Learning English through Popular Culture
Rationale
Students will be provided more opportunities to extend their range of English
abilities through attempting different popular cultural activities. Those activities may
stimulate students’ critical thinking, creativity and cultural awareness. Moreover, they
can enhance their collaboration skill between themselves.
Learning Targets
Students can be able to:
1. understand a variety of written and spoken texts related to popular culture
2. analyze popular culture texts o understand the features, language and
structures
3. respond and give expression to experiences, events, ideas or issues through
writing, presentation and personal reflections.
4. understand how the English language works in different texts in popular
culture and apply this understanding and use of the language
Learning Objectives
1. To help students to understand and interpret ideas, information, facts,
opinions and intentions presented in written and spoken texts related to
popular culture
2. To help students to develop the vocabulary, language, format and styles
used in various texts of popular culture
3. To help students to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned in their
creative production and appreciation of popular culture texts
* Reference: Learning and Teaching Resources for learning English through popular culture
(EDB 17.12.2007)
Advice Columns
Target: Form Three
Duration: 8 lessons
Topic: Advice Columns – Teens Problems
Objectives:
Students are able to:
1. identify the content, features, language and structures of advice columns
2. discuss what problems of their own
3. select, organize and develop content in order to write advice-seeking and advice
giving letters
Lesson Learning Target
1-2
Students’ involvement
Remarks
1. Students are able to
1. Students have to read the 1. Ss do
discuss what the problems
text in the textbook and
worksheet 1
they have and place the
discuss the problems that
problems into different
they are facing.
categories.
2. Students read and identify
2. Students are able to read
the characteristics of the
the advice column from
advice column.
the Young Post. They can 3. Students have to underline 2. Fill in the
detect the features,
the special language
data-based
language and structures of
pattern or phrases that
sheet
advice column.
have been used in the
columns. Then they have
to fill in the databased
sheet for writing an advice
column.
3-6
1. Students are able to select,
organize, and develop content
in order to write an advice
seeking and an advice giving
letters.
1. In pairs, students have to
1. Finish
share their own problems the peer
and summarize their
composition
similarity and differences.
They have to use the
language pattern that they
have learnt and write an
advice-seeking letter in
pairs.
7-8
2. In pairs, they have to draw
a letter randomly and
write an advice-giving
letters to their friend.
2. Write a
reply letter
in pairs.
3. Give an
oral
feedback to
their group
mates.
1. Students are able to read 1. In group of four, students
and identify the
have to identify different
characteristics of different
themes of the columns
types of columns. They
that they have read.
have to create their own
2. Then they have to write
class post by writing
columns on the school
columns.
issues e.g. The
2. Students can have the
air-conditioner can be on
writing habit through
only if the air temperature
critical thinking.
reaches 28oC.
1. Create
their own
post by
writing the
current
school
issues.
3. They have to post the
writing on the board and
write feedback to the
columns in turn.
4. They have to write new
columns at least once a
month.
2. Write
feedback to
the
columns.
Worksheet (1)
Name: _____________________
Your problems
Class: ___________(
Who will you talk with?
