Writing Postcards- Writing Lesson
Elementary level
Materials
Main Aims
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To provide Ss with an opportunity to revise writing postcards appropriately within the context of travelling
Subsidiary Aims
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To help students practise present perfect tense in postcard writing
Procedure (37-47 minutes)
T tells she has been to Kaz Mountain in Balıkesir recently and enjoyed a lot. T asks if anybody has been to another city recently and sets the paired conversation. Ss talk about their last vacation for two minutes. T asks what Ss do what they do when they travel to another city &country and want to write a short message to their relatives &friends. T elicits postcards and show some realias.
T hangs the model postcard on the board and divides the class into three groups. Each group is given the smaller version of model postcard. Ss read the postcard individually and try to guess where this postcard is sent from as a group. T elicits. T points stamp and elicits the word. T tells we have five different parts and Ss will find the rest. She divides the class into three groups and gives them postcard samples with parts of postcards cut-outs. Ss read through the sample postcards and match each part of the postcard with its title. They go and check other groups. T asks for clues for the answers and gives feedback using the model postcard on the board. T points "body" part and and asks Ss to focus on this part. T asks what information they can find in this part. Ss discuss for a minute and T elicits answers. Then T gives each group two more cut-outs, dividing the body into two subtitles.(General information about your holiday and things you have done). Ss places them in body part. T checks and gives feedback on the board.
T divides the board into two and writes "Greeting", "Closing", "What you have done" and "General Information" to both sides. T divides the class into two groups and gives each group a set of cards. These cards are composed of various sentences and phrases taken from postcards. Each group tries to place the cards under the correct category. They check as a class. T highlights and clarifies necessary points. (Big sample postcard will be kept next to the board). -Highlighting weather, people, places under "general info" title -Highlighting and clarifying experiences under "things you have/haven't done" title. Elicit through specific questions "What info do I get in this sentence?"- Weather, food, people etc. "Which sentences shows us the activities she has done- food she has eaten-places she has visited?
T tells Ss to think of a city or country they have visited and imagine they are there now. Without writing the name of place, Ss will write a postcard to their friends or a family member. They will include the necessary info they revise and use the proper form. T gives templates to Ss and sets a time limit. (10 min.) T gives postcard templates to Ss and tell them they need to come and stick stamps when they are finished.(I will do individual error correction when they come to stamp their postcards). T monitors closely, encourages dictionary use and helps Ss if needed.
When time is up, Ss mingle and read their postcards to as many students as possible. The other S listens and tries to guess the city/country the postcard is written. During this stage T monitors very closely and does error correction on the spot. T shares her time for all Ss.