Entries from May 2007 ↓

I’ll be conducting a 1 hour workshop 30 May 2007 period 5 16:15-17:15 in Meimei-kan room 606 to help teachers use Moodle to get input from their students. This workshop will focus on the Choice and Feedback modules of Moodle. Teachers with any or no level of Moodle experience are welcome. The workshop will use Moodle to teach Moodle, so I can leave the course online for anyone who can’t make it. Teachers can enrol themselves in the course ELP Moodle Training Workshops as students at anytime using the enrolment key man8dog. A few bells and whistles won’t work if you enrol yourself later, but all of the instructional elements will be useful anytime in the future.

This handout may help you when looking at some of the settings that you need to select when using the Feedback module to create and activity. Please email me or try to find time to sit down at a computer in the Gakujikan if you have questions or need some assistance.

Moodle Workshop: Using the Feedback Module

Feel free to join the workshop late or at the last minute.

Part of the Course Assessment in Level 3 is for students to do at least 4 listening quizzes per semester. These amount to 20% of the Listening/Speaking final grade. The topics are loosely based on the units in the Passages textbook, though teachers are encouraged to check through the material first to ensure that it is appropriate for your class.
The materials, including the CD and transcript, are also in the binders on the Level 3 shelf.
Teacher’s Copy
Three travel stories Teachers copy.doc
Student’s Copy
Three travel stories Students copy.doc

Part of the Course Assessment in Level 3 is for students to do at least 4 listening quizzes per semester. These amount to 20% of the Listening/Speaking final grade. The topics are loosely based on the units in the Passages textbook, though teachers are encouraged to check through the material first to ensure that it is appropriate for your class.
The materials, including the CD and transcript, are also in the binders on the Level 3 shelf.
Student’s Copy
Mika�s Homestay in London.doc
Teacher’s Copy
Mika�s Homestay in London Teachers copy.doc

Part of the Course Assessment in Level 3 is for students to do at least 4 listening quizzes per semester. These amount to 20% of the Listening/Speaking final grade. The topics are loosely based on the units in the Passages textbook, though teachers are encouraged to check through the material first to ensure that it is appropriate for your class.
The materials, including the CD, are also in the binders on the Level 3 shelf.
Teacher’s Copy
Small Towns in Germany Teachers copy.doc
Student’s Copy
Small Towns in Germany.doc

Part of the Course Assessment in Level 3 is for students to do at least 4 listening quizzes per semester. These amount to 20% of the Listening/Speaking final grade. The topics are loosely based on the units in the Passages textbook, though teachers are encouraged to check through the material first to ensure that it is appropriate for your class.
The materials, including the CD and transcript, are also in the binders on the Level 3 shelf.

Student’s Copy
My first day at High School.doc
Teacher’s Copy
My first day at High School Teachers copy.doc

Harry Potter pelmanism game. Students get into groups and then try to find pairs, matching the picture with the text. They could also get extra points for naming the people/characters.

PDF file:
L2 Reading Unit 9 Extra Activity (pdf)
Word file:
L2 Reading Unit 9 Extra Activity (Word file)

Students complete a questionnaire to estimate how long they will live.

N.B. This is meant to be a light-hearted activity but may not be to everyone’s taste… please decide for yourself if you would be happy to use it with your class. Also, please be aware that one question refers to Body Mass Index (BMI) which might make certain students feel embarrassed.

First the students interview a partner and fill out the questionnaire for him/her.
When everyone has finished the teacher reads out the points for each answer and students calculate the estimated life span of their partner.
One question refers to BMI which = (weight in kg) divided by (height in metres squared)

PDF file:
L2 Reading Unit 8 Extra Activity (pdf)
Word file:
L2 Reading Unit 8 Extra Activity (Word file)

An extra activity based on “dream part-time jobs”. Explanation on the worksheet.
You will need 15 or so copies of the free magazine “Town Work” which can usually be found in convenience stores and many other places around town (might be a few raised eyebrows as you help yourself to 15 copies but not to worry… it is free!).
If we’re lucky some kind person may have left some copies on the L2 Reading shelf.
PDF file:
L2 Reading Unit 7 Extra Activity (pdf)
Word file:
L2 Reading Unit 7 Extra Activity (Word file)

A “Survival Game” for Unit 6. Instructions on the worksheet.
PDF File:
L2 Reading Unit 6 Extra Activity (pdf)
Word file:
L2 Reading Unit 6 Extra Activity (Word file)

A worksheet with some extra activities related to “trash” and throwing things away. The worksheet contains some Japanese but feel free to edit the Word file if an all English version is required.
PDF file:
L2 Reading Unit 5 Extra Activity (pdf)
Word file:
L2 Reading Unit 5 Extra Activity (Word File)

Students watch a clip from the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and complete the worksheet.
The DVD should be on the L2 Reading shelf.
(please make sure you know how to use the “time seek” function on the DVD player to be able to find the clip quickly)
PDF file:
L2 Reading Unit 4 Extra Activity (pdf)
Word file:
L2 Reading Unit 4 Extra Activity (Word File)

Students watch a clip from the movie Witness and complete the worksheet.
The DVD should be on the Level 2 Reading shelf.
(might be a good idea to make sure you know how to use the “time seek” function on the DVD player… I’ve learned this from bitter experience)
PDF file:
L2 Reading Unit 3 Extra Activity (pdf)
Word file:
L2 Reading Unit 3 Extra Activity (Word file)

This is an extra activity for Unit 2 in the text.
You will need some eye masks for this activity (from all those flights back home?!) or else have the students make some.
Students get together in groups. 1 member puts on an eye mask and the others choose a card for him/her, then give directions in English to complete the action on the card.
It seems a bit glib but actually a very good way to appreciate how someone with impaired vision copes with everyday life. Companies in Japan sometimes have employees do a similar activity to better improve their services for visually impaired customers.
PDF file:
L2 Reading Unit 2 Extra Activity (pdf)
Word file:
L2 Reading Unit 2 Extra Activity (Word file)

This is a game type activity for Unit 1 in the text.