)
Solutions
Worksheet (2)
Name: _____________________
Data-based sheet
Greeting
Topic sentence
Words/Phrases
to comfort
others
Words/Phrases
to give
suggestions
Words/Phrases
to give
solutions
Blessing
Ending
Class: ___________(
)
Name :__________________
Class: ____________(
)
Advice Text Rubric
Category
4
3
2
1
Audience The audience The audience The audience for the The audience
Awareness for the advice for the advice advice is difficult to of the advice is
is clear to the is easy to
reader within discover after
the title
reading the
entire letter
determine because unclear
it could apply to
many different
audiences
Purpose or The purpose The purpose of The purpose of the The purpose of
reason for of the advice the advice is advice is difficult to the advice is
not included
the advice is explained made clear by determine
Content
within the
title
the end of the
text
or implied in
the text
The text
includes
specific
pieces of
advice
includes
The text
The text includes
includes pieces several pieces of
of advices and advice and implies
hints
in general
The text
includes only a
few pieces of
advice and
does not
include
reasons
Language
and use of
the model
text
The word
choice and
sentence
structure is
consistent
with the
model
reasons
The word
choice and
sentence
structure is
close to the
model
The word choice
and sentence
structure uses some
words and
structures from the
model, but does not
consistently follow
the model
Grammar, There are no There are less There are six to
than five
fifteen grammar,
spelling and grammar,
spelling, or
punctuation spelling, or grammar,
punctuation
errors in the
final draft
spelling, or
punctuation
errors in the
final draft
* Reference: read.write.think/2004 NCTE/IRA
punctuation errors
in the final draft
The word
choice and
sentence
structure does
not seem to
relate to the
model
There are
more than
fifteen
grammar,
spelling, or
punctuation
errors in the
final draft
Reviews
Target: Form Four
Duration: 8 lessons
Topic: A song review – Don’t cry for me Argentina
Objectives:
Students are able to:
1. identify different music genre
2. show awareness of the history, policy, climate and the people of other countries in
the world
3. present their ideas through analyze the text
4. write a travel brochure to introduce the country or city that they have chosen
Less Learning Target
on
1-2
Students’ involvement
Remarks
1. Students can
1.They have to listen to the music Listening:
identify
attentively and they have to finish -Jazz:
different music worksheet (1) by reading handout http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO1
genres by
(1)
listening to
various types
of music.
2. Students can
understand the
background of
the song.
2.They have to listen to the song
‘Don’t cry for me Argentina’,
detect the genre of the song and
finish worksheet (2) without
reading the lyrics.
uMjz3n3w&feature=related
-Folk:
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp5
X4MBIbLs&feature=related
-Pop:
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=Edt
Ed0_d0ik
-Classical:
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=hKD
J6Z_stvg&feature=related
-Gospel:
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ
OVxEf1aD0&feature=related
- Don’t cry for me Argentina
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=e7N
s1U0OnE8&feature=related
3. Give the lyrics to the students
and ask them to discuss the
- peer discussion
answer of worksheet (2)
in-group of 4.
3-4
5-8
1. Students can
1. Students have to search the
understand the
relevant information through
historical, political
the internet and select the
background and
appropriate text for exploring
the geographical
that country.
location of
2. Students in group of four have
1. References:
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argenti
na
-http://www.lonelyplanet.com/world
guide/argentina/
-http://www.patagonia-argentina.co
Argentina.
m/i/esteros/excursiones.htm
-http://hk.knowledge.yahoo.com/que
stion/?qid=7007110900564
2. they have to fill in the rubric for oral
presentation
to find the attractions of
Argentina as a tourist
3. They have to give an oral
report of why Argentina is a
tourists’ paradise.
1. Students have to 1. According to the previous
design a travel
knowledge, students have to
brochure for the
choose another attractive city
country/ city that
or country by browsing the
they have chosen
net.
1. References:
-http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=QIJ
qsiQAZog&feature=related
-http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=LiI
ND2aKI7c&feature=related
2. Then they have to design a
travel brochure for their
2. they use the brochure creator in
choices. In the brochure, there
read-write-think:
should be the geographical
http://interactives.mped.org/view_int
location, climate, currency,
eractive.aspx?id=110&title=
language, historical and
political background,
attractions, emergency contact
number .... etc. (from the
checklist)
3. They have to present their
choices and vote for the best
tourist site for the summer
camp,
3. they vote for the funniest and the
most beautiful attraction for their
class.
4. Fill in the self learning reflection
sheets p.1, p.2.
Reviews
Worksheet (1)
Name : _____________________________
Class: ________(
)
Please circle the number of your choice. (1=not at all ; 5=very much)
How would you describe this song?
