Reading
Upper Intermediate level
Materials
Main Aims
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To provide detailed reading practice using a text about parenting in the context of parents and children
Subsidiary Aims
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To provide practice/introduce relationship metaphors in the context of parents and children
Procedure (34-46 minutes)
Write on the board: Do you think good parenting is something that can be learned from a book or is it instinctive? "Discuss the answer in groups of 3. Take 2 minutes. How long? [2 minutes]." Feedback: WC "Who thinks it is something learned? [raising hands] Who thinks it is something instinctive? [raising hands] What were some of the reasons?" [select 2 Ss max for each answer] "Are parenting manuals popular in your country?" - WC respond [note general response of yes or no]
[Write vocab before the lesson starts and reveal after Lead-in] extraordinarily = [highlight each part of the word to get the meaning: extra ordinarily] "meaning more than normal or usual. part of speech? - adv. ] conscientious = "Is he talking about lazy parents who don't care what their children are doing? [No] He is talking about hardworking, thorough parents." Drill for pronunciation dread = [gesture/act out: oh no not a comic] morbid = "happy or dark? [dark] normal or abnormal? [abnormal]
Hand the reading out to the Ss face down. "Quickly read the article to answer this question: [pointing at the board] how do you think the different editions might have been influenced by the changing times? Are you reading for detail? [No] Take 1 minute." Feedback: "Turn the article over. Discuss your answers in groups of 4." [2 or 3 minutes] Feedback: WC "What are the titles of the sections? [Fathers and Entertainment] What years are the sections from? [1946 and 1998] What do you think might have been influenced by the changing times?" [Elicit answers from 2 or 3 students.
"Read the article again for detail this time to answer these questions in groups of 3. [Hand out a list of question.]" Feedback: WC "No. 1. [S answer] No. 2 [S answer] ...."
"Do you agree with what he says? Do you think what he said about fathers and entertainment apply today? Do you think he would have to write a new edition for now?"
"Do relationships change after becoming parents? [Yes]" "After having children, you might hear some of these. Others can be used to talk about familial relationships." [Draw a chart good relationships and bad relationships. Have the Ss place the words in the appropriate column.] CCQs: Does close family mean physical close? [No, emotionally] If your parents split up/broke up, are they still married? [No] If your parents have separated, are they still together? [No] Are they divorced? [No] If you are inseparable with your sibling, do you spend a lot of time together? [Yes] Is having a strong bond a positive thing or a negative thing? [Positive] If you are attached to your mother, do you avoid talking to her? [No] If you and your partner are going through a rough patch, are you having relationship problems? [Yes] If your marriage is on the rocks, are you happily married at the moment?
"In pairs, talk about people in your families or families you know using these metaphors."