Here is my revised course design. THE RED COLORED CONTENTS WERE REVISED.
Cover Letter
Curriculum Designer & Coordinator: Park, Ji Hae
Sam Sung Elementary School, Seoul, Korea
Dear my colleagues and the students’ parents
I have thought that English curriculum should help students develop balanced four skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing. And English learning should be fun especially for young students since they have infinite potentials to accept everything, and if they lose the attraction to learn English, it could be a big problem in the future.
Based on these beliefs, I have chosen the book Aesop’s Fables written by Lee, Kyoung Hee. I believe that this book will satisfy our young students, their parents, and the teacher. This book consists of sixty short adapted fables and is advantageous for some reasons. First of all, our young students can acquire English in natural way as well as learn lessons in English while reading the book. Moreover, Each story is made up of story written in English, definitions of vocabulary, Korean explanations, sayings in English, and questions based on the story In English at the end of each story, so it is really systematic, so it helps students to develop their reading and writing skills. In addition, there is an attached CD-Rom to each book, which has native speaker’s vivid reading, so it will be used effectively for the students and the teacher, and ultimately it can help students to develop listening and speaking skills. Finally, each story has interesting illustrations, so students can learn English without boredom.
I hope this course will be an opportunity for our young students to be familiar with English and acquire English in natural and fun way. And if you have a question concerning this course, please email me. ilovepoppy@naver.com
Sincerely yours,
Park, Ji Hae
Course Syllubus
2nd Grade English Language Course Syllabus
Course Title: Play with English & Aesop’s Fables
Instructor: Park, Ji Hae
Semester / Year: 2nd semester in 2010
Grade Level: 2nd grade in EFL
Proficiency Level: intermediate
Class: Four times a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday)
Time: 45 minutes
Duration: 8 weeks (one stories per class)
Course overview:
This English course pursues an integrated language program combining the listening, reading, speaking, and writing with Aesop’s fables and the lessons. Students can develop four skills in balanced way during this course, and they can acquire lessons of each story. The main goal of this course is to invoke students to be familiar with English in balanced and fun way.
Course Standards and Goals:
From ESL Standards for Pre-K-12 Students: Grades Pre-K-3
Goal 1, Standard 1To use English to communicate in social settings: Students will use English to participate in social interactions
Goal 1, Standard 2To use English to communicate in social settings: Students will interact in, through, and with spoken and written English for personal expression and enjoyment
Goal 3, Standard 1To use English in socially and culturally appropriate ways: Students will use the appropriate language variety, register, and genre according to audience, purpose, and setting
Course Objectives:
Objective 1: The students will be able to listen to and understand the contents.
Objective 2: The students will be able to read the English textbook aloud.
Objective 3: The students will be able to solve the problem written in English and write the correct answers in English.
Objective 4: The students will be able to discuss the lessons with other students.
Objective 5: The students will be able to write the lessons and their feelings in English.
Textbook:
Lee, K. H. (2008). Aesop’s fables. Seoul: 열린생각.
Course Contents:
1. Language
1) Linguistic skills: structure/pattern and vocabulary, listening and pronunciation, speaking practices, reading comprehension, writing practices
2) Topics/Themes: Aesop’s fables and the lessons
2. Learning strategies
1) Cognitive strategies: practicing, receiving and sending messages, reasoning, analysing, note-taking, summarizing, synthesizing, outlining, reorganizing information to develop stronger schemas
2) Metacognitive strategie: arranging, planing, and evaluating their learning
3) Memory-related strategies: linking mental images, applying images and sounds, reviewing, and employing action
4) Compensatory strategies: guessing from te context, using synonyms, and using gestures or pause words
5) Affective strategies: identifying one’s mood and anxiety level, talking their feelings, rewarding oneself for good performance, and using deep breathing or positie self-talk
6) Social strategies: cooperating with others, empathizing with others, asking questions to get verification, asking for clarification of a confusing point, asking for help in doing a language task, talking with a native-speaking conversation partner, and exploring cultural and social norms
Course Activities
1. Teacher-centered activities
1) Listening Club : The teacher makes students listen an watch a video clip
2) Vocabulary Explorers: The teacher lets student know new words
2. Student-centered activities: Individual work
1) Reading Alone: Students read the story in the textbook alone.
