provided.

Select some students Select some students from each room, then from each room, then they must compete they must compete among them till you get among them till you get the winner.the winner.

Certificates, gifts, Certificates, gifts, formal contestformal contest

Spelling Bee Logos:Spelling Bee Logos:

Activity 2:Activity 2:

Create a spelling bee list for one Create a spelling bee list for one of your Practicum courses.of your Practicum courses.

How to:How to: Have a look at the Units/lessons Have a look at the Units/lessons

already covered.already covered. Prepare 8 categories and Prepare 8 categories and

include at least 8-10 words for include at least 8-10 words for each one of them.each one of them.

Make it attractive!!Make it attractive!!

Ex. Ex. Body parts:Body parts: LegLeg ArmArm HeadHead

Choose a LOGO you like, Choose a LOGO you like, adapt it if necessary. Then …adapt it if necessary. Then …

You should include:You should include:

Name of schoolName of school ““English Department”English Department” Grades involved Grades involved Answers to the following questions:Answers to the following questions: When?When? Where?Where? What time?What time? Prizes contestants getPrizes contestants get

Go to Spelling Bee RulesGo to Spelling Bee Rules

Go to PrizesGo to Prizes

Go to Free trainingGo to Free training

Go to winning wordsGo to winning words

3.ENGLISH CORNERS3.ENGLISH CORNERS

English Corners:English Corners:

Nowadays,mixed ability Nowadays,mixed ability within the classroom is within the classroom is one of the biggest one of the biggest challenges teachers face.challenges teachers face.

So we must work on So we must work on MOTIVATiON!!MOTIVATiON!!

That´s why…That´s why…

English Corners are a English Corners are a useful tool for this.useful tool for this.

What is an English Corner?What is an English Corner?

“ “Space on a corner of the Space on a corner of the classroom with the appropiate classroom with the appropiate materials placed on a wall, a materials placed on a wall, a shelf or a table, to be within shelf or a table, to be within easy reach(physical or visual) of easy reach(physical or visual) of students at any stage of the students at any stage of the class”.class”.

Materials such as: Materials such as: games, flashcards, games, flashcards, books, posters, news, books, posters, news, word cards, pictures, word cards, pictures, bulletin boards,etc.bulletin boards,etc.

Why to use English Corners?Why to use English Corners?

The most useful thing The most useful thing about E.Cs is the number about E.Cs is the number of different possibilities of different possibilities they can offer us:they can offer us:

They can provide They can provide activities for fast finishersactivities for fast finishers

They give us the They give us the opportunity to spend time opportunity to spend time individually with pupils individually with pupils who need help with a task who need help with a task they find difficultthey find difficult

They allow us to evaluate They allow us to evaluate our pupils´speaking our pupils´speaking abilities,one by one or in abilities,one by one or in small groups.small groups.

They enable pupils to They enable pupils to take a break from take a break from course work.course work.

They offer the chance to They offer the chance to practise or review practise or review vocabulary.vocabulary.

Managing the corners isn´t as Managing the corners isn´t as difficult as it might seem. difficult as it might seem.

For example, when pupils finish For example, when pupils finish a task or some minutes before a task or some minutes before the end of a lesson they could the end of a lesson they could work in the corner- individually work in the corner- individually or as a whole class activity.or as a whole class activity.

What can you include in the What can you include in the EC? EC?

A reading corner:A reading corner:

Games: Puzzles, guessings, Games: Puzzles, guessings, competitions.competitions.

A Bulletin Board:A Bulletin Board:

What can you include What can you include in a in a

Bulletin Board?Bulletin Board?

School Timetable:School Timetable:

Jokes:Jokes:

Key Words:Key Words:

Songs: LyricsSongs: Lyrics

Kids/ teens´topicsKids/ teens´topics

Activity 3:Activity 3:

Prepare a Bulletin Board for your English Prepare a Bulletin Board for your English Corner.Corner.

How to do it:How to do it: Include a JokeInclude a Joke Include the school timetableInclude the school timetable Include a game.Include a game. Include a Pop song ( lyrics) with some Include a Pop song ( lyrics) with some

activities ( 3)activities ( 3) A description of an interesting place in A description of an interesting place in

Stgo.+Pictures Stgo.+Pictures Plus another activity YOU could think of.Plus another activity YOU could think of.

Be ready for next Class…Be ready for next Class…

Materials for:Materials for:

A Project sheetA Project sheet

A spelling bee projectA spelling bee project

A Bulletin Board.A Bulletin Board.