Warm
1 2 3 4 5
Makes me want to dance
1 2 3 4 5
Gentle
1
2 3 4 5
Inspiring
1
Lively
1
2 3 4
Soothing
1 2 3 4 5
Soft
1 2 3 4 5
5
2 3 4 5
I want to hear it again
1 2 3 4 5
Boring
1
2 3 4 5
I would give it to a friend
1 2 3 4 5
Yellow
1 2 3 4 5
I think the person singing is :
i) sincere
1 2 3 4 5
Simple
1 2 3 4 5
ii) in love
1 2 3 4 5
Fun
1
iii) excited
1 2 3 4 5
Repetitive
1 2 3 4 5
iv) angry
1
2 3 4 5
Good beat
1
2 3 4 5
v) bored
1
2 3 4 5
Good instrumentation 1
2 3 4 5
Good lyrics
2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
I would like to meet the singer
1 2 3 4 5
Socio-politically engaged
1 2 3 4 5
Can you imagine saying the words to
someone?
1 2 3 4 5
Disorganized
1 2 3 4 5
Too long
1
2 3 4 5
What is the genre of this song? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________
* Reference: The Artists and the Industry - Using songs ( Adapted by Nicholas Wong)
Reviews
Worksheet (2)
Name: ___________________________
Class: _____________(
)
1. What do you think the song is about?
_________________________________________________
2. What emotion or insight does the song bring you?
_________________________________________________
3. What lines/phrases seems most striking to you? Why?
__________________________________________________
4. Identify how many stanzas there are; how many lines are in each stanza; and
which stanza serves as the chorus?
i)
_________________________________________________
ii)
_________________________________________________
iii)
_________________________________________________
5. Are there any patterns in the way language or structures have been used?
What are they?
___________________________________________________________
6. Who is Argentina?
_________________________________________________
*Reference: Learning and teaching resources for learning English through popular culture by EDB
Reviews
Checklist for a Travel Brochure
Name: ________________________
Class: __________(
)
Name of the place: ______________________________________________
Location/Setting: _______________________________________________
1. Brief summary of the setting, with highlights of the important places
2. Location, including a map
3. Geography
4. Major cities, well-known places
5. Historic sites and landmarks
6. Recreation and outdoor activities
7. Entertainment
8. Transportation
9. Climate and overall weather conditions
10. Languages and local dialect
11. Food that area is known for
12. Pictures/ Graphics/ Websites
13. Additional information
* Reference: read.write.think/2008NCTE/IRA
Reviews
Rubric for oral presentation (1)
Name : ________________________
Class : ______________(
)
Category
4
3
2
1
Reasons
The reasons
support the
choice.
Some reasons
support the
choice.
A few reasons
support the
choice.
No reason
support the
choice.
There are less
than five
pronunciation
errors.
There are five to
ten
pronunciation
errors.
There are more
than ten
pronunciation
errors.
Pronunciation There is no
pronunciation
error.
Eye contact
with the
audience
There is
There is some There is little
There is no eye
sufficient eye
eye contact with eye contact with contact with the
contact with the the audience.
the audience.
audience.
audience.
Feeling and
expression
The presenter
gives variety in
tone, pitch and
voice quality.
Volume
Volume projects Volume is
well. All
adequate.
audience can
hear the
presentation.
The presenter
gives some
variety in tone,
pitch and voice
quality.
The presenter
gives little
variety in tone,
pitch and voice
quality.
The presenter
gives no variety
in tone, pitch
and voice
quality.
Volume is too
low.
Voice is
inaudible.
References: 1. http://web.rbe.sk.ca/assessment/Rubrics/languagearts
2. Learning and teaching resources for learning English through popular culture by
EDB
Reviews
Rubric for Travel Brochure (2)
Name : ________________________
Category
4
Organization The brochure has
excellent
formatting and
very well
organized
information
Ideas
The brochure
Class : ______________(
)
3
2
1
The brochure
has appropriate
formatting and
well-organized
information
The brochure has
some organized
with random
formatting
The brochure’s
format and
organization of
material are
confusing to the
reader
The brochure
The brochure
The brochure
communicates
irrelevant
information, or
communicates
inappropriately
to the intended
audience
communicates
irrelevant
information and
communicates
inappropriately
to the intended
audience
communicates
communicates
relevant
relevant
information
information
appropriately and appropriately
effectively to the to the intended
intended audience audience
Some of the
Most of the
Conventions All of the writing Most of the
is done in
writing is done writing is done in writing is not
Graphics
complete
sentences.
in complete
sentences.
complete
sentences.
