Writing a Book Review
Intermediate level
Description
Main Aims
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To provide process and product writing practice of a report in the context of a book review for a website
Subsidiary Aims
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To provide clarification, review and practice of non-defining relative clauses in the context of a book review
Procedure (34-45 minutes)
-Divide students into two groups, A and B. - Tell students they are going to complete a set of puzzles, A and B. - Give out HO1 (puzzle A & B) to SS. - Tell the groups they are going to complete their puzzles by describing the words to each other. Group A asks B to define a missing word in their puzzle. B describes or defines to A the word. (SS are expected to use relative clauses in their definitions.) For example: A: What's the word in 1-down? (SUPERMARKET) B: It's a place where people go shopping for food and other items. If the description/definition is not clear, the group can ask a yes/no question to clarify the answer. The procedure goes on until both groups complete their puzzles.
-Ask students to read again the second book review they read in the previous lesson (Coffee Table Book by Aliya Bakaev) and call out the "which" clauses as they find them (from HO2, but they should have this from the preceding lesson hour). - T- writes them on the board and check understanding of "refreshing." (Students should be able to find the said (non-defining relative clauses as they are highlighted and numbered in the text). - In pairs, students answers HO3. - Students categorize the clauses as 'a' - a clause that adds information, or 'b' - a clause that says what a writer feels or thinks.
PW: -Each S in pair chooses a book to write sentences about using adverb-adjective collocation they learnt in the previous lesson, and two "which" clauses to practice the target language. - SS read out their sentences to each other and talk about their recommended books. - FB/Wc: T- finds out how many SS would like to read each other's books. SS explain why.
- Regroup SS into groups of 3's. - Tell them they are going to write a short book review for a website. - Elicit what kind of information they should include in the book review: (i.e. descriptions, their feelings and opinions on it, positive and negative comments about the book) -Tell them they have ten minutes to write it. - Monitor and help when needed.
-Groups post their book review on the board. - SS go to the board and read each others' works. - SS go back to their seats. As a class, they talk about which book they would like most to read. - SS vote for the most popular review.