This project aims at involving young learners in exploring the foreign language with a view to becoming familiar with the culture of the countries where the language is spoken as well as comparing the new cultures with that of the country where they live. Following Bloom’s taxonomy, learners will remember and recall existing knowledge about holidays, understand the fact that different cultures may have similar or different customs, apply the new knowledge in order to carry out appropriate for their level tasks, analyse similarities and differences, evaluate the learning process with suitable for their age tools and create their own art and craft based on the new knowledge. Details of creative project planning: Vision: To involve young learners in second language learning in a purposeful, meaningful way through getting them acquainted with the countries of which the language they have started learning. To familiarize young learners with the cultures of Greece and other countries as well as to encourage them to make comparisons and discover similarities and differences between the different cultures by examining their holidays and festivals. Current reality: The project concerns a 1st grade group of six-year-old pupils who attend a state primary school in Galatsi, Athens. They are taught English as a foreign language in two 45-minute teaching sessions per week. Most of them are of Greek origin while some come from other countries but they all speak Greek fluently. Some of them have had English lessons privately for one or two years. Action steps: The project will take place in class in a period of about five months covering two to four teaching hours around each holiday or festival. Learners will be presented with pictures, flashcards and videos concerning each holiday and they will be encouraged to use their existing world knowledge in order to discuss what they see and become familiar with new vocabulary and new concepts. They will then [[#|work]] in groups or individually so as to carry out a handicraft or colouring activity concerning the holiday. Individual [[#|work]] will be included in their personal portfolio. Finally, they will produce a class e-game as well as an e-book with pictures, drawings and a little information about the holidays/festivals. It is expected that Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, the Carnival and Easter will be covered. Keeping it going: Hopefully, by going through all of the above mentioned steps, the teacher will get to her vision, which is to acquaint her very young learners with some holidays and festivals from Greece and other countries with a view to introducing them to the new language and culture in an authentic and meaningful way. During the process, there will be formative assessment which will allow the teacher to make changes and improvements so that the initial aims and objectives are met.
Project Plan
Teacher’s Objectives:
- To teach English in an authentic, meaningful context. - To make learners aware of similarities and differences among cultures. - To encourage learners in using their imagination and creativity in order to produce their own drawings, collages, craft work. - To engage learners in the assessment process and encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning.
Learners’ Objectives:
Cognitive – By participating in the project, pupils will: - Name and describe various holidays and festivals around the world (being encouraged to activate content schemata and existing world knowledge). - Repeat and classify basic vocabulary relating to specific holidays. - Associate Greek and other countries' customs and habits. - Compare and contrast holidays and festivals among cultures. - Categorise similarities and differences. - Assess their own progress. - Evaluate the project. Affective – Pupils will have the opportunity to: - Cooperate in collaborative tasks including minimal communication in English. - State their feelings about holidays and festivals. - Adopt a positive attitude towards foreign language learning and different cultures. - Demonstrate their knowledge in oral communication. - Participate in the whole learning process actively. - Contribute in the evaluation process and monitor their own learning. Psychomotor – Pupils will: - Draw and colour pictures relative to their theme. - Create cards and craft work. - Design and prepare material for their personal portfolio. - Manage and modify material for their class book.
Technology tools:
- Videos - Ipad apps for young learners - Google images
Procedure:
- Around the time of each holiday, there is a presentation by the teacher of a variety of aspects of the holiday with the use of pictures, flashcards and videos. Pupils see the material and discuss. - Vocabulary is provided and practised in different ways. - Pupils are then engaged in interactive games or drawings with or without the help of ipad applications. For example, they can create simple, appropriate for their age games, with TinyTap, which is an easy-to-use app that records your voice as you create the game, and allows very young learners to create their own activities in a few minutes. - At the end of each holiday session, they cooperate in small groups in order to create a collage of pictures for the final task, their class book. A QR code may be used to link to relevant videos.
Product:
- A personal portfolio with each pupil’s work. - A class book with pictures and pupils’ drawings about holidays and festivals around the world. - An interactive game created with TinyTap.
Evaluation:
- Teacher’s observation sheets and reflection diary. - Pupils’ own assessment at the end of each lesson and at the end of the project.
