Life 4, Unit 6: Wellbeing

Theme: Wellbeing

Materials & Technology:

● Textbook: Life 4 Unit 6 pp. 74-75

● Other materials: PowerPoint, worksheet, poster

Teacher/s: Ningou Qu & Haoyue Dong

Level: Intermediate 2

Date/Time: Feb 27, 9-11am

---

Goal:

Compare different cultures of drinking tea and coffee

Read an article about caffeine

Talk about benefits and harm of caffeine

Review first conditionals and use them in real-life topics

Discuss the impacts of modern life

Objectives (SWBAT):

Students Will Be Able To…

1. talk about cultures of coffee and tea in different countries

2. know at least 7 caffeine facts related to health

3. use first conditionals to talk about their solutions to different situations

4. express their opinions about living in a 24-hour society

5. improve fluency in talking about the pros and cons of modern life

---

ACTIVITY/PROCEDURE/STAGE – INTERACTION TYPES

Warm up

Interaction: T-Ss, T-S, S-Ss, S-T

I think our class is really early in the morning, right? After I begin teaching this morning class, I have to drink a lot of coffee every day to keep myself awake. How about you? Do you feel the same way? Do you also drink coffee every day just like me?

(Ask several students)

---

Activity 1: e.g. Meaningful input – Reading Comprehension (Haoyue)

1.1 Pre-Stage:

Interaction: T-Ss, T-S, S-Ss, S-S, S-T

● Write the word “drinks” on the board and tell students to brainstorm different types of drinks

“Except coffee, what would you drink in your daily life?”

(follow-up questions can include: “How often do you drink that?” “When do you usually drink that, in the morning or in the afternoon?” “Don’t you think that’s too sweet?”)

● Pick up “coffee” and “tea”

“You guys have a lot of drinks every day. From this list we make, I can see you mentioned those two drinks coffee and tea, which are among the most popular drinks around the world. So let’s talk more about those two.”

● Bring up the culture of coffee and tea

“People from different countries have different cultures of drinking tea or coffee. We can see here, in the United States, people are always holding a cup of coffee in their hands. But in Japan, things are different..."

● Change the seating so that each group/pair includes people from different countries

“Now I believe you must be willing to share the culture about tea or coffee in your country and hear others sharing their different culture. So now let me change your seating a little bit. xxx, would you please switch your seat with xxx?”

● Tell students to work in pairs and talk about their culture about tea and coffee in their country and give modeling

“For example, in China, we tend to drink much more tea rather than coffee. Tea is even considered one of the seven necessities of Chinese life, along with rice, oil, and others. You can see how important tea is in our lives.”

● Show the instructions on the slide

● Have students begin

“I will give you three minutes and you can begin now!”

● Wrap-up as a whole class

“Now let’s listen to your different cultures. But I want you to introduce the culture in your partner’s country. Who would like to share first?”

“xxx, what do you know about your partner’s culture?”

1.2. During Stage:

Interaction: T-Ss, T-S, S-Ss, S-S, S-T

● Lead to the topic caffeine

“After hearing you talk about your culture, we can see that coffee and tea are really popular in all of the countries. But why? Why are these two drinks so popular?”

“You guys all come up with good guesses, and I also have my own guess, which is that they both have a secret ingredient: caffeine.”

● Activate students’ schemata

“So are you familiar with this word? What do you know about caffeine?”

“Yeah that’s a kind of substance that you can find in many drinks such as coffee, coke or some sports drinks.”

● Count off students by 1,2,3,4 and give students instructions

“You really know a lot about that. But there is still more about caffeine for you to find out from the posters on those walls. So now I will count you off one through four and you are supposed to remember your own number. 1,2,3,4…. Now each of you gets a number and I want you to go to the poster with your number on it. Then I want you to read it and memorize the benefits or harm of caffeine. That is, the good things and bad things about caffeine.”

● Have students begin

“I’ll give you four minutes to do it and you can begin now.”

● Ask students to go back to their seats, divide the class into groups of four and respectively name them Group A, B & C.

“Now I’m gonna divide you into groups of four. You four are group A. ….”