Capitalization
and punctuation
are correct
throughout the
brochure.
Most of the
capitalization
and punctuation
are correct
throughout
brochure.
Some of the
capitalization and
punctuation are
correct
throughout
brochure.
The graphics go The graphics go
well with the text, well with the
and there is a
text, but there
good mix of text are so many
and graphics.
that they
distract from
the text.
The graphics go
well with the text,
but there are too
few.
* Reference: read.write.think/2006NCTE/IRA
done in
complete
sentences.
Most of the
capitalization
and punctuation
are not correct
throughout
brochure.
The graphics do
not go with the
accompanying
text or appear to
be randomly
chosen.
Advertisement and Commercials
Target: Form six
Duration: 12 lessons
Topic: Marketing plan for fashion in Hong Kong
Objectives:
1. Students can show awareness of the fashion that they wear
2. Students can compare the most popular casual wear in Hong Kong
3. Students can plan the promotion activities for the brand of fashion that they have
chosen in fall and winter of 2008.
Lesson Learning Target
1-4
5-8
Students’ involvement
Remarks
1. Students are able 1. In group of four, they
to identify the
have to examine the
content, marketing
content, marketing
strategies, language
strategies, language and
and stylistic features
stylistic features of
in advertising
Bossini, Giordano and
Esprit by browsing the
webs.
2. They have to interpret
the vision and mission,
brand value, images and
investor relations of the
brands.
3. They have to finish
worksheet (1)
Bossini:
http://www.bossini.com/b
ossini/html/eng/common/
index.jsp
1. Compare how
the vision and
-A rubric for each of the
company
1. They have to compare
the vision and mission,
Giordano:
http://www.giordano.com
.hk/web/HK/index.html l
Esprit
http://www.esprit.com/
mission, brand
brand value, images and
value, images
investor relations of the
and investor
brands.
relations of the 2. Then, they have to
- An assessment form for
brands affect the
discuss in groups :
the group discussion
products, sales
(i)whether the
locations and the
advertisements show the
social
obligation.
.
characteristics of the
products.
(ii)whether the sales
locations fit the target
customers
(iii)whether their
products environmental
friendly.
(iv)whether the company
shows cherish to the
society.
9-12
1. Students can learn 1. Students have to make a 1. Write a detailed
to write a promotion
plan for the promotion
marketing plan for the
plan.
of the fall and winter
brand.
fashion of one of the
company they have
chosen.
2. In groups, they have to 2. Oral presentation for
make a oral presentation
the promotion plan
for the whole class.
Then the class has to
choose the best plan for
each of the company.
3. Fill in the rubric for
writing and oral
presentation.
Advertisement and commercials
Worksheet (1)
Name: _____________________
Class: _________(
)
Fill in the table as you browsing nets.
Categories
1. Vision and
mission
Bossini
Giordano
Esprit
2. Brand value
3. Images
4. Investor
relations of the
brand
5. Latest
promotion
activities
Advertisement and commercials
Rubric (1)
Name: _____________________
Class: _________(
)
Brand’s name : ___________________
Categories
3
2
1
1. Vision and
Clear and
Quite clear and
Unclear and
mission
compelling.
easy to
difficult to
understand.
understand.
2. Brand value
Clear and
Quite clear and
Unclear and
and images
compelling.
easy to
difficult to
understand.
understand.
3. Brand Icon
Fits the brand
Somehow fits the
Cannot fit the
images
brand images
brand images
4. Promotion
-Frequently and
-Scattered events -A few events and
events
meets the social
but somehow meet cannot meet the
needs.
the social needs.
social needs.
-Promote the
- Promote the
-Cannot promote
brand’s images
brand’s images in the brand’s
vividly
someway
images
Worldwide
Concentration in
Only in Hong Kong
5. Distribution
networks
Asia
Advertisement and commercials
Group discussion form
Name: _____________________
Class: _________(
)
Check appropriate box. Provide evidence where possible.
Yes
Everyone participates and
shares in the discussion
process. Communication is
interactive.
