Bridge 07, March 2017, VoluMe 20

LESSON PLANMarch 2017

Level: B1–B2 Time: two lessons, 45–60 mins each Topic: ireland and St Patrick’s day

T Teachers’ infoLESSON ONE 45–60 mins

aiMs

students will be able to answer basic questions about ireland and

st Patrick’s Day.

They will be able to pronounce and identify the form and meaning of six

vocabulary words.

They will practise the pronunciation and rhythm of irish poetry.

Write the word “ireland” on the board. in pairs, give students one minute to brainstorm any vocabulary words connected to the country. Then during feedback, group the words into categories (e.g. verbs, nouns, adjectives) as you write them on the board.

e.g. verbs: to travel, to sing; nouns: castles, leprechauns, St Patrick; adjectives: green, friendly

WarM Up

5 mins T Vocabulary, cultural Knowledge

here’s to the irish! p. 16

inTro 2–3 mins

after all of the students’ suggestions, introduce the words from Task 1. hold one card and read the word to the class. The students can explain the meaning in english if they know it. do not translate (we want students to be curious about the meaning, but as soon as they hear it in their native language, they can stop paying attention). ask the students which category they think you should add the words to on the board. Write the words that they don’t know from Task 1 in a different colour. This will a) show you which words they already know and b) create a desire in the students to know the meaning of the new words, which will come later in the lesson. They can guess the category based on the form of the word (e.g. does it start with to?) even if they don’t know the meaning.

VocabUlary pre-test

hanDouT Task 1 5 mins T Vocabulary, Prediction

divide the class into six groups and move their desks/chairs to sit together. You may approach this activity in two ways:

One: give each group one copy of the quiz (Task 2) and give them 3–5 minutes to complete the questions. This is a quick way to complete the exercise and is student‑centered. But the stronger students may take over and finish the quiz while others don’t participate. elicit answers from the whole class for feedback.

TwO: Tell students that they are doing a “pub quiz”. You will read the questions (Task 2) aloud and the students must listen, discuss quietly and write down the answers. Then they exchange papers with another group to mark the correct answers during feedback. This takes more time and is teacher‑centered, but it can be more fun. it practises listening as well as knowledge, so it may not show how much they actually know. This approach can be good for classes with mixed levels because it keeps everyone looking at the same question at the same time so that one group doesn’t finish much faster than another.

Keep track of each group’s score for a later task.

Students should return to their normal places and open the magazine to “here’s to the irish!” on page 16. Tell them to read only the introduction (in the green speech bubble). Then close their magazines. ask the following comprehension checking questions:

• What are two things ireland is known for? (Catholic religion and a love of pubs)

• Where could you read or hear these poems? (framed on a wall in a home, in a card, as a toast among friends/in a pub)

• When is World Poetry Day? (March 21st) When is st Patrick’s Day? (March 17th)

Now play track 10 and tell the students to read, listen, and choose their favorite poem. They should also listen to the rhythm and pronunciation of the poems as they read.

cUltUre QUiz: ireland and st patrick’s day

hanDouT Task 2 7–15 minsT Maturita Practice, cultural Knowledge, Group Work,

reading or Listening

blessings and toasts (cD Track 10)

sKiLLs reading and Listening 2 minsT reading and Listening comprehension,

Pronunciation

blessings and toasts

sKiLLs Vocabulary review 3–6 minsT Vocabulary, Pronunciation

Now that students have read and seen the vocabulary words from Task 1, use the cards again to check the meaning and pronunciation. use these questions to drill the words:

What’s the word? [show the card and all students say the word together]

noun or verb? [all students say noun or verb – point to the board, is it in the right place?]

[Student’s name], where is it in the article? [one student reads the line/sentence from the article]

[Student’s name], what’s the word? [point to 3–5 individual students to say it]

now all together, what’s the word? [all students say the word together]

*repeat for all words

Language Goal: Your students should already have some knowledge about ireland. our goal is to review that previous knowledge and add to it to give a well‑rounded glimpse into the country and irish culture. This plan is divided into two 45‑minute lessons, including homework and comprehension testing, and covers all four skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking).

1 March 2017www.bridge-online.cz

blessings and toasts

sKiLLs comprehension hanDouT Task 3

2–4 mins T reading and Listening comprehension

blessings and toasts (cD Track 10)

sKiLLs speaking 7–10 mins T speaking: accuracy, Pronunciation, Group Work

hoMeWork

hanDouT Task 4 T WriTinG

give each student a copy of Task 3. They have 2–4 minutes on their own to match the poems to the correct meanings.

Now divide students into the same six groups from the culture quiz. each group chooses one poem, starting with the group that got the highest score, then the second highest group, etc. each group should have a different poem. The groups have three minutes to practise reading their poems out loud together as a group, focusing on rhythm and pronunciation.

after all groups have had time to practise, play the cd again but pause after each poem and that group should say the same poem.

