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Introduction
This technology-integrated lesson can be used throughout the year. Students read Hooray for Diffendoofer Day, by Dr. Seus, which is a book that can be enjoyed by all ages, and used with a variety of extension activities. In this lesson students participate in a variety of online activities:
http://www.randomhouse.com/seussville/titles/diffendoofer/
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/9893/thedrsuesspage.html
http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/themes/Seuss.shtml
The lesson that accompanies the book is specifically for second language learners, and is based on the Natural Approach (Krashen & Terrell). An explanation of this approach is included with the lesson.
The Natural Approach
Developed by: Tracy Terrell and Stephen Krashen
Goal: Real communication in the L2.
Based on 4 principles:
1. Comprehension precedes production: "Silent period" in L2 learner. Instruction is in L2 focuses on communication and comprehensible input is geared to L2 learner’s proficiency level.
2. Production must be allowed to emerge in stages: Students speak when they are ready and able. Corrections are made indirectly and student’s are given time and space to develop their own interlanguage.
3. The course syllabus should be based on communicative goals: Topics of interest and everyday activities (i.e. parts of the body, classroom objects, etc.) are used and grammar is taught indirectly.
4. Activities must be planned to lower the affective filter: Interesting activities, friendly atmosphere, and personal acceptance in the group opens the doors to acquiring the L2.
Student progress through 3 stages:
1. Comprehension
2. Early Speech Production
3. Speech Emergence
4. Intermediate Fluency
Unit: Learning to Understand the World Around Us
Lesson Topic: School
Focus: Classifying, Vocabulary (body parts/clothing)
Student Level: Speech Emergence and Intermediate Fluency
Grade: 3 (ESL)
Time Frame: This lesson is divided into six different activities that can take up to 5-6 periods (45 minutes) or about one week. These activities also have interdisciplinary extensions that can lengthen the unit time.
Lesson: Hooray For Diffendoofer Day!
Activity #1: Hooray!
1. Students will be shown the front cover of the book and the title. Students will predict what will happen in the story and make observations of objects that they can recognize on the cover of the book.
2. Students will listen to the story (read by teacher), Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!, by: Dr. Seuss
3. Students will discuss the story (likes/dislikes) and will be asked if there is any connection to their own lives within the story.
E.L.A. FRAMEWORK/LITERATURE STRAND #9: students will identify the basic facts and essential ideas in what they have read , heard, or viewed.
MATERIALS: book: Hooray For Diffendoofer Day!,
by: Dr. Seuss
Activity #2: Around and Around We Go…..
1. Students will work in small groups (2-4 students) on a carousel activity. The teacher will choose one student to be the "scribe" and the other students will be the "thinkers/idea makers." In the carousel activity, students will rotate every 2 minutes among 3 different pieces of chart paper. Each piece of paper will have a question that relates to either the story or the topic (school). These questions could be "What do we do in school?", "What objects can we use in school?", "Who can we find in school?" The scribe jots down the "thinkers" ideas within the two minute timeframe. The teacher rotates among the groups and begins copying words on flashcards from the chart papers (i.e. secretary, write, pencil). These words can later be used in further activities and/or as vocabulary/spelling. At the end of the rotations, students will read aloud the lists and/or students will be given the flashcards (that the teacher has made) and match up the words on the flashcards to the chart paper (this is appropriate for lower stages of L2 learning).
EXTENSION: Students will make their own book of vocabulary terms taken from the carousel activity.
E.L.A. FRAMEWORK: LANGUAGE STRAND #1: Students will use agreed upon rules for informal and formal discussions in small and large groups. These include active listening, staying on topic or creating an appropriate transition to a new topic, building on the ideas of previous speakers, showing consideration of others’ contributions to the discussion, avoiding sarcasm and personal remarks, taking turns and gaining the floor in appropriate ways.
E.L.A. FRAMEWORK: LANGUAGE STRAND #2: Students will pose questions, listen to the ideas of others, and contribute their own information or ideas in group discussion and interview in order to acquire new knowledge.
E.L.A. FRAMEWORK: LITERATURE STRAND #8: Students will decode accurately and understand new words encountered in their reading materials, drawing on a variety of strategies as needed, and then use these words accurately in speaking and writing.
MATERIALS: Chart paper, magic markers, large index cards, white paper, construction paper
Activity #3: Rhyming Rhythm
Students will receive copies of specific pages of the story and as a class they will locate and highlight rhyming words.
EXTENSION: Students will create their own sentences (great activity in partners) using the rhyming words found on the page.
E.L.A. FRAMEWORK: LANGUAGE STRAND #4: Students will acquire and use correctly an advanced reading vocabulary of English words, identifying meanings through and understand of word relationships.
MATERIALS: highlighters, copies of pages from story
Activity #4: Seek and Survey
Students will survey people around the school using the following questions (other questions may be generated according to the needs/interests of class):
-What is your name?
-What is your favorite subject?
-What is your favorite food?
-What is your favorite color?
Students will then compile their information and create a bar graph that represents their results.
NOTE: This is a math connection, but students can also write about what they have learned through the visual of the graph!
E.L.A. FRAMEWORK: LANGUAGE STRAND #23: Students will use self-generated questions, note-taking, summarizing, precise writing and outlining to enhance learning when reading or writing.
MATHEMATICS FRAMEWORK: STRAND #2: Patterns, Relations, and Functions: STANDARD #4: Students will use patterns and relationships to represent, analyze, and solve mathematical problems.
MATERIALS: lined paper, pencils, chart paper, magic markers, clip boards
Activity #5: Designing Characters
Students will use a template that contains different body parts and clothing of characters from the story to create (and color) their own character. Students will label the body parts, clothing, and colors (if color word practice is needed!).
EXTENSION: Students can name their character and write about the character’s life in his/her school. Students can also present their character to the class and/or the class can create a play using the character that the students have made.
E.L.A. FRAMEWORK: LANGUAGE STRAND #3: Students will make oral presentations that demonstrate appropriate consideration of audience, purpose, and the information to be conveyed.
E.L.A. FRAMEWORK: COMPOSITION STRAND #19: Students will write compositions with a clear focus, developing the composition with logically related ideas and adequate supporting detail.
MATERIALS: Character template, crayons, markers, pencil, lined paper, scissors
Activity #6: Sing Along!
Students will locate the website that contains the Diffendoofer song. Students will listen to the song and the as a class, they will practice singing the song.
E.L.A. FRAMEWORK: MEDIA STRAND #26: Students will obtain information by using a variety of media and evaluate the quality of material they obtain.
MATERIALS: website http://www.randomhouse.com/seussville/titles/diffendoofer/song.html, copy of song on chart paper, computers and internet access!!
EXPAND AND EXTEND ACTIVITIES
These activities can be used to expand students knowledge of basic English language structure and vocabulary found in the story.
OTHER WEBSITES RELATED TO DR. SEUSS
http://www.randomhouse.com/seussville/titles/diffendoofer/
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/9893/thedrsuesspage.html
http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/themes/Seuss.shtml
This program is supported in part by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
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Last updated: February 25, 2002
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