TEACHING ESL
ESL 015: Composition for American Academic Communication 2 |
Signature Lesson Plan 1: Advertisement Comparison & Contrast
As an introductory lesson to the class' major assignment #2: Comparison & Contrast Essay, students engaged into a group activity to compare and contrast two different advertisements of perfume. Each group was assigned to focus on different aspects while they were comparing and contrasting the ads, in order to be exposed to different approaches of writing a comparison and contrast essay: subject-by-subject and point-by-point approaches. The group activity led to an individual work of drawing a Venn Diagram from topic selections. Lastly, students participated in a Round Robin pair work activity to assist students outlining their essay.
As an introductory lesson to the class' major assignment #2: Comparison & Contrast Essay, students engaged into a group activity to compare and contrast two different advertisements of perfume. Each group was assigned to focus on different aspects while they were comparing and contrasting the ads, in order to be exposed to different approaches of writing a comparison and contrast essay: subject-by-subject and point-by-point approaches. The group activity led to an individual work of drawing a Venn Diagram from topic selections. Lastly, students participated in a Round Robin pair work activity to assist students outlining their essay.
Signature Lesson Plan 2: Group Thesis
The purpose of this activity was to support students' understanding to the concept of thesis and thesis statement. After completing the reading from the textbook, students were able to conceptualize the meaning of thesis and thesis statement; the next step was to allow students to practice on developing a thesis statement. Students formed a group with an assigned reading, which was assigned in the previous class as part of their homework. All students read a sample essay, but each group of students read a different sample essay. With their group members, students were asked to develop a thesis statement of their essay, send a text message to a web page that will project all thesis statements sent by each group. As a whole class, student discussed about an effective/ineffective thesis statement while getting a more explicit understanding of a thesis and a thesis statement.
The purpose of this activity was to support students' understanding to the concept of thesis and thesis statement. After completing the reading from the textbook, students were able to conceptualize the meaning of thesis and thesis statement; the next step was to allow students to practice on developing a thesis statement. Students formed a group with an assigned reading, which was assigned in the previous class as part of their homework. All students read a sample essay, but each group of students read a different sample essay. With their group members, students were asked to develop a thesis statement of their essay, send a text message to a web page that will project all thesis statements sent by each group. As a whole class, student discussed about an effective/ineffective thesis statement while getting a more explicit understanding of a thesis and a thesis statement.
Signature Lesson Plan 3: Summarizing & Paraphrasing "What's out there?"
In order to prepare students' two last major assignments -- Annotated Bibliography and Problem-Solution Essay -- allowing enough time to practice summarizing and paraphrasing was necessary. This activity provided an opportunity for students to practice summarizing and paraphrasing in a group activity, while at the same time, required them to develop outlining skills for their own essay. Students formed a group with each member taking turns to be in the role of a messenger and a recorder. The messenger had to go outside of the classroom where strips of paper are located in a box. The messenger reads a short one-paragraph-long text, discards the paper, and summarizes what she/he had read in the paragraph, which the recorder writes down. With all summarized information gathered by each member of the group, students created a poster outlining the main points of the essay. As a whole class, each group presented the outline poster and the class was able to be aware of the basic structure for a Problem-Solution Essay.
In order to prepare students' two last major assignments -- Annotated Bibliography and Problem-Solution Essay -- allowing enough time to practice summarizing and paraphrasing was necessary. This activity provided an opportunity for students to practice summarizing and paraphrasing in a group activity, while at the same time, required them to develop outlining skills for their own essay. Students formed a group with each member taking turns to be in the role of a messenger and a recorder. The messenger had to go outside of the classroom where strips of paper are located in a box. The messenger reads a short one-paragraph-long text, discards the paper, and summarizes what she/he had read in the paragraph, which the recorder writes down. With all summarized information gathered by each member of the group, students created a poster outlining the main points of the essay. As a whole class, each group presented the outline poster and the class was able to be aware of the basic structure for a Problem-Solution Essay.