• What’s your favourite place in
Malaysia?
• How many children do you have?
• What’s your favourite movie?
ACTIVITIES IN
LESSONS
Contributed by Maria Franco
ELTDP
Warmers, settlers and
stirrers
• These activities are used in the classroom as part of a
lesson.
• They can be part of the lesson plan or the teacher can
improvise a short activity as when needed, specially if
students are becoming disengaged.
• Using these activities WILL help classroom
management and students will have fun at the same
time as they learning English.
• These activities may take time to set up at the
beginning but if instructions are clear, students will
get used to it and it will become part of classroom
routines.
ELTDP
Types of Warmers
a)
Introductory warm-up exercises
Icebreakers and TPR exercises
b)
Verbal and vocal warm-up exercises
Communication is central and these activities help fluency
and collaboration in the classroom
c)
Trust and sensitivity exercises
Help students to be aware of themselves, each other and
the world around them. To help students become
creative and willing to self-improve
ELTDP
Why use warmers?
• “The aim of warmers is to create a climate of trust,
awareness and group cohesion in which collaboration can
take place. They also help to focus students’ minds on the
matter in hand.” (adapted from Doughill 1987)
• “Warmers help to indicate the end of the previous lesson
and the beginning of the English lesson. It is unrealistic to
expect students to come from a lesson in another
subject and to start immediately on ‘learning the foreign
language’.
• Warmers are intended to put students in a relaxed,
uninhibited state being much more respectful than they
would otherwise be. Students are more aware of others, and
of oneself in relationship with others.” (adapted from Maley
and Duff 1978)
ELTDP
ALL LESSONS
MUST HAVE
WARMERS!!!
ELTDP
REMEMBER!!!
Warmers can have a specific objective (reviewing
vocabulary, introducing a new lesson aim) or they
can be used to KEEP STUDENTS ENGAGED
Students are listening to English and responding to
English commands or instructions which means…
THEY ARE LEARNING AND INVOLVES
COMMUNICATION!!
ELTDP
THINK…
Most educators and psychologists agree that the ability to
focus one's attention on a task is crucial for the
achievement of one's goals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_span
Young learners’ attention span is minimal. So, in
order to keep them engaged and, more important,
interested in learning, teachers must think of
interesting activities which will help students (and
teachers!!) achieve the lesson’s objectives and
goals.
ELTDP
Settlers and Stirrers
• Settlers are activities which
teachers can use to “calm down” or
“settle” students
• Stirrers are activities which
teachers can use to “pick-up” or
“wake up” students
ELTDP
ALL LESSONS MUST
HAVE A GOOD
BALANCE OF
SETTLING AND
STIRRING
ACTIVITIES!!!
ELTDP
WHEN PLANNING A
LESSON…
As well as thinking of each activity’s aim or
objective, think how the activity will affect the
students behaviour and engagement.
• Should it be a calming down activity and keep students
sitting down (on the floor or at their desks)?
• Should it be a stirring activity and move students around
because they are falling asleep and starting to disengage?
• How long should the activity last to keep students engaged?
ELTDP
Crucial activities for a
lesson
• Warmer
• Introduce target language with flashcards
and realia if possible.
• The diagram shown below is a suggestion of
the thinking behind planning a lesson.
WARMER
Introduce
target
language
STIRRER
SETTLER
STIRRER
SETTLER
ELTDP
Ending a lesson
Students like routines and it is a good idea to end a
lesson with a settler, so you leave students in a
calm state to hand them over the next teacher.
A settler like storytelling is a great way to end a
lesson.
Why not try it in your next lesson?...and you don’t
even need books to tell a great story!!!
ELTDP
LET’S PRACTICE
ACTIVITIES!!
ELTDP
Answer the following
questions
1. What is the purpose/objective of
the activities we have just done?
2. When would you use such an
activity?
ELTDP
Answer the following
questions
1. What is the purpose/objective of
“THROWING THE BALL ROUND
THE CIRCLE” activity?
2. When would you use such an
activity?
ELTDP
Evaluating
Performance & Learning Standards
• ACTIVITY 1:
BALL THROWING ROUND THE CIRCLE
Learning Standard: 1.2.1 (a) (b)
Able to participate in daily conversations
Band: B2D1E1
Participate in daily conversations
Able to use the language functions below correctly:
(a) exchange greetings
(b) introduce oneself
(c) thank someone
(d) make polite requests
ELTDP
Answer the following
questions
1. What is the purpose/objective of
the “ALPHABETICAL LINE-UPS”
activity?
2. When would you use such an
activity?
ELTDP
Evaluating
Performance & Learning Standards
• ACTIVITY 2: ALPHABETICAL LINE-UPS
Learning Standard:
1.2.2 (a) Able to listen and follow:
(a) Simple instructions in the classroom
2.1.1 Able to identify and distinguish the shapes of the
letters in the alphabet
2.1.2 (a) Able to recognise and articulate initial, medial and
the final sounds in single syllable words within given
context
Band: B3D1E1
Able to listen to and follow simple instructions and
directions.
ELTDP
Answer the following
questions
1. What is the purpose/objective of
“FIND SOMEONE WHO?” activity?
2. When would you use such an
activity?
ELTDP
Evaluating
Performance & Learning Standards
• ACTIVITY 3: FIND SOMEONE WHO…
Learning Standard :1.1.4 Able to talk about a stimulus with guidance
1.2.1 Able to participate in daily conversations
1.2.2 (a) Able to listen and follow:
(a) Simple instructions in the classroom
2.1.1 Able to identify and distinguish the shapes of
the letters in the Alphabet
2.2.2 Able to read and understand phrases in linear
and non-linear texts.
3.1.1 Able to demonstrate fine motor control of
hands and fingers
3.1.2 Able to copy and write in neat legible print
3.2.1(b) Able to complete with guidance: (b)lists
Band:
B2D1E1 Participate in daily conversations.
B2D4E1 Copy and write in neat, legible print.
B3D1E1 Able to listen to and follow simple instructions and
directions.
B4D1E1 Able to answer simple ‘Wh’ questions
ELTDP
B4D3E1 Able to use correctly: (a) capital letters
Answer the following
questions
1. What is the purpose/objective of
the “ LIKES / HATES DICTATION
activity?
2. When would you use such an
activity?
ELTDP
Evaluating
Performance & Learning Standards
• ACTIVITY 4: LIKES / HATES DICTATION
Learning Standard :
1.1.4 Able to talk about a stimulus with guidance
1.2.1 Able to participate in daily conversations
1.3.1 Able to listen to and demonstrate understanding of oral
texts by:
a) giving Yes/No replies
2.2.1 Able to read and apply word recognition and word attack
skills by matching words with:
a) graphics
b) spoken words
Band:
B2D1E1 Participate in daily conversations.
B2D2E1 Able to read the words correctly.
ELTDP
Evaluating
Activities
• ACTIVITY 1: Ball-throwing round the circle
• ACTIVITY 2: Alphabetical line-ups
• ACTIVITY 3: Find someone who (used this morning as
icebreaker for all teachers)
• ACTIVITY 4: LikeslHates dictation
• ACTIVITY 5: Talk to my cat
• ACTIVITY 6: Mirrors
• ACTIVITY 7: Significant numbers in my life
• ACTIVITY 8: Numbers with Heads or Hands
• ACTIVITY 9: Hangman/Shark Attack
• ACTIVITY 10: Pictionary
• ACTIVITY 11: Name + Adjective
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Don’t forget
to…
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HAVE FUN
IN CLASS!!
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Thank you!!
ELTDP