Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Vocabulary: Family Members and Friends

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 7 minutes)

The Objectives stage is essential to direct the focus of students and the teacher towards the specific learning goals of the lesson. By clearly establishing what is expected to be achieved, both students and the teacher can guide their activities and discussions to effectively reach these objectives. This ensures that classroom time is used productively and purposefully, maximizing the absorption and application of content studied previously at home.

Main Objectives:

1. Empower students to accurately and concisely recognize and identify vocabulary related to family and friends in English, including father, mother, son, and other relatives.

2. Encourage the practical application of vocabulary in dialogue and writing situations, reinforcing autonomous and collaborative learning.

Side Objectives:

1. Develop reading and active listening skills for understanding simple texts in English that contain references to family members and friends.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The Introduction aims to engage students and connect previously acquired knowledge from home with practical application in the classroom. The proposed problem situations encourage students to think critically and apply vocabulary contextually, preparing them for future interactions in English. The contextualization further highlights the relevance of the topic beyond the school environment, increasing students' interest and motivating them to learn vocabulary more deeply.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you are at a family party and need to introduce your relatives to an American friend. How would you describe each family member in English?

2. Pretend you have met a new family that does not speak Portuguese, only English. How would you ask the children who their parents and siblings are in English?

Contextualization

Vocabulary related to family and friends is crucial not only in travel or social event situations but also in professional and academic contexts where the English language is commonly used. For instance, job interviews often ask about family to learn more about the candidate. Additionally, many everyday expressions and slang include references to family members and friends, making understanding this vocabulary vital for fluency in English.

Development

Duration: (70 - 75 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to allow students to apply the vocabulary of family and friends studied previously in a practical and interactive manner. Through the proposed activities, students can explore vocabulary in various contexts, including writing, reading, speaking, and listening, promoting holistic and meaningful learning. The activities are structured to encourage collaboration among students, creativity in applying vocabulary, and fluency in communication in English.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Focus on Family

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Practice the vocabulary of relatives in English in a playful and contextualized way, developing writing and presentation skills.

- Description: In this activity, students will be divided into groups of up to 5 people, and each group will receive photos of families from different countries and cultures. The task is to identify and label the family members in the photos using the vocabulary studied about relatives in English. Each group must also create a short story about the family in the photo, introducing each member and describing their relationship.

- Instructions:

• Form groups of up to 5 students.

• Distribute one family photo to each group.

• Ask them to identify and label each family member using the vocabulary in English.

• Each group must create a brief story that introduces each family member and describes their relationship with the others.

• Prepare a presentation to share their discoveries and stories with the class.

Activity 2 - Family Tree Builders

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Strengthen the learning of vocabulary related to relatives and friends in English, while promoting collaboration and presentation skills.

- Description: Students, in groups, will receive cards with names of relatives (like 'John' - father, 'Mary' - mother, etc.) and must use these cards to build a family tree on a large sheet of paper. Each group must also write short sentences about each family member, describing characteristics or interests, all in English. At the end, each group will present their family tree and descriptions.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of no more than 5 students.

• Distribute the relative name cards to each group.

• Provide large sheets of paper or poster boards for constructing the family trees.

• Groups must use the cards to assemble the family tree and write sentences about each member.

• Prepare a presentation to share their family trees and descriptions with the class.

Activity 3 - Interviewing Foreigners

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Practice using vocabulary related to relatives and friends in realistic conversation situations, promoting confidence and fluency in English.

- Description: In this activity, students will simulate an interview situation, where each group will represent a family from a foreign country and the other groups must interview them in English to discover details about their family (names, ages, relationships). Each group must prepare suitable answers and questions for the interview.

- Instructions:

• Organize the room into circles of stations. Each station represents the 'home' of a different family.

• Each group chooses a country and receives basic information about their family (names, ages, relationships).

• The other groups visit each 'home' to interview the foreign family, using the vocabulary of relatives and friends.

• Each group must prepare suitable answers and questions for the interview.

• At the end, discuss the interviews in class, highlighting the correct use of vocabulary and fluency in communication.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The purpose of this stage of the lesson plan is to provide students with the opportunity to reflect and articulate what they have learned and how they applied the vocabulary of family and friends in English. The group discussion helps consolidate learning, allowing students to share insights, clarify doubts, and hear different perspectives and approaches to using the vocabulary. This collective feedback also serves for the teacher to assess students' understanding and retention and adjust future activities according to identified needs.

Group Discussion

At the end of the activities, gather all the students for a group discussion. Start the discussion with a brief introduction: 'Now that everyone has had the chance to explore and apply the vocabulary of family and friends in English in various ways, let's share our experiences and what we learned. Each group will have the opportunity to present a brief summary of what they discussed and discovered during the activities.'

Key Questions

1. What were the greatest challenges when using the vocabulary of relatives and friends in English during the activities?

2. How did the 'Focus on Family' activity help improve your understanding and application of the vocabulary?

3. Was there any new word or expression you learned today that you would like to share with the class?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to consolidate learning, ensuring that students have understood and internalized vocabulary related to family and friends in English and its practical applications. Moreover, it aims to reinforce the relevance of the topic, encouraging students to continue practicing and applying learned vocabulary in different contexts, both inside and outside the classroom. This conclusion also serves to reinforce the connection between theory and practice, preparing students for future applications of English in their lives.

Summary

In this final stage, the teacher will summarize and recap the main points covered during the lesson, emphasizing the vocabulary learned about family and friends in English, such as father, mother, brother, among others. The practical activities, such as 'Focus on Family', 'Family Tree Builders', and 'Interviewing Foreigners', will be recalled, highlighting how each contributed to consolidating vocabulary in a contextualized and interactive manner.

Theory Connection

Today's lesson was structured to effectively connect theory and practice. Students had the opportunity to apply vocabulary in simulated and real situations, through activities that simulated contexts for using vocabulary in English. This not only facilitated vocabulary learning but also promoted a deeper understanding of how and when to use these words in practice.

Closing

Finally, the teacher should highlight the importance of vocabulary related to family and friends in English in daily life, in both formal situations, such as in interviews or academic environments, and informal situations, such as during travel or social interactions. Being able to communicate effectively about close people is crucial for developing social and professional skills in a globalized context.