Lesson Plan: Reading and Writing

Background and Pre-Assessment:

This is an EFL beginning level class taught as a night class at the University in Thessalonika in Greece. The 20 students in the class are all between the ages of 18 and 30 years old. Their general goals are to learn English well enough to survive in an English speaking country.

Most of them have plans to immigrate. Their native languages consist of Greek, Arabic, Tagalog, and Albanian.

Topic and Objectives:

The students will learn to identify their colors in English and practice by asking simple questions like, "What color is this?" and answering "This is green," etc.

Materials Needed:

Color flash cards showing color on one side and the word written out on the other, simple child's book about colors, overhead projector with blank overhead paper, crayons, and exercise sheet for homework.

Warm Up/Review:

Start by asking class if they remember the last lesson we had on articles of clothing. Review some of the vocabulary.

This is done to refresh their memories of the things they already know so that we can use them for an activity I have planned for the color lesson.

Introduction:

I then proceed with the book about colors and read it to them, asking them questions in between, like "What do you think will happen next?" This gets their minds going and draws upon their background information and it also helps me to evaluate their understanding as we go along. They also get their minds thinking in English.

After the story, we discuss it and write up a vocabulary list of new words they did not understand on the board. Many of those words are colors. The students write down the list for future reference and memorization.

Again, this is to check their comprehension of the story and to give them a new list of unfamiliar words to practice in their free time and to refer to later when doing the assignment in class.

Presentation:

Activity #1:

I then pull out the flash cards showing them the colors on one side and asking "What color is this?" Many of them understand the question from context and some even know the name of basic colors in English such as red and black, but no one knows how to answer with a complete sentence.

I then turn the card over and show them the color written out. I say "This is red." The students all repeat after me and then write down the color in their vocabulary and then color the different colors next to the word with the crayons.

The reason for having the word on the other side of the card written out is so that they can see the word in English letters. Many of these students' native languages have totally different alphabets.

Activity #2:

After finishing all the colors and repeating them many times together I start asking individual students "What color is this?" pointing to the flash card. The individual student answers with a little coaxing from me "This is blue." We do this for a while until all the students have had a chance to answer. Then we have one student ask another in the class "What color is this?" using the flash cards. That student answers and then asks another in a chain-like manner. I now am not involved in the conversation.

This helps me see how fast they catch on to a new concept and also to see who is struggling or not. It also helps me assess them for groups on the next activity.

Activity #3:

I put them into groups of two and have them ask each other the same question only this time they point to different colors in the room.

This only lasts for five minutes.

I circulate at this time to assess their language skills and to help if needed.

Activity #4:

Having them put away their notes I ask them to take out a piece of paper and finish the sentence: I am wearing___________ today. I explain that they need to describe what they are wearing using the words they remember from today's and the last lesson. They turn this in at the end of class.

Again I circulate to see what they have come up with and how they have used their vocabulary in sentence form. Also, to help them if needed.

Evaluation:

I have circulated to evaluate them several times throughout the lesson.

They will turn in the sentences they have written in class. I also give them a homework assignment of finding different objects that can represent different colors. For example, a banana represents yellow.

They are to bring at least 5 objects to class next time with a sheet of paper explaining what color each object represents.

Self-evaluation:

I enter into the log book after class how I think it went and any improvements that I think could be made.