L2 Reading Unit 1 Extra Activity

It’s also here as a Word file if you want to edit it.

L2 Reading Unit 1 Extra Activity (Word File)

This is one way to launch unit 4 of the text book. It is a quiz, in which groups of students write definitions of places in a town (eg, bank, bus stop) - followed by a class quiz.

The file

Places in a town (cut into strips, and give each group 4 places to define)

Possible lesson plan

1 Use ‘bank’ as an example of how to write a definition (either of the 2 structures is OK)

2 Put students into groups. Students work together and write definitions.

3 Class quiz: There are many ways to do this!

Follow-up

~ Collect strips after quiz. Copy them, and hand out to all students in the next class.

~ Use the definitions to make a crossword puzzle - to use as a warmer or filler in the next class.

Do your students need to learn how to add detail to their paragraphs? The aim of this material is to show students how to move from an overly simple paragraph to one with great detail. Check out this straightforward PowerPoint and attached worksheet to see if you think it will come in handy in your writing class.

Level 2 Writing Task 2.ppt

Level 2 Writing Detailed Paragraphs.doc

*Level 2 Reading teachers are due to give a minimum of five quizzes this semester. Of course, there’s the usual publisher quizzes available, but Level 2 team has been making a few alternative quizzes. Here are some things about them:

1) About half of the questions involve a cloze passage. So, there is some reading for the students. The passage is pretty similar to the textbook texts, so hopefully students will reread the passages from the previous week.

2) Half of the questions are from previous units. To do well on the quizzes, students will have to continue reviewing the vocab from previous weeks.

3) The tests will fit very well with the final test (see another posting). That is, the questions mostly tap the same receptive understanding of vocabulary, so the two go well together.

Let me know if you have any questions, problems, or feedback!

Unit 1 Vocab. Quiz with answers.pdf
Unit 2 Vocab. Quiz with answers.pdf
Unit 3 Vocab. Quiz with answers.pdf
Unit 4 Vocab. Quiz with answers.pdf
Unit 5 Vocab. Quiz with answers.pdf
Unit 6 Vocab. Quiz with answers.pdf
Unit 7 Vocab. Quiz with answers.pdf
Unit 8 Vocab. Quiz with answers.pdf

I’ve posted some crossword puzzles to support for Units 1 to 16 of the Level 2 Eigo A book, Let’s Talk 1. The crosswords target the new vocab that is selected and defined in the Teacher’s Book. There are 2 files per unit, a student puzzle and an answer key.

These puzzles can also be done online by students on the elpweb.com site. Here is the link: http://elpweb.com/resources/slevel2listspeaking.php

U1.pdf
U1 answers
U2.pdf
U2 answers.pdf
U3.pdf
U3 answers.pdf
U4.pdf
U4 answers.pdf
U5.pdf
U5 answers.pdf
U6.pdf
U6 answers.pdf
U7.pdf
U7 answers.pdf
U8.pdf
U8 answers.pdf
u9.pdf\
u9-answers.pdf
u10.pdf
u10-answers.pdf
u11.pdf
u11-answers.pdf
u12.pdf
u12-answers.pdf
u13.pdf
u13-answers.pdf
u14.pdf
u14-answers.pdf
u15.pdf
u15-answers.pdf
u16.pdf
u16-answers.pdf

This PowerPoint presentation is designed to support the Passages textbook Unit 3A ‘Cities-fascination Destinations’ on page 18.

The teaching materials include:

1. A PowerPoint presentation
2. A Student worksheet
3. A short geography quiz about cities
4. This teacher’s notes page

You can use these materials in a number of ways, for example to introduce the topic or to review the topic. It is important though, that you go through the different slides first to familiarize yourself with the presentation.
The teacher’s notes sheet provides more information on how to use this material.

As with previous PowerPoints, you will need a computer in the class. Additionally, there is a research component with the worksheet. For this you will need the FLSC.
These materials will also be available in the Level 3 binder.

The PowerPoint Presentation
Passages Unit 3A.ppt

The Teacher’s notes
Passages Unit 3A.doc

The Student worksheet
Passages 3A Worksheet.doc

This is a PowerPoint quiz that might be fun to do while your students are preparing for Speaking Task 1. It consists of 15 examples of statements / questions, each containing a common grammatical mistake. Suggested use is as a fun warmer, prior to a practice session.

There are 2 versions of the quiz:

• With inline answers (Question ~ Answer // Question ~ Answer, etc)
• With all answers at the end (Question / Question // Answer / Answer, etc)

Suggested lesson plans

Inline answer version (Fast pace)

1. Put students into groups.
2. Show question #1.
3. Students discuss, and call out corrected sentence.
4. Award a point, and go on to next question.
5. After quiz, distribute handout showing all corrected sentences.

All answers at the end version (Slower pace, may take a long time)

1. Put students into groups.
2. Distribute one answer sheet per group.
3. Show question #1.
4. Students discuss and write corrected sentence.
5. Show next question.
6. At end of quiz, groups exchange answer papers.
7. Show answer slides.
8. Groups check another group’s answers.
9. After quiz, distribute handout showing all corrected sentences.

Files

PowerPoint.zip

Keynote.zip (Keynote (Mac) versions of same slideshow.)

Answer sheet (PDF)

Handout showing all corrected sentences. (PDF)