● Have students tell their findings to their group members

“Now it’s time for you to share your findings about caffeine. So I want you to tell your part to your group members following the order from student number 1 to number 4. Then you are supposed to fill out the form of positive and negative effects of caffeine in your handout”

● Give modeling and show the example on the slide

“For example, I’m student number one. I find out that caffeine can make people less tired. That’s a positive effect of caffeine, so we write it in the column of benefits like this.”

● Ask CCQs

“What should you do first?” “Report your part to your group members”

“After everyone’s report, what should you do?” “Fill out the list”

● Show the instructions on the slide

● Have students begin

“I will give you five minutes to do this, and you can get started.”

1.3 Post-Stage:

Interaction: T-Ss, T-S, S-Ss, S-S, S-T

● Have one group share their list of benefits and write them on the board

“Let’s come back together and share your findings to the class! Which group wants to share your findings about benefits of caffeine?”

● Have another group share their list of harm write them on the board

“I did not know that caffeine can have such positive effects before. So what about the harm? Which group wants to share your findings about harm of caffeine?”

● Have students talk about whether they will still drink that much coffee or tea after knowing this (if time is limited, leave out this one)

Tangible Outcome & T. feedback/peer feedback:

Students will be able to tell at least three pieces of benefits and three pieces of harmfuls effects of caffeine; students will be able to talk about the culture of coffee and tea in their countries

Teacher will give feedback during and after their speech in class; teacher will also give feedback during their group/pair work;

Peer feedback will happen mainly during their group/pair work.

Transition to #2: Language focus

So we were talking about consequences of having caffeine. For example, if you drink too much coffee, you will have sleep problem. So, does this sentence remind you of anything?

---

Activity 2: Language Focus – First conditionals (Haoyue)

2.1 Pre-Stage:

Interaction: T-Ss, T-S, S-Ss, S-T

● Write down the sentence and activate students’ schemata (If you drink too much coffee, you will have inadequate sleep. )

“Can you recall something we learned last friday?” “Yeah, it is a first conditional sentence” “What else? What does this sentence mean?” “Yes, it means that the condition ‘drinking too much coffee’ can possibly cause the consequence of sleep problem.”

● Give instructions on chain story

“I believe all of you are good at using first conditionals. So now let’s use your knowledge to make up a story. So what you are gonna do is to take turns and add one first conditional sentence each time. But remember, you are supposed to make the consequence of the preceding sentence become the condition of your sentence.”

● Give modeling

“For example, the student before me said the sentence ‘if you drink too much coffee, you will have sleep problem’, then my sentence is ‘if you have sleep problem, you will fall asleep in class’. So the consequence of the preceding sentence is ?”

“Yes, have sleep problem.” “And that becomes my?” “Yes, condition”

● Ask CCQs

“What sentence should you use?” “Yes, first conditional.”

“What will the consequence become in your sentence?” “The condition”

● Have the first student begin

“Let’s begin from xxx. My sentence is ‘if you have sleep problem, you will fall asleep in class’, so what is your sentence?”

2.2. During Stage:

Interaction: T-Ss, T-S, S-S

● Transition to the during stage

“We have a really funny story here. Now why don’t we talk about some real things about you and your classmates.”

● Give instructions

“When you look at page 2 of your handout, you can see a table there. So now you are supposed to stand up, walk around the classroom and talk to at least two classmates about what they will do in those situations. Try to ask follow-up questions to find out more about your classmate.”

● Give modeling

“For example, I meet Ning’ou in the classroom.

Haoyue: ‘What will you do if you are stressed out?’ Ning’ou: ‘If I feel stressed out, I will eat snacks.’

Haoyue: ‘Oh does that help?’

Ning’ou: ‘No. After eating those snacks, I gain weight. That makes me feel more stressed.’

So, that’s what it looks like.”

● Ask CCQs

“How many people should you talk to?” “At least two.” “What kind of sentences should you use?” “First conditional.”

● Show instructions on the slide and have students begin

“I will give you six minutes to do this, and you can get started.”