2) Index Questions and sloving: Students read the questions attached at the end of each story and slove it by themselves
3. Student-centered activities: Small-group work
1) Speaking Circels: Students in each small group disuss the topic and the lessons
2) Report Writing:Students in each small group write their feelings about the story altogether in each small group
Learning Styles
1. Field –dependence Learners (analytic learners): concentrating on the details of language, such as grammar rules, and enjoying taking apart words and sentences
2. Field Independence (global learners): focusing on the whole picture and not doing care so much about the details
3. Reflective Leaners: prefering to think about language and how to convey their message accurately
4. Impulsive Learners: concerned with speaking fluently than speaking accurately
5. Visual Learners: enjoying reading and prefering to see the words that they are learning
6. Auditory Learners: prefering to learn by listening and enjoying conversations and the chance for interactions with others
7. Tactile Learners: learning by touching an manipulating objects, that is hands-on work
8. Kinesthetic Learners: prefering movement an needing frequent breaks in desk activities
Course Schedules
Sample Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan: Chap. 3 The Ants and the Grasshoppers
Teaching Level: 2nd grade in EFL; intermediate proficiency level
Time Frame: 45 minutes
Objectives:
Content: The ants and the grasshopper in Aesop’s fable by Kim, Kyoung Hee
Language: To listen to and understand the contents. To read the English textbook aloud.
To solve the problem written in English and write the correct answers in English.
Learning Strategy: To discuss the lessons with other students. To write their own feeling in English.
Standards:
Combine the listening, reading, speaking, and writing with Aesop’s fables and the lessons.
Materials:
Aesop’s fable by Kim, Kyoung Hee
Computer, Internet & over-head Projector
Focus Sheet 1.1: Think about the topic before listening and reading
Worksheet 1.1: The definitions of new vocabulary
Assessment 1.1: Vocabulary Test
Assessment 1.2: The reading comprehension test
Assessment 1.3: The writing about the lessons and the students’ feelings
Assessment Rubric 1.4: Writing assessment rubric
Warm up:
1. The instructor asks the students whether they know the story of the ant and the grasshopper and what the fable would teach them.
2. The instructor follows up with any idea related to the topic.
3. The students talk about what they have already known and the lesson.
Task Chain 1: Watching and Vocabulary & Expressions
(Teacher-centered activities)
1. The students make predictions about the story and complete Focus Sheet 1.1.
2. The instructor shows the students a video clip about the story of the ant and the grasshopper and makes the students listen to carefully and catch what they do not know.
3. The students watch the video while listening to and catching the expressions and words up.
4. The instructor hands out Worksheet 1.1.
5. The students fill the blanks provided in Assessment 1.1.
Task Chain 2: Reading and solving the problems
(Student-centered activities: Individual work)
1. The instructor makes the students read aloud and alone.
2. The students read their textbook.
3. The instructor makes the students solve the problem offered by Assessment 1.2.
4. The students deal with the problems by themselves.
5. The instructor circulates in the classroom and gives the students feedback.
Task Chain 3: Speaking and writing
(Student-centered activities: Small-group work)
1. The instructor divides the students into small groups composed of four people.
2. The instructor has the students in each small group discuss the topic and the lessons
3. The students think about the lessons and discuss them with one another in their small groups.
4. The instructors helps the students write their feelings about the story altogether in each small group provided by Assessment 1.3.
5. The instructor walks around every small group and checks and helps every group.
6. The class evaluates everyone’s idea with applause.
Final Assessment:
Formative: The instructor gives the students immediate feedback for each assessment during the lesson, makes corrections if necessary, and gives points based on each student or each group’s achievement.
Summative: The instructor assesses each small group with the rubric provided Assessment 1.4 and gives them final grade.
Grading Policy:
1. Formative assessments in each class day
All classes have grading policy and grading criteria and if the student is perfect, he/she will get 100 points a class.
1) Vocabulary test : 10 points
2) The reading comprehension test: 30 points
3) The writing about the lessons and the students’ feelings: 30 points
4) Participation and attitudes: 30 points
2. Summative assessment at the very end of this course
1) Attendance
There are 32 classes this course. If students are present all classes, you will get an 100 points.
100 points: 32 (no absence)
80 points: 31-30 (2 absences)
60 points: 29-27 (5 absences)
40 points: 26-22 (10 absences)
20 points: below 21
2) Participation and attitudes
There are 32 classes this course. If students actively take part in all classes, you will get an 100 points.
100 points: Exemplary
80 points: Effective
60 points: Poor
10 points: Terrible
3) The total of 32 summative assessment
There are 32 classes this course. If students are absolutely perfect in all classes, you will get a 320 point.
3. Grading Scales
520-430 point: A
429-380 point: B
379-330 point: C
Below 329 point: D