To keep the other students interested, the ones not reading must listen and decide if each poem is better as a blessing or a toast. after they hear each poem on the cd, and the group reads the poem, the rest of the class should pretend to raise a glass if

they think it’s a toast for the pub (they can say “cheers” or “toast” to make it more fun). if they think it’s a blessing, they should put their hands together and say “blessing” or “amen” like they are in church.

cd Poem 1 > (pause cd) > Students Poem 1 > [“blessing!” or “toast!”] > (press play) > cd Poem 2 > (pause cd) > Students Poem 2 > [“blessing!” or “toast!”]...

give each student a copy of Task 4. at home, they must write their own blessing or toast. advanced classes can also try to memorize one of the poems from the article to recite in the next lesson.

handoUts task 1

Vocabulary Pre-TestbLessinGs To reciTe foaM To roaM MisforTune a ToasT

test your knowledge of ireland and st patrick’s day by answering or completing the following sentences.

1 St Patrick was English / Irish / American.

2 according to legend, he drove all the _____________ away from ireland.

3 True or False: St Patrick’s day is a public holiday in the republic of ireland, Northern ireland and the uSa.

4 St Patrick’s day is celebrated on _______________ because on that day St Patrick is said to have died.

5 on St Patrick’s day many people wear ______________ , drink _________________ , and watch ______________________ .

6 The capital of ireland is _______________________ and the capital of Northern ireland is ____________________ .

7 ireland’s flag has three colours: _______________ , ______________ and _______________ .

8 Ireland is / Northern Ireland is / Both Ireland and Northern Ireland are part of the united Kingdom.

9 in history, ireland was known for being more Catholic / Protestant, while Northern ireland was more Catholic / Protestant.

10 The currency in ireland is the __________________________ .

task 2

Culture Quiz: Ireland and St Patrick’s Day

Match each poem with its simplified meaning.

1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___4 ___ 5 ___ 6 ___

A if we ever meet, i hope that you help my family and friends like we’ve helped you.

B i want you and those you know to be happy and stress‑free, wherever you go.

C don’t drink too much, even though it is a happy occasion.

D i hope you and your family are safe, warm and together at home.

E i wish you a good life, and hope that nothing ever goes wrong.

F i want you to live a good life and avoid going to hell.

task 3

Here’s to the Irish! Blessings and Toasts p. 16

2 March 2017www.bridge-online.cz

try writing your own blessing or toast. you may choose one of these prompts or write your own poem, but at least some of the lines should rhyme.

1here’s to the rest of our school year,May our...May we never...and always...

2 When i went to...everything...First...and then...But in the end...

task 4

Blessings and Toasts

LESSON TwO 45–60 minsaiMs

students will be able to give a general description of blarney castle.

They will be able to understand the meaning and some details of a song in an irish accent.

WarM Up – poetry reVieW

3 mins T Vocabulary, Listening comprehension

blarney castle

sKiLLs reading comprehension hanDouT Task 5 10–15 minsT reading comprehension, Pair Work, Game

blarney castle

sKiLLs speaking 5 minsT speaking: fluency, reading comprehension

song: the dUbliners “seVen drUnken nights” (cD Track 17)

hanDouT Task 6 3 minsT Listening for overall

Meaning

song: the dUbliners “seVen drUnken nights” (cD Track 17)

hanDouT Task 7

5–7 minutesT Vocabulary, Listening for

specific Detail

blarney castle pp. 14–15

sKiLLs reading 10–15 minsT Prediction, reading comprehension

The teacher should read the poems from “here’s to the irish” on page 16, but students should not open their magazines. When the teacher stops, students have to shout out the next word – especially vocab words.

BonusACtivitiEs does anyone want to share their homework poem? / can anyone remember one of the poems from last week without reading? recite it for the class.

To activate interest in the article, start with prediction.

“Does anyone know the name of a castle in Ireland?”

Tell the students they will be reading about Blarney castle. Then ask the following questions out loud or write them on the board. ask students to share ideas for possible answers. any answers (including funny ones) are possible.

Why was it dangerous to live there?What does the area around the castle look like?Where is Blarney Castle?What gift does the Blarney Stone give?What is the Scottish connection?

Then everyone reads the article to find the answers. You could also read each section at a time, e.g. ask the first question, read fact one, do feedback. Then ask the second question, read fact two, do feedback. any students who finish early can try the matching exercise “other Places in the South‑West”.

reading is a quiet activity without any movement, so now we want to wake everyone up. We can incorporate movement and some fun into our reading comprehension check. First, give each student a copy of Task 5. They have three minutes to work in pairs and find the answers in the article.

Next, Student a from each pair should stand while Student B sits, looking at the magazine. You read one of the sentences out loud (in a different order from their paper). if the sentence is true, the standing partner (a) must put their hands on their head. if it’s not true, they must cross their arms. Then the teacher chooses a pair with the correct answer. The sitting partner (B) must read the sentence from the article that shows their answer.

For the next question, Student B stands and student a sits and reads. repeat for all questions.