2.3 Post-Stage:

Interaction: T-Ss, T-S, S-Ss, S-T

● Have students report back to the class

“Time’s up! Please go back to your seats and share your findings to us!”

“Who would like to share your findings?”

Tangible Outcome & T. feedback/peer feedback:

Students will use first conditionals to ask and answer questions about their real life situations

Teacher will give feedback after they add their sentence in class; teacher will give feedback during their group/pair work; teacher will give feedback after their report of their findings

Peer feedback will happen mainly during their group/pair work

Transition to Activity 3

Too much stress, lack of money, sleep deficit, those are all typical problems in our modern life! Speaking of “Modern life”, what words have come to your mind? How do we usually describe “modern life”?

---

Activity 3: Meaningful Output – Speaking (Ning'ou)

3.1 Pre-Stage:

Interaction: T-S, S-S

● Write down students’ answers on the board. Pick some of them related to fast-paced lifestyle, or make connections from their answers to a 24-hour society.

“You guys know a lot of excellent words to describe our life! Central to these features, the fast pace of life plays an important role. Efficiency is something really important in nowadays society. In fact, in today’s reading material about caffeine, there is a term used to describe a society of high-efficiency and high-intensity. Do you know which word I’m talking about? It starts with a number. Yes! A 24-hour society!”

● Give instruction on the exercise.

“Now, go to the second page of your handout and decide with your partner, which things are typical of a 24-hour society, which ones are not. Then, you need to explain why you make the choice.

● Give modeling: For example, I think ‘electric light’ is typical in a 24-hour society because we all rely on that to work through the night after the sun goes down. You will have 3 minutes. If you finish early, try to think about other features of a 24-hour society.”

● Ask students to report their thoughts and reasons.

3.2. During Stage:

Interaction: T-S, S-S, S-Ss, T-S, S-S

● Transition:

“You all did a good job. Now let’s look at a typical example of a 24-hour society. Have you ever heard of the term ‘the city that never sleeps’? Which city do you think it refers to?”

(New York City)

“Right! New York! Do you agree with this nickname? Why do you think it gets this nickname?”

● Pair up students and let them talk about the above questions.

“Since you all have been here in NYC for a long time, you all have a say in this issue. Talk with your partner. Find some evidence to support your opinion. Try to come up with at least 4 reasons in 5 minutes. OK? You can find out more evidence if you finish early. Make sure your evidence is as detailed as possible.

● Give modeling: For example, I agree that NYC is a city that never sleeps. Once I went to Time Square at 1am, a lot of people were still out there having fun.

● Ask CCQs: Are you clear? How many reasons do you need to find? At least 4. And remember to be detailed.

● Report back, and categorize the evidence into “transportation, entertainment, service, good, etc.” then give instruction:

“You’ve mentioned a lot of good evidence to justify this nickname! Most of them come from your own observation, which is very good. Now, we are going to check if you are good observers in your life. Look at the slogans on your handout, first, complete them on your own. If you are not sure, trust your memory and your instinct. After you finish, check anwer with your partner, and discuss where can you find those signs. I’ll give you 4 minutes.”

Check answer and listen to students’ thoughts.

3.3 Post-Stage:

Interaction: T-S, S-S

● Transition: Are those signs common in your home country? (Yes/ No) How do you think of those 24/7 service? (Convenient, costly, necessary... ) I’m curious about the case with your home country or your hometown.

● Separate students who come from the same countries.

● Give instruction: “Student A, B, C please stand up and switch your seats with D, E, F. Now you all have a new partner. Let’s talk about the 24/7 service in your hometown. How is that in your hometown compared with NY? You can also mention some other ‘cities that never sleep’ that you are familiar with.

● Give modeling: In China, Shanghai is also a city that never sleeps. It’s very like New York except that the subway system doesn’t run 24-hour per day. Or you can say, my hometown is a very quiet place. People seldom go out after 8pm.

● Ask CCQ: So, just to check if you are all clear, what are you supposed to talk about? (24/7 service in our home country) Right. You’ll have 5 mins. Starting now.”

Report back

Tangible Outcome & T. feedback/peer feedback:

Students will be able to describe modern life;

Students will give peer feedback during their discussion and after their report; they will evaluate their answers with a partner and with the class.