The group is supportive of its
individual members. Group
No
Sometimes Evidence
climate promotes friendliness.
Group members often ask
questions for clarification or
elaboration.
The group discussion stays on
topic, or on directly related
issues.
The group is energetic and
enthusiastic
How did you solve the problems that you have come across?
________________________________________________
What specific plans do you have for improvement?
________________________________________________
* Reference: Handouts from Derrick Stone
Advertisement and commercials
Marketing Plan for ______________________
Group members : 1. ________________
2. ___________________
3.________________
4. ___________________
CATEGORIES
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
1. Promotion
Activity(ies)
2. Target Customers
3. Time/Date
4. Venue(s)
5. Budget
6. Manpower
i) Management: _______________________________
ii) Designing crew: _____________________________
iii) Public relation crew: __________________________
iv) Stage management: ____________________________
v) working crew: _________________________________
7. Resources
Advertisement and commercials
Rubric (2)
Name: _____________________
Class: _________(
)
Oral presentation for the promotion plan
Categories
4
Communicative Can make use of
strategies
appropriate body
language to
engage
audience’s
interest
Pronunciation
and delivery
Ideas and
organization
3
2
1
Can make use of
some body
language to
engage
audience’s
interest
Can make use of
little body
language to
engage
audience’s
interest
Cannot make use
of any body
language to
engage
audience’s
interest
Can pronounce
words but more
than five
mistakes
Cannot
pronounce words
clearly and with
many mistakes
Can pronounce Can pronounce
words clearly and words clearly but
without any
less than five
mistake
mistakes
Can speak at a
measured pace
Can speak at an Cannot speak at a Cannot speak at a
acceptable pace measured pace measured pace
Can express
relevant
information and
ideas clearly
Can express
relevant
information and
ideas quite
clearly
Can express
some relevant
information and
ideas
Cannot express
any relevant
information and
ideas
Can link the
Can link some of Cannot link the Cannot link the
main ideas and the main ideas main ideas and main ideas and
supporting details and supporting supporting details supporting details
details
Volume
Loud and audible Quite loud and
to everyone in
audible to most
the class
classmates in the
class
* Reference:
Soft but it is still Too soft and inaudible to part of audible
the classmates in
the class
Learning and teaching resources for learning English through popular culture by
EDB
Advertisement and commercials
Rubric (3)
Name: _____________________
Class: _________(
)
Writing for the promotion plan
Categories
Focus and
coherence
4
3
2
1
The plan has a
sense of
completeness.
Individual
activity supports
the promotional
The plan has a
sense of
completeness.
Individual
activity supports
part of the
The plan does not
have a sense of
completeness.
Individual
activity supports
less than half of
The plan does
not have a sense
of completeness.
Individual
activity cannot
support the
scheme of the
company.
promotional
scheme of the
company.
the promotional
scheme of the
company.
promotional
scheme of the
company.
Quite smooth
which enhance
the writer’s
ability to present
ideas clearly
Not very clear
and compelling
which do not
enable the
writer’s ability to
Not clear and
shaped yet.
The reader is
difficult to get
the meaning.
Organizatio Clear and
compelling which
n
enhance the
writer’s ability to
present ideas
effectively
present ideas
effectively
Developme The writer’s
nt of ideas presentation of
ideas is
thoughtful and
insightful.
Voice
The writer
attempts to
develop all the
ideas in the plan.
The writer to
develop the plan
by listing ideas
without
explaining them.
The writer
provides no
development of
the ideas.
The writer
engages the
reader and
sustains that
The writer
engages the
reader and
sustains that
The writer
engages the
reader but fails to
sustain the
The writer
cannot engage
the reader and
fail to establish
connection
throughout the
plan.
connection
connection.
throughout most
of the plan.
a connection.
Less than five
grammatical
mistakes
More than ten
grammatical
mistakes
Convention No grammatical
mistakes
s
Less than ten
grammatical
mistakes
*Reference: http://teacherweb.com/CA/MillerMiddleSchool/MillerMustang/1_6_06Final8thrubrics1.pdf