Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The Wolf vs. Three Pigs' Side of the Story



Every story has two sides. How do we teach our students to get all the information and facts from different viewpoints before making a decision?



Pre-Video (predicting)

What do you know about the story of the 3 little pigs and Wolf?
What do you think the Wolf will say really happened?
Do you think the Wolf might have some additional information?

During Video (gathering evidence)


What was each house made of?
What did the Wolf do at each house?
What was the result of his actions at each house?

After Video (analyzing the evidence) - "Trial of the Wolf"
(Tea Bardavelidze, Kutaisi School #17 Lesson Task)

Wolf's Counsel:  This group will defend the Wolf’s side of the story. They will present the most important reasons why his side of the story should be believed as the truth.  They will work together to write a list of reasons and organize the list with details. Each student must contribute at least one reason to build the argument.

Pigs' Counsel: This group will defend the Pigs’ side of the story. They will present the most important reasons why their side of the story should be believed as the truth. They will work together to write a list of reasons and organize the list with details. Each student must contribute at least one reason to build the argument.

Jury: This group will decide the facts. They are as a "jury" and they will decide what is the truth.

Presentations:

The Wolf's counsel and the Pigs' counsel will present their argument by choosing a leader to explain why their side has the most credible and believable argument. While listening, the other group should take notes about points that they think are not credible or believable. After each side has finished their presentations, each side will have the opportunity to review the points that they think are not credible that the other side made and make a final response about those points. The jury must listen carefully and make a decision that is based on the evidence they have heard and the arguments presented.

The Ugly Ducking


The Ugly Ducking is one of the best ways to teach critical literacy to your students, especially for young learners. What we see and believe may not be true, and to question where our idea of beauty comes from.

An entire website dedicated to teaching critical literacy through The Ugly Ducking.
Ready-made material for all levels, and it's free.

The Ugly Ducking for Young Learners
Wordless video version for young learners.
For very beginning students, have paper cutouts of the main characters and teach basic words for the animals: This is a duck. Watch the video. Explain in Georgian that what we think we see might not always be true, and that we should think and ask ourselves what we see before we make conclusions. Afterwards, have your students act out the video with the paper characters.

How does the media influence what we think?


Children and Gender Identity: Assigning Roles


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Sky Lanterns - July 9 - Weather Permitting


Super-fun warm-up for the European Union lesson (great for lower-level), Batumi


- Hand out names of the European countries to your students. Play the video. As they hear their country, have them stand up. - Play again, and then do it in reverse, having them sit down. Also, Georgia is included as a European country.

The United Nations (for higher and lower-level students)



Extension: Discuss the United Nations Human Rights Charter; the Declaration of the Rights of Children; UNICEF; the peace-keeping missions of the United Nations; the governmental structure of the United Nations

The United Nations (for higher and lower-level students), Batumi


Extension: Discuss the United Nations Human Rights Charter; the Declaration of the Rights of Children; UNICEF; the peace-keeping missions of the United Nations; the governmental structure of the United Nations

The United Nations Life Index: What makes a good country? Older and middle-level students, Batumi



United Nations Quality of Life Index: These countries were ranked according to education, health, quality of life, economic dynamism, and political environment. (High Income countries only. Middle and Low Income countries were classified separately)

objectives: language: present participles; content: effective governments (45 minutes)

- Warm-up: Develop vocabulary bank on the idea of what makes a good country? Prepare pictures to direct vocabulary. (students in class, people in a hospital, people enjoying life, people at business, people in parliament or congress)
main ideas: education, health, freedom, work, vote 

- watch the video - have students list the countries on paper
comprehension - ask your students who was number 6, 14, 12, etc.

- Model the grammar: present participle A good country is having education. A good country is having good health. A good country is having freedom. A good country is being able to vote. Have students give other examples, or for lower-level students, have them read the sentences.

- Watch the video again. Have students in pairs or groups make a list of what makes a good country.  After, as a class, in Georgian if necessary, ask your students what made these countries good?

- Assessment: Have students draw or develop a scene from their own good country based on the ideas of education, health, quality of life, freedom and voting. What makes their country so great? Have students present their drawings or plan. If they do not have enough English skills, assist them in Georgian.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Government Systems: A Sample Lesson for Grade 5

From Babi Kenchuashvili in Gori, a lesson plan on government systems for a fifth grade, level 1 (beginner) class.










Grade 5 Lesson Plan: Government Systems

From Babi Kenchuashvili in Gori, a lesson plan on government systems for a fifth grade, level 1 (beginner) class.










Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Lesson Plan: Grade 5, Beginner Level



Babi Kenchuashvili from the Gori ELCE group has shared this lesson plan with us that she created for her beginner 5th grade class.





Friday, May 18, 2012

Systems of Government Activity Bank

- Create a country and your own government!!

Online game for higher-level students (7-12 to adult) where students create their own country/nation state, choose a government (from history or current systems or students can create their own) and then interact with other nations in an online game. Students also participate in a world assembly, interact with each other as nation states, and understand crises and challenges that their government will face through role-playing and online interaction. FREE!

