Project Work/ Projetos

I just love assigning and working with projects. Students get really involved and end up doing great memorable works. I strongly believe this sort of task brings the world into classroom and gives students a chance to really use the language functions they have been studying. 

I usually tell students about the project in advance. Then I give them a sheet with the aim, the criteria and all the info they need to have to prepare their projects.

The examples below are based on the book I work with at the Military School in Fortaleza, Top Notch Series. Students have done GREAT jobs!

I hope these ideas help you somehow! Send your comments!

Take care,
Angela

Project:  Staying at Hotels (1° Ano do Esino Médio)

English and Arts

Projeto: Let's keep our school clean

Disciplinas: Artes, Língua Inglesa e Língua Portuguesa
Responsáveis:
Objetivos de aprendizagem:
- Sensibilizar-se para a importância de manter a escola limpa.
- Responsabilizar-se pela limpeza da escola e pelo exemplo diante dos colegas.
- Utilizar a língua inglesa (escrita) como meio de informar sobre a limpeza e a economia de água e energia na escola.

Projeto:
O projeto consiste na confecção de “placas” bilíngues de avisos (português/inglês) feitas em EVA e cartolina pelos alunos (do 7º ano do Ensino Fundamental II) para serem afixadas nas instalações da escola.
As placas referem-se à limpeza, ao processo de conscientização do uso de celulares e eletrônicos na escola, à economia de água e energia na escola. 

- Como serão confeccionadas muitas placas, os professores podem selecionar aquelas que serão afixadas.
- Cada turma pode confeccionar placas referentes a um assunto, po exemplo.

Planejamento:
Mês        Atividades            Professor Responsável

Material:
- Folhas de EVA e cartolina; canetinhas, tinta, tesoura, lápis, borracha, etc.
- Lista de avisos em português e inglês

Localização das placas:
- Banheiro
- Sala de aula
- Corredores

Colocação das placas:
- Deve ser feita pelos próprios alunos.

Algumas frases
- Please flush toilet after using.
- Do not litter.
- Stop treating your school like a wastebin. Do not litter.
- Turn off when not in use.
- Please switch off lights when leaving.
- If you're not using it, turn it off.
- Turn cell phones off.
- Thank you for turning off your cell phones.
- Use water wisely. Turn taps properly. Report any leaks.
- Conserve water. Consume wisely.
- Stop and read a book today!
- Reading leads to the road of success.


Bom projeto para você!

Speech  - Career choice

Level: Advanced
Theme: Describing careers
Reference material: Top Notch 3A – Unit 4 – Life choices
Suggestion: In pairs, students present their speech to other students of the same level and their teachers at an auditorium (or larger classroom)
Objectives: Describe a career, its field, skills and talents required to perform it and how to get into it.
Description: Choose a career and talk about the following:

 field it belongs to;
 the importance of this career for the 21st Century society;
 skills, abilities and talents required to perform it;
 some of the activities performed by the professionals;
 universities and colleges that offer the course to form professionals in this field.

Suggestion:
Provide slides or posters with information and pictures about this career.

Criteria for evaluation:
Grade 1: Pronunciation (0-1,5) + Fluency (0-2) + Accuracy (0-1,5)
Grade 2: Creativity (0-2) + Organization and deadlines (0-1,5) + topic (0-1,5)
Total: (grade 1 + grade 2)/2

Important:
Be concise and clear; focus on the topics listed above.

Poster Presentation Project - Driving and Cars
Level: Itermediate Course
Theme: Talking about cars and driving
Reference material: Top Notch 2A-Unit4
Objectives:
 Explaining driving rules.
 Explaining road signs.
 Describing types of cars.
 Describing the inside and the outside of a car.
 Driving safely.

