I have a range of short videos that I like to show my students to illustrate points and make the class more fun. This clip from Friends is particularly good for demonstrating why using the appropriate style is important, and why they should aim for clarity and simplicity in their own writing.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Thematic Exercise: Picture Books
I like to do this exercise in the first week of class, when we are first beginning to explore the theme. It's simple and fun, and it gets the students thinking and talking.
Time Required:
45 minutes
Materials Required:
1) Picture books (Enough to have 1 book between 3-4 people)
2) Worksheets with questions.
Set-Up:
1) Draw up worksheets with questions. I recommend that the first prompt ask them to summarise the plot of the book in two or three sentences. It's good, low-pressure practice in summary, and it makes sure that they focus on the story.
I would then have two or three specific questions for them to answer, which require them to think about how the book presents your theme. For instance, when my course theme was the technology of daily life, I asked them what the books were teaching children about technology, and whether they presented it as benign or dangerous. When it was foodways, I asked them how the book used food to reflect on people's cultures and lifestyles. The questions do not need to be fancy; it's better if they're straightforward.
2) When you bring out the children's books, expect some odd looks. Your students will wonder why you are giving them books intended for kindergarteners, and you need to begin by addressing this unspoken question if you want them to take the exercise seriously. I find it helps to treat them as cultural/anthropological artifacts, and to talk about the process of socialisation. As children, we are all taught the values, attitudes and beliefs of our society in both implicit and explicit ways. Children's books function as instruments of socialisation, and thus they are an excellent place to discover how a society feels about a particular topic.
Exercise:
1) After the initial talk, divide your class into groups of 3-4.
2) Give each group a children's book and a worksheet.
3) Tell them that they will present back on their findings to the class.
4) Give them 15-20 minutes to read the book and discuss the questions.
5) Give them 5 minutes each to present on their book. Get them to write down the main points on the board.
6) Wrap up by discussing any commonalities or differences that you notice.
Time Required:
45 minutes
Materials Required:
1) Picture books (Enough to have 1 book between 3-4 people)
2) Worksheets with questions.
Set-Up:
1) Draw up worksheets with questions. I recommend that the first prompt ask them to summarise the plot of the book in two or three sentences. It's good, low-pressure practice in summary, and it makes sure that they focus on the story.
I would then have two or three specific questions for them to answer, which require them to think about how the book presents your theme. For instance, when my course theme was the technology of daily life, I asked them what the books were teaching children about technology, and whether they presented it as benign or dangerous. When it was foodways, I asked them how the book used food to reflect on people's cultures and lifestyles. The questions do not need to be fancy; it's better if they're straightforward.
2) When you bring out the children's books, expect some odd looks. Your students will wonder why you are giving them books intended for kindergarteners, and you need to begin by addressing this unspoken question if you want them to take the exercise seriously. I find it helps to treat them as cultural/anthropological artifacts, and to talk about the process of socialisation. As children, we are all taught the values, attitudes and beliefs of our society in both implicit and explicit ways. Children's books function as instruments of socialisation, and thus they are an excellent place to discover how a society feels about a particular topic.
Exercise:
1) After the initial talk, divide your class into groups of 3-4.
2) Give each group a children's book and a worksheet.
3) Tell them that they will present back on their findings to the class.
4) Give them 15-20 minutes to read the book and discuss the questions.
5) Give them 5 minutes each to present on their book. Get them to write down the main points on the board.
6) Wrap up by discussing any commonalities or differences that you notice.