The teacher will give immediate feedback and recasts during students’ discussion, and will circulate around the classroom to monitor students’ speech. Delayed feedback will be given at the end of each stage if there are common or constant errors.

Transition to Activity 4

It’s really good to know the sleepless cities in your countries!

A lot of you have mentioned that (depends on what they have said). How can we make our life easier? Some would say that technology is a good solution. But is that so? Later we’ll see a interesting video.

---

Activity 4: Fluency Development (Ning'ou)

4.1 Pre-Stage:

Interaction: T-Ss, S-Ss, T-S

● Before watching the video, provide some vocabulary hints to get students prepared.

“Let’s look at some words first. And you can guess what’s in the video.”

4.2. During Stage:

Interaction: T-Ss, S-S

● Ask students to stand in two lines and do a video-based information gap.

Give instruction:

“People from Student A to B, please stand in a line in front of me, facing the screen. From Student C to D, please form a line with your back to the screen and do not look back. Leave more space between your neighbors so that you won’t interrupt each other after the activity begins. Now, I’m going to play a silent video, and people facing the screen, you need to describe what’s happening in the video to your partner. Are you all clear?

CCQs: “So, who will start speaking? People from this line, can you turn around your head or look at the video? No. Great. Now, let’s start.”

● Play the video for about 1 minute. Then have them switch positions.

“Now, shift position with your partner. This time, people from this line will watch the rest of the video and talk. As for this row, don’t turn around! Are you ready? Let’s start.”

● Ask students to summarize what happened in the video and talk about the implications of the movie

“Have you seen this movie before? Who is the main character? Can someone summarize the video clip for us?” (then students will talk)

● Introduce the video and raise questions for students to think

“This video is a scene from Charlie Chaplin’s film ‘Modern times’. What are the implications of this movie, or What’s the movie trying to show us?”

● Possible answer: The influence of industrialization/automation. Technology development. The craving for high-efficiency in the modern world.

● Fluency line instruction:

“Now I’d like to have you talk about your opinion towards modern life and the use of technology. Again, I need you to form two lines in front of me, facing each other. Let’s take 30 seconds to think of what you are going to say. Good, people from this line will start first. You’ll have 2 minutes. Now, start.”

● After 2 minutes, ask the other side to speak.

● After all students have talked for once, shift their position.

“XX, could you please come over here? And the rest of this line all move a step to your right. Very good. Now you have a different partner. This time you need to talk about the same thing again, but you only have 1 min 40 sec.”

CCQ: Remember who will start first? (same as the original group)

● Shift position again for a third round. This time, give them 1 min and 30 second.

4.3 Post-Stage:

Interaction: S-S, T-S

● Students share their thoughts in class

Teacher gives corrective feedback to the class.

Tangible Outcome & T. feedback/peer feedback:

Students’ fluency will improve.

Students will give peer feedback during discussion;

The teacher will not give corrective feedback during students’ speech, but will listen and take notes. After the discussion, the teacher will give corrective feedback to the whole class.

---

Wrap-up

● Have somebody share with us, 1) What have we talked about in today’s class? 2) What appeals to you most?

● Inform students of the classroom change and TCP fellow teaching on Friday.

Lesson Evaluation Procedures:

Exit ticket

---

Anticipated Problems & Suggested Solutions:

1.Problem:

The number of students may change, so there may be extra students for the jigsaw grouping and for fluency activities

Solution:

Have the extra students join other groups during the jigsaw activity; The student can also work with a teacher during the fluency activities.

2. problem:

Students might feel it difficult to describe the video and

Solution：

Provide some word prompts in advance for better expression and understanding. Also, tell students to relax and don’t think too much. The point of this activity is to make themselves understood. Teachers will not interrupt or correct them, but just let them speak and try to express the meaning.

Contingency Plans:

If we finish early, I'll ask students to work in groups and write down their take-aways from unit 6 on the whiteboard.

“We have almost finished our unit 6, so I want you to work in pairs and write down something you have learned in the past two weeks.”