Do you ever reread a book and get so swept away with it, that you finish it in one day? This was the way I felt rereading The Giver, by Lois Lowry. Lois Lowry was an award-winning novelist, who wrote many novels. As I am looking forward to reading more of her work, I want to focus on the book I read for now.
Sometimes we get students who need a challenge. Students who have reached a higher level of English and want to continue developing their skills.
I think that a wonderful way to expand their skills and use their language to discuss more abstract or creative topics, is to use literature.
(This seems to be a growing theme in my blog 😊)
I have finished creating a 3-month lesson plan for one of my advanced students based on The Giver, by Lois Lowry. Their spoken English is very good, and they need to be challenged a little more to take their English to the next level. This person makes almost no errors in their speech, and can read fluently, except for words that they do not know.
I broke the lesson down into the categories below. In each one, I will give a brief explanation in why this is important to have in your lesson, and how to cover this topic during the lesson time.
Reading: I want to begin by saying that the student must read the chapters before class, otherwise the lesson I have created will not work in this three-month time span. Instead of reading an entire two chapters during class, the student will read a page or two from each chapter.
Why is this important?
This checks their reading strategy, ability to read the words correctly, and to ensure that they understand they are reading. You will need to read documents, emails, important letters, and much more during your life. This skill is essential to have.
Writing: This one is a little tricky and can be done a few ways. You can do writing activities during classes, but this may take some time. If you think that the student will not be able to finish a five-sentence answer in a timely manner (5 minutes at most) than give this as a homework assignment. Then in class, correct their work.
Why is this important?
Writing is a skill that is essential. We need to learn how to write emails, CVs, documents, cover letters. I am still learning how to write properly! It is also a way to get someone to think creatively. They can write down stories, job descriptions, anything! 😊
Speaking: A speech is something that I like to span over a longer period. The student will have the topics and then work on it each class and for homework as well. The length of time teaches them that it is important to start early, and not hold off on work. When they finish developing their speech, you can listen to their presentation, and give them feedback on the presentation. It is nice to see the process that they go through while developing their speech too.
Why is this important?
This is more than just talking with your friends or family members. We speak in interviews, business presentations, to colleagues. Speaking clearly, and having well thought out ideas, can affect the way you sound to other people.
Listening: This skill can be done relatively easily. You can read a section of the book, and then design questions based off the section you read to check listening comprehension. This can be done by reading a part they have not read through yet, or a part that they have. The choice is yours.
Why is this important?
Being able to understand and process information auditorily is a skill that someone needs for every area of their life. Knowing the words, the main idea, and more specific content is important for understanding others.
Vocabulary: This part is rather straight forward. I choose 5 words that I think might be difficult to learn, and the student will keep them in a journal where they will study them for the final exam. They can also highlight and choose words from their own books that are difficult for them. Then they can find the definitions by themselves and discuss them with the teacher.
Why is this important?
Vocabulary development seems like such a boring or straightforward part of language learning. You could just give someone a list of vocabulary words and have them learn it. Then you could call it good. But if they don’t know how to use this word in context, they may mistakes while trying to use those words. It is important to remember the true definition of a word and how to use it. Not just the synonym because synonyms do not always mean the same thing. They are only similar.
I will attach half of the lesson plan here to this blog post. I want you to see how I structured the lesson part, with homework and everything. Please remember that this is a sample for you to base your ideas off of. Using this for just any student may not be appropriate for their language level and needs.
That is all for now! Have a great day. Bye! 😊