Suggestion:
1. Study the vocabulary on pages 40, 41, 42, 45, 46, 47 (Top Notch 2A)

2. Group formation
 5 groups with 3 students.
 Each group must choose one topic and stick to it.

Evaluation:

Grade 1: Pronunciation (0-1,5) + Fluency (0-2) + Accuracy (0-1,5)
Grade 2: Creativity (0-2) + Organization and deadlines (0-1,5) + topic (0-1,5)
Total: (grade 1 + grade 2)/2

Video Project - An advertisement

Theme: Advertising a service or a product
Book: Top Notch 3A – Unit 3 – Getting things done
Level: Advanced (Junior Year)
Aim: Advert a service or a product emphasizing positive aspects of service, products and workmanship.
Task: Choose a service or a product and the shop where you can get it done. Then decide on an advertising campaign to help sell the products to the community. Make a video and show it to your classmates. Attention to the volume and sound quality of your video. Make sure it is clear and audible.

Suggested criteria to evaluate groups:
Grade 1 (0-5 points):
Pronunciation = 1.5
Fluency = 2.0
Accuracy = 1.0
Adequacy = 0.5

Grade 2 (0-5 points):
Creativity = 2.0
Organization = 0.5
Presentation date = 0.5
Video quality and sound = 2.0

Final grade: (grade 1 + grade 2)/2

Video Project - Making small talk

Reference: Top Notch 2A – Unit 1 – Greetings and Small Talk
Aim: be aware of different ways to talk to people in specific situations, such as talking to strangers, joining a conversation, introducing people, etc.
Level: Advanced and Intermediate (sophomores)
Organization: 5 groups of three and 1 pair.

Description:
1. Go to http://www.ehow.com/  and http://www.wikihow.com/
2. Search for your topic (see topics below).
3. Read the tips given.
4. Prepare a 10-minute video in English about the topic.
5. Upload the video to YouTube™ and broadcast it. Use your creativity.
6. Comment on the videos made by the other groups.

The video must show:
a. The tips given on the websites.
b. The students’ opinions about these tips.
c. Interviews (teachers, other students).
d. Credits.
e. Subtitles (if necessary).

Evaluation criteria:
1. Creativity
2. Attention to the topics (a-e)
3. Use of English (pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary)

Topics:
Group1: How to Start a Conversation When You Have Nothing to Talk About
Group2: How to Make Friends using "The 7 Steps"
Group3: How to Have a Successful First Date (for Guys)
Group4: How to Introduce People
Group5: How to Make Small Talk

Video Project - Staying at hotels

Theme: Staying at hotels
Reference material: Top Notch 2A-Unit3
Aim: be able to get by at a hotel

 Ask for room service.
 Complain about a service.
 Ask for hangers, towels, etc.
 Pay the hotel bill.
 Ask for wake-up service.
 Describe/ Ask for a hotel facility.
 Make a reservation/ leave/take a message, etc.

Description (for teachers who teach with TOP NOTCH 2A only):
1. study the vocabulary on pages 27,30,31 and 32; study the list of extra conversations.
2. study Grammar Booster G6 (modals)
3. perform at least 4 (four) situations that may take place at a hotel, include modals (page G6).

Evaluation
Criteria:
Final grade: (Grade 1 + Grade 2)/2
Grade 1 – Creativity, task, sound quality, presentation day (0-4)
Grade 2 – Use of English (0-4)
* pronunciation, fluency and accuracy

Puppets make language classroom alive!

Dialog reading becomes a lot more fun with puppets! I use puppets to practice introductions with young learners, mainly beginners.

The hardest part is to make them let go the puppets!

1st - Choose a short dialog.
2nd - Have them listen and repeat.
3rd - Have them practice with their own information.





4th - Tell students to memorize their lines of the conversations.
5th -  Assign roles to each group of students. Each group has all the participants of the dialog.

Each one memorizes only his or her lines. On the presentation day, you call one of each group to perform the dialog with the puppets.




Have fun!








Veja o blog http://nelmundoca9.blogspot.com/2010/09/as-vantagens-do-fantoche-em-sala-de.html