*Task 5 is divided into two parts. You can include all the questions, including “other Places in the South‑West” for strong classes who have time to read everything, or you can save this part of the article and questions 8–12 for homework to save time.

Now, in those same pairs students will practise talking about what they learned. Student a will try to speak about Blarney castle for 1–2 minutes. Student B will hold the magazine and ask questions if they run out of things to say (e.g. What happened to the family? Who gave Ireland a piece of the stone? What was the stone used for before?). Then switch roles and student B speaks while Student a asks questions if they need help.

give each student a copy of Task 6 and read the instructions as a class. Then play the song and have the students fill in the answers.

Now give each student a copy of Task 7. Before you play the song a second time, review some of the vocabulary. do not ask students for the translations, but ask them simple questions in english.• Do your clothes have any

buttons? How about laces?• What’s bigger, a sow or

a baby boy?• What would you find in

a geranium pot?• What kind of animal wears

a saddle?• Is tobacco healthy?• Where in your home can you

find a blanket?• What comes out of a tin

whistle when you blow into it?• Are whiskers more common

for men or women?

Then play the song again and answer Task 7

SoluTioNSculture Quiz1 english; 2 snakes; 3 False – not in the uS; 4 March 17th; 5 wear green (clothes)/sth green/shamrocks, drink (green) beer, watch parades; 6 dublin, Belfast; 7 green, white, orange; 8 Northern ireland is; 9 catholic, Protestant; 10 eurohere’s to the irish!1d, 2B, 3c, 4F, 5e, 6a

3 March 2017www.bridge-online.cz

handoUts

are the following statements about irish landmarks true or false?

blarney castle T f1 The Blarney castle that you can see today

is the original one built in the 10th century.

2 The Mccarthy clan still own the castle today.

3 You can see a lake from the castle.

4 Kissing the Blarney Stone will make you beautiful.

5 The Blarney Stone originally came from Scotland.

6 You need a car to get to Blarney castle from cork city.

7 Some irish prisoners were sent away from ireland during the 19th century.

other Places in the south-West8 The dolphin in dingle Bay was last seen 30 years ago.

9 it is usually windy at the cliffs of Moher.

10 The centre of limerick is very modern.

11 Valentia lighthouse is isolated.

12 The Titanic didn’t stop in any other harbours after leaving cobh harbour.

task 5

Home of a Special Stone pp. 14–15

task 6

The Dubliners “Seven Drunken Nights” cD Track 17

task 7

The Dubliners “Seven Drunken Nights” cD Track 17

this irish folk song tells a story of a man whose wife is cheating on him. the man comes home drunk every day and sees something strange. his wife tries to explain that it’s something innocent so that he doesn’t believe she is cheating.

What does the man see every day of the week?

Monday: _______________Tuesday: _______________Wednesday: _______________Thursday: _______________Friday: _______________

although the man’s wife tries to explain the strange things by something innocent, he still suspects that something is wrong. Fill in the gaps with the woman’s explanations and the man’s doubts. the explanations in the brackets will help you with some more difficult words. then listen again to check your answers.

• buttons• baby boy• geranium pots (= pots

with a kind of flower)• saddle (= a seat for

a horse or bike)

• laces (= what you tie shoes with)

• sow (= female pig)• tin whistle (= musical

instrument you blow in)

• whiskers (= hair that grows on a man’s face)

• tobacco• blanket

Monday:ah, you’re drunk, you’re drunk, you silly old foolStill you cannot seeThat’s a lovely 1 _____________ that me mother sent to meWell, it’s many a day i’ve travelled a hundred miles or moreBut a 2 _____________ on a 1 _____________ sure i never saw before

Tuesday:(…) That’s a woollen 3 _____________ that me mother sent to me(…) But 4 _____________ in a 3 _____________ sure i never saw beforeWednesday:(…) That’s a lovely 5 _____________ that me mother sent to me(…) But 6 _____________ in a 5 _____________ sure i never saw before

Thursday:(…) They’re two lovely 7 ______________________ me mother sent to me(…) But 8 _____________ in 7 ______________________ i never saw beforefriday:(…) That’s a 9 _____________ that me mother sent to me(…) But a 9 _____________ with his 10 _____________ on sure i never saw before

bonUs QUestionlook at the lyrics in task 2. can you find any grammar mistakes and correct them?

SoluTioNShome of a special stone1F, 2F, 3T, 4F, 5T, 6F, 7T, 8F, 9T, 10F, 11T, 12Tthe dubliners “seven drunken nights”Task 1: Monday ‑ horse, Tuesday ‑ coat, Wednesday ‑ pipe, Thursday ‑ boots, Friday ‑ headTask 2: 1 sow, 2 saddle, 3 blanket, 4 buttons, 5 tin whistle, 6 tobacco, 7 geranium pots, 8 laces, 9 baby boy, 10 whiskers bonus question: me > my e.g. me mother (it’s very common in irish songs); it’s many a day i’ve... > on many days i’ve... ; i never saw before > i’ve never seen before

4 March 2017www.bridge-online.cz