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Holidays and Festivals around the World
This project aims at involving young learners in exploring the foreign language with a view to becoming familiar with the culture of the countries where the language is spoken as well as comparing the new cultures with that of the country where they live. Following Bloom’s taxonomy, learners will remember and recall existing knowledge about holidays, understand the fact that different cultures may have similar or different customs, apply the new knowledge in order to carry out appropriate for their level tasks, analyse similarities and differences, evaluate the learning process with suitable for their age tools and create their own art and craft based on the new knowledge.
Details of creative project planning:
Vision: To involve young learners in second language learning in a purposeful, meaningful way through getting them acquainted with the countries of which the language they have started learning. To familiarize young learners with the cultures of Greece and other countries as well as to encourage them to make comparisons and discover similarities and differences between the different cultures by examining their holidays and festivals.
Current reality: The project concerns a 1st grade group of six-year-old pupils who attend a state primary school in Galatsi, Athens. They are taught English as a foreign language in two 45-minute teaching sessions per week. Most of them are of Greek origin while some come from other countries but they all speak Greek fluently. Some of them have had English lessons privately for one or two years.
Action steps: The project will take place in class in a period of about five months covering two to four teaching hours around each holiday or festival. Learners will be presented with pictures, flashcards and videos concerning each holiday and they will be encouraged to use their existing world knowledge in order to discuss what they see and become familiar with new vocabulary and new concepts. They will then [[#|work]] in groups or individually so as to carry out a handicraft or colouring activity concerning the holiday. Individual [[#|work]] will be included in their personal portfolio. Finally, they will produce a class e-game as well as an e-book with pictures, drawings and a little information about the holidays/festivals. It is expected that Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, the Carnival and Easter will be covered.
Keeping it going: Hopefully, by going through all of the above mentioned steps, the teacher will get to her vision, which is to acquaint her very young learners with some holidays and festivals from Greece and other countries with a view to introducing them to the new language and culture in an authentic and meaningful way. During the process, there will be formative assessment which will allow the teacher to make changes and improvements so that the initial aims and objectives are met.
Project Plan
Teacher’s Objectives:
- To teach English in an authentic, meaningful context.- To make learners aware of similarities and differences among cultures.
- To encourage learners in using their imagination and creativity in order to produce their own drawings, collages, craft work.
- To engage learners in the assessment process and encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning.
Learners’ Objectives:
Cognitive – By participating in the project, pupils will:- Name and describe various holidays and festivals around the world (being encouraged to activate content schemata and existing world knowledge).
- Repeat and classify basic vocabulary relating to specific holidays.
- Associate Greek and other countries' customs and habits.
- Compare and contrast holidays and festivals among cultures.
- Categorise similarities and differences.
- Assess their own progress.
- Evaluate the project.
Affective – Pupils will have the opportunity to:
- Cooperate in collaborative tasks including minimal communication in English.
- State their feelings about holidays and festivals.
- Adopt a positive attitude towards foreign language learning and different cultures.
- Demonstrate their knowledge in oral communication.
- Participate in the whole learning process actively.
- Contribute in the evaluation process and monitor their own learning.
Psychomotor – Pupils will:
- Draw and colour pictures relative to their theme.
- Create cards and craft work.
- Design and prepare material for their personal portfolio.
- Manage and modify material for their class book.
Technology tools:
- Videos- Ipad apps for young learners
- Google images
Procedure:
- Around the time of each holiday, there is a presentation by the teacher of a variety of aspects of the holiday with the use of pictures, flashcards and videos. Pupils see the material and discuss.- Vocabulary is provided and practised in different ways.
- Pupils are then engaged in interactive games or drawings with or without the help of ipad applications. For example, they can create simple, appropriate for their age games, with TinyTap, which is an easy-to-use app that records your voice as you create the game, and allows very young learners to create their own activities in a few minutes.
- At the end of each holiday session, they cooperate in small groups in order to create a collage of pictures for the final task, their class book. A QR code may be used to link to relevant videos.
Product:
- A personal portfolio with each pupil’s work.- A class book with pictures and pupils’ drawings about holidays and festivals around the world.
- An interactive game created with TinyTap.
Evaluation:
- Teacher’s observation sheets and reflection diary.- Pupils’ own assessment at the end of each lesson and at the end of the project.