From the site: Create a nation according to your political ideas and care for its people. Or deliberately oppress them. It's up to you.


- Play "Meet the Ocracies!"
Rearrange prefixes and suffixes for vocabulary (higher-level).

Aristocracy: A form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the principal persons of a state, or in a privileged order; an oligarchy
Autocracy: Government by a single person having unlimited power; despotism (domination through threat of punishment and violence)
Bureaucracy: Administration of a government chiefly through bureaus or departments staffed with non-elected officials
Democracy: Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives
Gynecocracy: Government by women
Kakistocracy: Government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens.
Kleptocracy: A government characterized by rampant greed and corruption
Meritocracy: A group of leaders or officeholders selected on the basis of individual ability or achievement
Monarchy: a government in which power is vested in a king, queen, emperor or empress who can pass power on to his heirs.
Monocracy: Government or rule by a single person; autocracy
Oligarchy: A government in which a few people such as a dominant clan or clique have power
Plantocracy: A ruling class formed of plantation owners, leadership or government by this class of people
Plutocracy: A government or state in which the wealthy rule.
Stratocracy: Government by the armed forces
Technocracy: A government or social system controlled by technicians, especially scientists and technical experts
Theocracy: A government ruled by or subject to religious authority

adapted from the Oxford School Hills District, Maine, teacher. B. Burns

Thursday, May 17, 2012

The United Nations Life Index: What makes a good country? Older and higher-level students, Batumi


United Nations Quality of Life Index: These countries were ranked according to education, health, quality of life, economic dynamism, and political environment. (High Income countries only. Middle and Low Income countries were classified separately)

objectives: language: present participles; content: effective governments (45 minutes)

- Warm-up: Develop vocabulary bank on the idea of what makes a good country? Prepare pictures to direct vocabulary. (students in class, people in a hospital, people enjoying life, people at business, people in parliament or congress)
main ideas: education, health, freedom, work, vote 

- watch the video - have students list the countries on paper
comprehension - ask your students who was number 6, 14, 12, etc.

- Model the grammar: present participle A good country is having education. A good country is having good health. A good country is having freedom. A good country is being able to vote. Have students give other examples, or for lower-level students, have them read the sentences.

- Watch the video again. Have students in pairs or groups make a list of what makes a good country.  After, as a class, in Georgian if necessary, ask your students what made these countries good?

- Assessment: Have students draw or develop a scene from their own good country based on the ideas of education, health, quality of life, freedom and voting. What makes their country so great? Have students present their drawings or plan. If they do not have enough English skills, assist them in Georgian.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The European Union: Eurovision Madcon Country and Language Chart (older students and teenagers).

The Eurovision is May 26! Content: Fantastic tie-in with the European Union (which countries are in the European Union, which are not). Language: nations, language and nationalities.

The Eurovision Madcon Country and Language Chart (with answer key)!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

The Types of Government Game! (young learners and lower level)


ELCEONLINE.BLOGSPOT.COM is now ELCEONLINE.COM


Elceonline.blogspot.com has gone professional. We're now ELCEONLINE.COM They'll be some changes over the summer to help bring more functionality and increased value for program participants. The old address (elceonline.blogspot.com) will still work. We're dedicated to bringing our program participants even more options and assistance to help you complete ELCE and create even more dramatic and unique portfolios.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Super-fun warm-ups for the Countries of the World lesson (great for lower-level), Batumi

Countries of the World - Asia

Countries of the World - Africa

Countries of the World - The Americas

Countries of the World - Europe

Hand out names of the European countries to your students. Play the video. As they hear their country, have them stand up. - Play again, and then do it in reverse, having them sit down. Also, Georgia is included as a European country.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs (compliment to module book material)

Telavi teachers! Here's the video Judy referenced that goes with the handout she gave on the Three Little Pigs.


Friday, May 4, 2012

Gift for Teacher - Kristine Tsulukidze, Batumi


Goals: language: new vocabulary, the months, speaking and writing; content: voting and democratic participation

- Tell your students that today, you're going to pretend it's YOUR (the teacher's) birthday!
- Have students form groups based on their birthday months (JAN/FEB/MARCH - APR/MAY/JUNE - JULY/AUG/SEPT - OCT/NOV/DEC) - have the months on the board BEFORE the class begins.
- In Georgian, explain the following: CAMPAIGN, VOTING BOOTH, BALLOT, VOTE, BALLOT BOX
- Once in groups, students brainstorm possible gifts from vocabulary they know, and then the choose two gift ideas.
- Write all 8 gifts on the board (be careful of repeated vocabulary) (general election).
- Have a vote by a show of hands, and pick the top 4 gifts.
- Students then pick one gift (one per group), draw campaigns and write sentences about the gifts (run-off election).
- Present the campaigns to class.
- If possible, reintroduce the words with the Powerpoint
- Have a secret vote to choose the final gift.
- Assessment - matching handout of vocabulary with definitions
- Have two students count the votes.  Announce results of the secret vote!